COURSE REPETITION… or lack thereof

1. COURSE REPETITION… or lack thereof Changes to Title 5 Fall 2013

2. Why?! Ultimately this is a cost-saving measure. The state of California does not want to pay colleges to teach the same thing to the same student multiple times. And the state does not want to pay us to teach a student the same type of skill (world dance, soccer, drawing) more than four times.

3. Bottom line… My new mantra: There is no such thing as a repeatable course at SMC… with very few exceptions.

4. Which courses? • I am talking about courses that were previously designated as “repeatable” such as those in the visual and performing arts, cosmetology, and kinesiology/physical education. • I am NOT talking about repeats for substandard grades and W’s (math, English, etc.)… yet.

5. A student receiving an A, B, C or P cannot enroll in that course again unless an exception to the general rule applies that allows an additional enrollment(s) in that course. REPEAT

6. No “clean slates” • This is applied to all students and includes all past enrollments. There is no “grandfathering” or “clean slates.” • All enrollments “count.” F’s and W’s “count.” • Military withdrawals do NOT count against the student.

7. Repeatable Courses Type 1. Courses for which repetition is necessary to meet the major requirement of CSU or UC for completion of a bachelor’s degree Type 2. Intercollegiate Athletics Type 3. Intercollegiate academic or vocational competition

8. Type 1 Courses for which repetition is necessary to meet the major requirement of CSU or UC for completion of a bachelor’s degree Example– Music ensembles, Music 92 The “evidence” is maintained in the Office of Academic Affairs.

9. Type 2 Intercollegiate Athletics Anything called VAR PE can be repeated once (2 enrollments) because 175 hours are permitted per year, and a student has two years of eligibility. VAR PE 60 can be repeated because it is “out of season” training– up to 175 hours per year. However, Kin PE can NOT be repeated.

10. Type 3 Intercollegiate competition Debate, dance performance, theater arts performance, Corsair…

11. Substandard grades in “repeatable” courses A student can repeat a “repeatable class” to alleviate a substandard grade, but the total number of enrollments can NOT exceed the established maximum of 4. Suzy takes Music 64. She gets… • W • F • W • D She’s done! No more enrollments of this course at SMC.

12. Other exceptions… Recency Significant Lapse of Time … if the course is required by the district as a recency prerequisite, or another institution to which the student seeks to transfer requires the student to have taken the course more recently than the student’s last enrollment. • No less than 36 months. • Student must petition for the exception.

13. Other exceptions… Recency Significant Lapse of Time Example– SMC Nursing program requires that students take prereqs within 5 years of admission. If Suzy took Anatomy in 2003, stopped out to care for an ailing family member, returns to apply for Nursing in 2008… she would be permitted to repeat those prereqs.

14. Other exceptions… Extenuating Circumstances District policy may permit a student to enroll again in a course if the student’s previous grade in that course was due to extenuating circumstances (illness, accident, floods, fire…). This is allowed if: • The student achieved a grade in the previous enrollment , • The student files a petition, • The district finds the previous grade was a result of extenuating circumstances

15. Other exceptions… special classes for students with disabilities The District may permit students to enroll again in special classes in the following circumstances: • Student’s success in other classes is dependent upon additional repetition of this special class. • Student needs to enroll again to be prepared for enrollment in other classes or • The student’s educational contract specifies a goal in which additional enrollments in the special class will help further that goal.

16. Other exceptions… legally mandated courses District may permit a repeat if the course is “required by statute or regulation as a condition of paid or volunteer employment.” Example– CPR. Two-fold requirement: • The course is required by a statute or regulation as a condition of employment AND • The student is employed or seeking to be employed for a paid or volunteer job for which the course is required.

17. Other exceptions… significant change in industry or licensure standards District may permit repeat where there has been such a change in industry or licensure standards that repetition of the course is necessary for employment or licensure.

18. Active Participatory Courses … one in which “individual study or group assignments are the basic means by which learning objectives are obtained.” Typically this term refers to physical education, visual arts, and performing arts.

19. Courses “related in content” Students are limited to four enrollments in courses that are “related in content.” Courses are related in content when they have “similar primary educational activities in which skill levels or variations are separated into distinct courses with different learning outcomes for each level or variation.”

20. Courses “related in content” Example– Kin PE 48 series

21. What to do? • Current students may get “caught in the middle” of this new regulation. • We can create “levels” of courses related in content, but they must be distinct from one another in objectives and SLO’s and content. • We must have a clear, logical, defensible rationale.