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College Placement

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  1. Policy

    Salt Lake Community College is committed to building outstanding educational experiences for its students. To aid in this commitment and promote student success, the college will assess students for college readiness. The college will ensure accommodated testing for students who require it, serve as a proctored site for non-SLCC students and community members, and provide certification testing. As resources allow, the college will facilitate academic testing outside of class.

  2. References

    Reserved

  3. Definitions
    1. Academic Testing: Assessments in academic courses that help determine student grades.
    2. Accommodated Testing: Modifications to testing procedures for placement, academic courses, or certification for students with established disabilities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
    3. Certification Testing: Assessments that result in state or industry certification or licensure.
    4. Classroom Testing: Assessments in live academic courses that help determine student grades. Instructors may schedule tests to be conducted in Testing Services.
    5. Credit by Examination: Assessments that convey academic credit or satisfy academic requirements.
    6. Distance Testing: Placement, academic testing, or certification testing conducted by Testing Services for community members or students at other institutions.
    7. Online Course Testing: Assessments in online academic courses that help determine student grades that are scheduled and conducted in Testing Services or under virtual proctoring conditions.
    8. Placement: A process by which SLCC evaluates college readiness. It combines with prerequisites to determine a point at which students start a program of study.
    9. Remote Testing: Placement and academic testing conducted outside of Salt Lake County.
  4. Procedure
    1. Establishment and Operation of Committees
      1. The college shall establish a College Placement Committee (CPC) and a Testing Advisory Committee (TAC).
      2. The College Placement Committee shall be composed of:
        1. the associate provost for Academic Operations, who shall be the committee chairperson;
        2. the director of Testing Services;
        3. the associate dean of the Mathematics department or their designee;
        4. the associate dean of the English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies (ELWS) department or their designee;
        5. the associate dean of the English as a Second Language (ESL) department or their designee;
        6. one faculty member each from the Mathematics, ELWS, and ESL departments;
        7. the dean of Science, Math, and Engineering;
        8. the dean of Humanities and Social Sciences;
        9. a representative from the School of Applied Technology and Technical Specialties, chosen by the dean;
        10. the associate vice president of Enrollment Management, or their designee;
        11. the associate vice president of Student Success, or their designee;
        12. the director of the Disability Resource Center or their designee;
        13. the director of Academic Advising or their designee;
        14. a representative from Strategy and Analysis, chosen by the assistant vice president;
        15. the president of the Faculty Senate or their designee; and
        16. the Student Body President or their designee.
      3. Upon the recommendation of the provost or members of the committee the CPC chair shall invite other faculty, staff, or administrators as needed for informed deliberation to attend its meetings. Invitees may include faculty from particularly relevant departments or directors and coordinators of programs for particularly relevant student populations.
      4. Upon the recommendation of the provost or any of its members the CPC shall meet as needed to address SLCC’s placement procedures.
      5. The CPC’s decisions shall be recommendations for the Provost to bring to the President’s Cabinet.
      6. The Testing Advisory Committee shall be composed of:
        1. The director of Testing Services, who shall be the committee chairperson;
        2. A representative from each academic school, chosen by the respective deans;
        3. The associate vice president for Workforce and Economic Development or their designee;
        4. The director of eLearning or their designee;
        5. The director of the Disability Resource Center or their designee;
        6. The director of Scheduling and Academic Support or their designee; and
        7. The director of Academic Advising or their designee.
      7. Upon the recommendation of the provost or members of the committee, the TAC chair shall invite other faculty, staff, or administrators as needed for informed deliberation to attend its meetings.
      8. The TAC is an advisory body to the director of Testing Services. It shall meet as needed upon the provost’s or any of its members’ recommendation to address SLCC’s academic testing, distance testing, or certification testing procedures.
    2. Placement
      1. The CPC Responsibilities
        1. oversee college-wide placement procedures at SLCC;
        2. undertake studies to validate placement levels, taking departmental needs and requirements into consideration;
        3. review requests for changes to college-wide placement procedures, ensuring that the implementation of approved changes be timed to minimize disruption for students and for staff involved in placement, enrollment, and orientation processes;
        4. ensure the quality, necessity, and legality of all college-wide placement procedures;
        5. consider, recommend, and approve the use of any separate test by a department, division, or program if SLCC does not commonly use such test for placing students;
        6. oversee and enforce all decisions pertaining to placement; and
        7. produce a document that describes SLCC’s placement procedures.
      2. Procedures for Program Variances
        1. Programs with limited facilities, capacity, or limiting regulations may apply to the CPC for variances to the college’s admission policy.
        2. All departments, programs, or divisions wishing to revise existing score ranges shall present such requests to the CPC in writing, including supporting documentation or statistical evidence.
        3. After deliberation, the CPC may approve such changes, ask for more information, or reject the request.
        4. If the CPC rejects a request from a department, division, or program, it shall furnish the reasons for the rejection and shall work with the department, division, or program to find an acceptable solution.
        5. After such collaboration, the department, division, or program may re- submit the proposal to the committee for reconsideration.
        6. Each program or department shall be allowed a non-voting representative at committee meetings when the committee discusses or acts upon matters concerning or impacting their department or program.
        7. The CPC chair must supply notice to the college community of such meetings and any action items on the agenda.
    3. Academic Testing
      1. The TAC Responsibilities
        1. establish procedures for academic testing, including classroom testing, testing for students in online courses, and accommodated testing;
        2. serve as an advisory board to Testing Services to ensure effective use of academic testing given available resources; and
        3. produce a document that describes SLCC’s academic testing offerings and procedures.
      2. Communication regarding academic testing must be in writing and must come from the appropriate faculty or associate dean.
    4. Certification, Distance, and Remote Testing
      1. The TAC shall:
        1. establish procedures for distance and certification testing; and
        2. serve as an advisory board to Testing Services to ensure effective administration of distance and certification tests.
      2. Certification Testing
        1. Under the authorization of the director of Testing Services and in conjunction with the TAC’s recommendations, testing from outside agencies may be conducted at SLCC.
        2. The administrator of the outside agency shall provide the director of Testing Services with:
          1. the name of the outside agency;
          2. the name and address of the administrator;
          3. the name of the test;
          4. the date and place of administration;
          5. the number of people testing; and
          6. any irregularities or incidents during the test.
        3. The director of Testing Services shall generate a monthly statistical report that shall contain the number of such distance tests.
      3. Other Distance Testing
        1. SLCC will conduct distance testing for schools or colleges other than SLCC on a proctor basis only (i.e., if another college or school wishes to provide a testing instrument, answer forms, and complete instructions for administration, Testing Services will administer such examination in accordance with the instructions provided).
        2. Upon conclusion of such testing, Testing Services will return the examination to the requesting school or college for scoring.
        3. Testing Services will administer its assessment or placement instruments to students wishing to use them for placement at or to meet eligibility requirements for another school or college or government program only if the student meets the following conditions:
        4. The student must supply Testing Services with written verification from the other school, college, or institution, that states the student has been admitted to said institution but needs to complete the particular placement instrument.
        5. The student must supply a picture ID.
        6. The student must pay the appropriate fee.
    5. Remote Testing
      1. Testing Services will coordinate remote testing for students living outside of Salt Lake County taking SLCC online courses.
      2. The student must identify a qualified proctoring facility and supply to Testing Services the institution’s contact information. Testing Services will determine the facility’s qualifications and document a proctor agreement. Upon approval, Testing Services will provide the testing instrument and complete instructions.
      3. When the student completes the test, Testing Services will receive the examination from the institution and return it to the appropriate faculty member.
  5. The Americans With Disabilities Act
    1. Testing Services shall cooperate with the Disability Resource Center and all academic and vocational programs to provide accommodated testing environments for those students who require them.
    2. Accommodated testing modifications shall include but are not limited to extended time, the use of readers, scribes, or interpreters, enlarged print editions of tests, breaks, the ability to eat or drink, or the ability to listen to music while testing.
    3. Service animals are permitted in all public spaces, but SLCC does not allow emotional support animals in any Testing Services facilities.
    4. Students must have accommodations in place before going to Testing Services to take a test. All students with accommodations must schedule tests with Testing Services at least two business days before taking the test.
  6. Academic Dishonesty
    1. In cases of student cheating or dishonesty at the time of placement and in accordance with Academic Misconduct procedures set forth in the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Testing Services staff may invalidate the student’s scores on the placement test or process in which the offense occurred.
    2. Testing Services will inform the appropriate faculty member of SLCC student cheating or academic dishonesty.
    3. In cases of cheating or dishonesty on any distance or certification test, Testing Services staff will inform the appropriate vendor or other educational institution.

Date of last cabinet review: June 9, 2021

The originator of this policy & procedure is Testing Services. Questions regarding this policy may be directed to the originator by calling 801-957-4500.