Academic Program Assessment/Placement
Degree-Seeking Undergraduates
All degree-seeking students are required to complete assessment in reading and math. Once assessment is completed, students will be eligible to register for classes.
Depending on placement, students are required to enroll in courses in reading and math, as outlined in the Reading and Mathematics Placement policies.
First-time, full-time students are required to enroll in courses in writing skills foundations course (ENG 104 or ENG 108) and reading and/or math, as appropriate, in the first semester they register for classes. Full-time students must complete the quantitative skills requirement by the end of their first two semesters.
First-time, part-time students are required to enroll in a writing skills foundations course (ENG 104 or ENG 108) and reading, as appropriate, in the first semester in which they register. Part-time students must complete the quantitative skills requirement prior to earning 24 semester hours.
Full-time transfer students are required to enroll in the appropriate courses in reading, writing and math, as indicated by placement results and/or transfer evaluations, in the first semester they register for classes.
Part-time transfer students are required to enroll in a writing skills foundations course (ENG 104 or ENG 108) and reading or an English 100-level writing-intensive course and reading, as appropriate, in the first semester in which they register.
Transfer students who have not met the quantitative skills requirement must enroll in the appropriate course in their first semester at Wilson (or the first semester the appropriate course is available).
Transfer students who bring in transfer credits for mathematics but score below the level of the courses transferred in on the placement exam will be advised to retake certain transferred-in courses, depending on the need for such courses as prerequisites and/or courses required in the major.
International exchange students will be assessed by the English language learners (ELL) instructor to determine the appropriate level of English composition. Students must enroll in English composition in the first semester in which they are registered. Students who complete ENG 104 are required to enroll in ENG 106 the next semester.
Students will be required to complete the math assessment only if math is prerequisite to a course the student would like to enroll in.
Accommodations
A request for accommodations as well as any paperwork required for disability accommodations must be submitted to the Academic Support Center at least two weeks prior to the testing date.
Appeals
An appeal to placement results must be completed no later than the first day of the first semester of enrollment. Students must complete a Placement Challenge Appeal form and submit the challenge fee to the Registrar's Office to complete a placement challenge. Students should contact the Registrar's Office for more information regarding placement challenges.
Mathematics Placement Policy
Students will be placed in the appropriate mathematics course, upon completion of a Math Skills Assessment. Students transferring in an appropriate mathematics course do not have to complete the Math Skills Assessment unless their intended major requires a higher level of mathematics.
Full-time students must complete the quantitative skills requirement by the end of their first two semesters. Part-time students must complete the quantitative skills requirement prior to earning 24 semester hours. Transfer students who have not met the quantitative skills requirement must enroll in the appropriate course in the first semester at Wilson (or the first semester the appropriate course is available).
Reading Placement Policy
All incoming, matriculated students who are transferring in few credits than required for sophomore status (27 semester hours) must complete placement in reading. Students who do not pass out of the reading requirement will complete the two-semester hour ARS 095: Applied Reading Strategies course.
Writing Intensive Placement Policy
Every undergraduate student entering Wilson College without a foundations English course is required to take one in their first semester or the first semester a course is available. These students will then be placed at mid-term into the appropriate, follow-up writing-intensive course in their second semester of study by the English faculty, who will notify the registrar of the determination.
Students who are non-native speakers of English will complete placement during orientation, which may result in placement into ENG 103/ENG 104 (designated for non-native speakers of English) or into a regular foundations English course. Students who place into ENG 103/ENG 104 will automatically take ENG 106 in their second semester of study.
Foreign Language Placement Policy
Students will be placed in the appropriate foreign language course, based on the number and level of high school foreign language courses completed. Consideration will also be given to the number of years that students have not had exposure to the language.
Students will not be placed at a level higher than 205: Intermediate. Students may challenge their foreign language placement by completing an oral interview with the appropriate faculty member. This interview will determine whether a student is qualified to move into a higher-level foreign language course.
Students who choose to learn a foreign language different from the one that they studied in high school will be placed into the appropriate 101 course.
Challenging Placement Level
A student may only challenge his/her placement in order to be placed above, not below, his/her placement level.
The registrar’s office should be notified regarding a student’s intention to challenge his/her placement level. The challenge must then be completed no later than the first day of the of the semester in which the student enrolls at Wilson College.