Placement Procedures
Writing, reading, and math placement are determined by scores on the ASSET or COMPASS tests that are administered by the college. The purpose of these tests is to assure that students are academically prepared for college-level work regardless of prior grades, work experience, or academic history. Students who do not meet the college’s standards in English and math will be required to enroll in Developmental Studies course(s) to improve their skills in these areas. Contact the Student Services Office for more details on WCC’s placement procedure.
Placement Testing and Retest Policy
Like other institutions of higher learning, Wytheville Community College requires students to take English and mathematics placement tests. Students who submit official satisfactory ACT or SAT scores taken in the last three years will be exempt from the placement test requirement. Satisfactory scores are:
English: SAT verbal 500 and SAT writing 500
or ACT verbal 21 and ACT English 21
Math: SAT math 520 or ACT math 21
Official scores should be submitted to the Admissions
and Records Office. An official report can be requested at
http://www.collegeboard.com.
Purpose of Placement Tests
The purpose of these tests is to assure that students are academically prepared for college-level work, regardless of prior grades, work experience, or academic history.
When to Schedule Testing
It is recommended that students schedule testing prior to enrollment period and not wait until enrollment days. For example, if a student plans to enroll during fall semester, testing should occur during the summer prior to fall registration. All students must complete the WCC Application for Admission before placement testing. The Academic Resource Center in Bland Hall administers all placement tests.
Placement Scores from Other Institutions
Students may submit placement scores from other institutions provided the placement test is the same as that used at WCC and testing was completed within the last three years. WCC will use the placement scores submitted, but will apply the WCC cutoff scores. Placement scores submitted from other institutions must be on file at WCC before a student may register for an English, mathematics, or biology class. If a student has two placement scores on record in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and both tests were taken within the past three years, WCC will accept and use the higher score. Developmental coursework completed outside the VCCS is not transfer eligible and that current placement data help design academic plans that offer a higher likelihood of success.
Retest Policy
The academic divisions will adhere to a strict retest policy requiring students to appeal to the counselors and/or faculty in the respective disciplines for retest.
The professional faculty will consider a retest only if a student meets one of the following criteria:
- A score is within three points of a passing score;
- Previous academic history indicates the student’s academic competence and/or promise;
- Mitigating circumstances prevented the student from appropriately completing a test; or
- The student did not enroll in math, English, and/or biology within three years of taking the placement test.
The counselors or English and mathematics faculty will document all mitigating circumstances.
College Credit Through Advanced Standing
Wytheville Community College recognizes that learning takes place in a variety of ways, including work experiences, extensive reading, hobbies or vocational endeavors and other similar activities. The basic premise of the advanced standing process is that program-placed students shall be given the opportunity to earn appropriate college credit when their previous studies, training or life and work experiences have already provided the knowledge, competencies or skills associated with a course. The College’s commitment to this philosophy of advanced standing is coupled with its mandate to ensure standards of academic quality comparable to traditional instruction. Procedures to apply for credit through advanced standing can be obtained from the WCC Admissions and Records Office.
The WCC Admissions and Records Office (Room 214 Bland Hall) will provide a student with a copy of the “College Credit Through Advanced Standing” booklet upon request.
Definition of Advanced Standing
Advanced standing is the award of academic credit for subject matter competency that has been gained by previous academic study or occupational experience. This may include, but is not limited to, college credit and advancement based upon individual participation in the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Entrance Examination Board; other placement examinations; articulation agreements with other institutions; transfer credit from other regionally accredited institutions of higher learning; training provided by non-collegiate institutions, such as armed forces and service schools; professional certification or experiential learning.
Criteria Governing Advanced Standing
The following criteria apply to all forms of advanced standing:
- To be eligible for advanced standing, students must be currently enrolled in a program at the College.
- Advanced standing must be applied toward a specific
program at the College. Non-curricular students are
not eligible for advanced standing. - In order to graduate from WCC, a student must complete a minimum of 25% of the total credits required for the degree, diploma, or certificate at WCC.
- Transfer credit may be awarded for up to 75% of the degree, diploma, or certificate requirements. Credit-by-portfolio may be awarded for up to 25% of the academic degree requirements. In all cases, at least 25% of the academic degree requirements must be completed at WCC.
- Award of credit through advanced standing shall be given, to the extent possible, to courses listed in the current WCC Catalog. In certain instances, advanced standing credit may be awarded for courses listed in the Virginia Community College System Master Course Guide.
- No credit shall be awarded that duplicates earned course credit at the College, at other institutions, or other credit awarded through advanced standing.
- Students may not petition for Credit by Examination for a particular course if they have enrolled (either for credit or audit) in that course, either at WCC or at another institution.
The College reserves the right to place a time limit on prior learning experiences. The College reserves the right to place a time limit for accepting credit for technical courses taken previously at other institutions. The Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, in consultation with the appropriate program faculty, will determine if courses taken more than five years ago can be used in the student’s current program of study.
Students are responsible for providing the College with appropriate official documentation of prior learning. In the case of foreign transcripts, the student must assume the responsibility of having transcripts evaluated by an approved evaluation agency. Students are encouraged to have their foreign transcripts evaluated course-by-course rather than by degree. A listing of agencies that are approved to evaluate foreign transcripts can be obtained from the WCC Admissions and Records Office.
The official transcript shall specify the type of advanced standing, equivalent courses, and the number of credits awarded. Advanced standing credit shall be distinct from earned course credit.
No grades, grade point average, or other indication of academic standing shall be associated with advanced standing entries on the official transcript.
Credit awarded through advanced standing is applicable only to WCC’s curricular requirements. Students are cautioned that credits awarded through AP examinations, CLEP examinations, credit-by-examination, credit-by- portfolio, or other means of advanced standing may not be accepted in transfer by other post-secondary institutions.