1.     Any student whose placement test results indicate a need for Learning Support English and/or Reading and whose native tongue is not English will be placed in ESL.

2.     Courses offered in ESL:

* Effective Spring 2011, COMPASS exit examination is no longer required for ESLW 0075. To exit ESLW 0075, students must have at least a “C” average in the course and must pass the exit essay exam, which is evaluated by the ESL and English faculty.
** Placement within the ESL track is determined by COMPASS Placement scores, writing sample, and internal ESL test.

(a) Students who place in ESL Reading must also take both Academic Vocabulary I & II (ESLV 0051 and ESLV 0052), which are non-sequential courses.  Students in the ESL track who place in both Reading and English (Writing) classes will also take ESLO1101, Classroom Communication & College Orientation.  Prior to taking ESLO1101, students may also be required to take ESLC0061, Classroom Communication I, in order to improve oral communication and listening comprehension skills.

(b) In order to completely satisfy the ESL Reading requirement, students who were placed into ESLR with the Reading COMPASS Placement Exam must successfully pass the COMPASS Exit Exam in Reading once successfully passing their ESLR 0085 coursework with a grade of A, B, or C.

(c) Students enrolled in both ESL and credit courses may not withdraw from any ESL courses unless they also

(d) Students must be in the exit-level ESLR (0085) in order to be permitted to take courses for which READ 0099 is a co-requisite, and must be in the exit-level ESLW 0075 in order to be permitted to take courses for which ENGL 0099 is a pre-requisite.

(e) If a required ESL course is not available, a student may be allowed to enroll in a course for degree credit if the student has met the course prerequisites, subject to the approval of the Director of Learning Support.

3.     Letter grades used in ESL:

Exit Level Grades                     Non-Exit Level Grades
A, B, C                                    IP, F, U, W, and WF

Exception:

ESLO1101 (a credit-bearing course)                                                                                                     Exit Level Grades                     Non-Exit Level Grades
A, B, C, D                                F, W, and WF

Attendance and grading:

Three absences will lower a student’s final course grade one letter, four absences will lower the grade two letters, etc.   In addition, habitual tardiness will result in the lowering of a student’s final grade.  Being more than 10 minutes late twice equals one absence.  If there is some reason why a student must miss class, he/she must let the instructor know in advance and/or provide documentation.

4.     The Institutional policy on ESL transfer:

(a) Students who complete ESL at another University System of Georgia (USG) institution are exempted from that/those area(s) at Gainesville State College.  Those students who begin ESL courses but do not complete them at another USG institution are placed in the equivalent courses at Gainesville State College.

(b) Previous attempts in ESL courses at another University System of Georgia institution are counted toward the maximum allowed number of attempts (see 5(a) below) for completion of Gainesville State College ESL courses.  If transfer applicants have more than the maximum number of attempts allowed at Gainesville State College, those applicants will not be accepted. An attempt is any semester in which a student receives a grade other than W.

(c) Students who transfer in fewer than 30 hours of college credit are subject to all the requirements of entering freshmen.  Students who transfer in 30 or more hours of college credit are exempt from CPC requirements, but if they do not transfer in a college course for which an ESL course is a prerequisite, they are subject to COMPASS testing and placement if they have not completed the ESL requirement at the prior institution. Transfer of ENGL 1101 credit satisfies the ESL English requirement – so long as there are no CPC deficiencies in English; transfer of two courses for which READ 0099 is a co-requisite or pre-requisite satisfies the ESL Reading requirement.  

(d) Gainesville State College ESL students are not allowed transient permission to take ESL courses nor any other collegiate-level courses at other institutions, nor does Gainesville State College admit transient students into its ESL courses.

(e) Once students remain enrolled after the drop/add period of their first semester in any ESL course, submission after the midpoint of that semester of ANY standardized test scores and/or transfer credits satisfying the ESL requirement no longer has any bearing on the students’ ESL status at GSC.  Any test scores or transfer credits submitted toward satisfying ESL requirements must have been completed prior to enrollment at GSC.

      5. The Institutional academic progress policy (probation, suspension, exclusion, etc.) as it relates to ESL students:

(a) Students in the ESL track of Learning Support have three levels of ESLW and of ESLR and have maximum of three semesters to complete each level.  If they do not complete a level within three semesters, they are suspended for one year (three consecutive semesters), unless they appeal successfully. The appeal committee will consist, entirely or in part, of the student’s instructor, the student’s ESL instructor, the ESL Coordinator, the Coordinator of Academic Support, the Learning Support Director, and the Assistant Vice President of Academic Enrichment.  ESL appeal policies are as follow:

1) Students have a maximum of two appeal semesters for each level. The appeal hearing will take place immediately prior to the semester following ESL suspension. Students in a final attempt of a level should check with the Coordinator of Academic Support mmize@gsc.edu for the appeal date for the upcoming semester.  Student must be present on the designated date in order to appeal. Students in their 3rd attempt or in their appeal semester are encouraged to reserve this appeal date in case an appeal is necessary.

2) After the 2nd unsuccessful appeal attempt, the student will receive a 1-year (three consecutive semesters) suspension from GSC.

3) A student earning an F during either appeal semester will receive an automatic 1-year (three consecutive semesters) suspension from GSC.

4) Students who U out in two courses, ESLR and ESLW, will not be permitted to appeal for additional attempts.

(b) ESL students who decide to go against the advice of the Office for Academic Enrichment and enroll in native (USA) English speakers’ Learning Support Reading (READ 0099) and English (ENGL 0099) instead of the ESL equivalents must sign a “Waiver of Right to a Third Semester ESL Attempt” form.  They may not use up their attempts in READ 0099 and/or ENGL 0099 and then switch to ESLW 0075 and/or ESLR 0085 for a third semester.

(c) ESL students may be suspended (received a grade of U) after fewer than the maximum number of attempts allowed if they fail to attend classes and/or make adequate progress in any level.

(d) Students with remaining ESL requirements who have been out of school for three or more consecutive semesters must reapply to the college and must take the placement test in any area of ESL still not satisfied.  The College will take the highest placement score on record. If they are again placed in ESL courses, all prior attempts will be set back to zero and the students will be allowed to begin anew.  Students who test out of ESL on their placement test will have completed their ESL requirement. 

(e) Students returning from a one year (three consecutive semesters) ESL Suspension must take the COMPASS Placement test in any unsatisfied area of ESL.  The College will take the highest placement score on record.  Students who place into ESL will have their attempts reset to zero.  Academic Resources and COMPASS Practice tests are available on GSC's website:  http://www.gsc.edu/academics/acadenrich/ls/Pages/default.aspx

 (f) ESL students who are also enrolled in Math Learning Support courses are subject to Learning Support policy for those courses. http://www.gsc.edu/academics/acadenrich/ls/Pages/policy.aspx

6.     Students with Learning Disabilities:

(a)  Students with documented learning disabilities enrolled in ESL courses are required to fulfill all stated requirements before exiting.  These students will be provided with appropriate course accommodations.

(b) Students with learning disabilities are required to meet the minimum COMPASS score. 

(c) Students with learning disabilities may petition through the institution to the System Committee on Learning Disabilities for a maximum of two additional semesters of Learning Support work.  The documentation submitted by such students must be consistent with the definition and criteria for evaluation provided in Section 2.2.  Documentation must be sent to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at least one semester in advance of the time the accommodation is needed.  The Committee may request additional information in its consideration of the institution's recommendation for additional semesters.

(d) Students in any attempt of ESLR 0085 who have A, B or C averages but who do not pass the COMPASS for exit will be allowed one opportunity to retake the COMPASS test before the beginning of the next semester on a date that will be set by the ESL Coordinator and the Director of Testing. This is typically two days after the last scheduled COMPASS exit test. Students who, upon their COMPASS Exit retest, do not score at or above the cutoff established must repeat the course.

7.     Catalog course descriptions for ESL courses:  http://www.gsc.edu/academics/catalogs/Pages/Courses.aspx.  (See courses listed within Department of English as Second Language).

8.     Staff directory for ESL faculty and staff:

• Ms. Karen Peters, ESL Acting Coordinator
• Ms. Kelly Dahlin, ESL
• Dr. Donald Smith, ESL
• Ms. Dede deLaughter, Learning Support Director
• Matt Mize, Coordinator of Academic Support, Gainesville Campus
• Ms. Christina Reed, Administrative Assistant for Academic Enrichment
• Dr. Kristen Roney, Interim Assistant Vice President, Academic Enrichment