Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to establish recommended placement testing for entering students that will enable students to succeed in achieving their educational goals.

Background:

At the request of the Dean of Instruction, the Academic Affairs Committee and the Academic Senate reviewed the college's placement testing practices. On May 6, 1996, the Academic Senate recommended that testing be required of all entering students except for unclassified and transfer students. After administrative review, the policy was approved effective Fall 1996. The policy was reviewed and revised in January 1998 in preparation for the system- wide implementation of the COMPASS test. Further revisions were made in April 1998 to clarify placement status of concurrent students and unofficial evaluation for advising and registration.

On November 10, 2010, the UHCC vice president received a request from the UHCC Achieving the Dream (AtD) Initiative Team to develop a "system-wide placement policy that requires entering classified students (those in the AtD Cohort) to have:

1. demonstrated placement prior to registration (typically through a COMPASS test score) and
2. based on placement, enroll in applicable remedial/developmental courses in their first semester but no later than the first year."

On November 12, 2010, the Academic Senate supported the establishment of a joint task force, including administrators, faculty, and staff, to develop draft policies in support of the AtD initiative and specific action strategies in the college's Strategic Plan: 2008- 2015. The task force was appointed by the chancellor, met several times during the 2010-2011 academic year, developed a set of recommendations, and submitted a final report to the chancellor on June 3, 2011. Revisions to this policy were submitted to the Academic Senate's Educational Policy Committee for review in the spring of 2012. The Academic Senate's Educational Policy Committee reviewed the revised policy, and the Academic Senate approved it on November 30, 2012.

In December 2013, the Dean of Liberal Arts & Public Services submitted a revision to the policy to reflect the SAT and ACT Mathematics scores identified by the UHCC System in July 2013.

In Fall 2016, Hawai’i Community College adopted Multiple Measures as placement qualifiers. Placement testing is no longer required but is highly recommended as a way to assess students’ current skill levels and determine the courses for which students are eligible to register.

Policy:

1. Placement Testing is a Placement Qualifier under Multiple Measures at Hawai’i CC.

Placement testing is no longer required but is highly recommended as a way to assess students’ current skill levels and determine the courses for which students are eligible to register.

1. Placement Testing Exceptions
   1. Students with degrees:
      1. Students with associate’s degrees place into ENG 100 and RNG 102 and satisfy the writing and reading requirements for any course that specifies placement in ENG 100 and/or ENG 102 as prerequisites. Students with an associate’s degree place into MATH 82X, and satisfy the mathematics requirements for any course that specifies placement in Math 82X as a prerequisite.
      2. Students with bachelor’s degrees satisfy the writing and reading requirements for any course that specifies ENG 100 and/or ENG 102 as prerequisites. Students with bachelor degrees place into MATH 100, 103, 115.

Note: This is for placement purposes only to assist students with registration and meeting Hawai’i CC course prerequisites. This placement should be entered as a Human Evaluation preliminary to entry of the student’s transfer credit evaluation. Unofficial transcripts are used for placement purposes only. Official transcripts must be used to grant transfer credit for courses completed to meet Hawai’i CC program and graduation requirements.

1. Students enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Hilo:
   1. UH Hilo classified majors place into ENG 100, ENG 102 and satisfy the writing and reading requirements for any course that specifies placement in ENG 100 and/or ENG 102 as prerequisites. UH Hilo classified majors place into MATH 82X.
   2. UH Hilo unclassified students utilize Multiple Measures placement qualifiers of Hawai’i CC.
   3. UH Hilo ESL students are placed into Hawai’i CC ESL courses based on a combination of their placement qualifiers, ESL placement scores and collaboration between UH Hilo ELI faculty, UH Hilo English Department faculty, and Hawai’i CC ESL faculty.

2. Students who meet UH Manoa SAT or ACT entry requirements are placed as follows:
   ENG 100 and/or ENG 102

   1. A score of 480 or higher on the Critical Reading section of the SAT test AND a score of 510 or higher on the Writing section of the SAT test.
   2. A score of 18 or higher on the English section of the ACT and a score of 18 or higher on the Reading section of the ACT.

   MATH 103/100/115

   1. A score of 510 or higher on the Math section of the SAT test.
   2. A score of 22 or higher on the Math section of the ACT test.
3. Students placed through articulation agreements with the Department of Education:
   For placement purposes, the college will recognize current articulation agreements between the State of Hawaii Department of Education and the UH System.