POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON COURSE AND PROGRAM
PREREQUISITES
Leeward Community College
In order to promote student readiness for and student success in courses and degree/certificate programs, Leeward Community College shall establish and implement prerequisites for its courses.
Prerequisites shall represent the minimum level of competency in the basic skills of reading, writing, and/or mathematics that the applicable discipline faculty determine is necessary for students to complete or master the course objectives and content with reasonable success. The discipline may identify other skills which may be equally responsible for student success.
Course prerequisites. This policy applies to prerequisites in the basic skills areas of reading, writing, and mathematics for courses other than reading, writing, and mathematics. (Example of a basic skills prerequisite for a content area course to which this policy applies: Prerequisites for History 151- completion of English 021 with a C or better or minimum score on the college-selected reading placement test.)
This policy does not apply to the following kinds of prerequisites:
1. Prerequisites for or the sequence of courses within the skills disciplines of reading, writing, and mathematics. Subject to the established procedures and approvals, such prerequisites or sequencing shall be determined by the applicable discipline faculty.
2. Subject matter prerequisites for content area courses (e.g., completion of Psychology 100 for Psychology 260.) Subject to the required procedures and approvals, such prerequisites shall be determined by the applicable discipline faculty.
Unless otherwise exempted through the Curriculum Committee review process, basic skills prerequisites shall be established for all content area courses, including the entry-level course in a series or sequence of courses within a discipline.
Unless the applicable discipline faculty determine and propose otherwise, basic skills prerequisites need not be established for non-entry level courses within a discipline if the following two conditions are met:
1. The course requires as a prerequisite the completion of the entry-level or a higher level course within the same discipline, and
2. Completion of that discipline course prerequisite requires the completion of or
meeting a basic skills prerequisite which, in combination with the completion of the
discipline course prerequisite, is deemed adequate preparation to successfully complete the entry-level course within that discipline.
(Example: the prerequisite for Psychology 260 is the completion of Psychology 100 which hypothetically requires the completion of English 021 or a minimum score on the college-selected reading placement test. Under these conditions, a basic skills prerequisite need not be established separately for Psychology 260.)
Program Prerequisites. Program prerequisites shall not be established separately for the Associate in Arts degree program itself. Instead, Liberal Arts students shall be required to meet the applicable course prerequisites for the individual courses they select to meet the A.A. degree requirements.
Vocational programs may establish prerequisites for each Certificate of Completion, Certificate
of Achievement or Associate in Science degree following normal college curriculum approval
procedures. However, this policy does not mandate establishment of program prerequisites. As
with the AA degree, vocational students shall be required to meet applicable course prerequisites for individual courses if the program chooses not to set program prerequisites.
A. The Dean of Instruction shall be responsible for the overall implementation of this
policy in accordance with the guidelines below.
B. There shall be established an Academic Review Board to be co-chaired by the Dean of
Instruction and the Curriculum Committee Chair and which shall include the Reading,
Writing, and Mathematics Discipline Coordinators, the Academic Advising Coordinator,
the Assessment Specialist, and the President of the Student Senate or designee.
The functions of the Academic Review Board shall be:
1. To resolve questions or disputes over the interpretation or application of this
policy, including any questions relating to circumstances or cases not covered by this policy.
2. To review and approve contingency plans to be invoked during the initial
phases of prerequisite implementation when courses with newly established prerequisite are low enrolled.
3. To conduct a periodic review or evaluation of the impact of prerequisites.
C. Guidelines for Implementation
1. The Dean of Instruction shall develop an implementation plan during Spring
semester 1992 in consultation with the Academic Review Board.
2. Course and program prerequisites shall be implemented in incremental phases
so as to minimize serious reductions or disruptions in course or program enrollments
while students are completing or otherwise meeting required course and program
prerequisites.
3. An implementation schedule shall be developed which will ensure that all
course and program prerequisites are fully implemented by Fall 1995.
4. The implementation plan shall include directions and procedures to be used by the various disciplines, Divisions, and programs in recommending course and program prerequisites. Any necessary forms will be developed in consultation with the Chair of the Curriculum Committee
5. The plan shall allow the faculty in each discipline to consider and recommend
prerequisites for all courses in that discipline to which this policy applies. The plan shall also allow the faculty in each program leading to an Associate in Science or Certificate of Achievement to recommend prerequisites for their program if they choose to.
6. The plan will include provision of assistance to any discipline or program in proposing appropriate basic skills prerequisites. Consultation may be provided with the assistance of the basic skills disciplines and academic support staff.
7. The plan will provide for review and approval of all discipline and program recommendations for prerequisites through the college’s usual curriculum procedures.
8. The plan shall include a means of evaluation of the impact of prerequisites.
9. During implementation, the Dean of Instruction, together with the respective Division Chairs, shall anticipate and schedule needed remedial/developmental courses to permit students to meet prerequisites. Such courses shall be available during the days, evenings, weekends, and at out-reach sites.
10. The Dean of Instruction, in consultation with Division Chairs, shall also propose contingency plans to be invoked during the initial phases of the prerequisites implementation when courses with newly-established prerequisites may be low enrolled. These plans shall be reviewed and approved by the Academic Review Board.
A. The Policy on Prerequisites is subject to amendment through the normal college
procedures for establishing academic policy.
B. The Implementation Guidelines and Procedures may be amended by the Academic
Review Board.
Approved by
Provost Barbara Polk
February 1992