Northland Pioneer College -- Catalog 03-05 Page 14 and 15

PLACEMENT TESTING

Northland is sincerely interested in student success. To ensure that students select courses appropriate for their skill level, many students are required to participate in the course placement process. The following conditions define who must take part in the placement process:

Students enrolling in courses with placement prerequisites who have not previously taken a placement test. Courses that require placement testing include all Math, English, and General Education courses, as well as some program-specific courses such as NAT 101 and EMT 102.
Students pursuing an NPC Associate Degree of any type, a Certificate of Applied Science of any type, or the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC).

Students may be exempt from the placement process if they meet one of the following criteria:

Students providing proof of an accredited associates degree or higher, unless the degree includes no college-level math.
Students providing ASSET or COMPASS placement scores from another institution.
Students providing official transcripts listing a grade of “C” or better for College Composition I (reading/ writing requirement) and/or college-level math (math requirement).
Students providing ACT or SAT scores which meet NPC placement minimum standards per the chart below:

ACT/SAT Placement Table
ACT Subtest	Score	Placement
English	18+	ENL 101
Reading	18+	No reading courses required
Mathematics	18-20	MAT 101, 103, 105, 109*, 112
	21-22	MAT 121
	23-27	MAT 131, 142, 152
	28+	MAT 189, 211, 221
(SAT composite score should be 1040 or higher)

*Note: Math 109 also has an ACT reading prerequisite of 18+

• Students taking courses purely for personal enrichment. Only non-degree seeking students qualify for a personal enrichment exemption. The personal enrichment exemption applies only to courses with a placement prerequisite. Courses with course prerequisites may not be waived by this exemption.

• Students with documented disabilities that require a waiver of placement requirements. Please contact the Disability Resources and Access Coordinator for more information.

General guidelines for the placement process are as follows:

Students should contact the campus or center Academic Advisor to begin the placement process. NPC uses the COMPASS computer-based placement test as its primary placement tool. If technical difficulties prevent the use of the COMPASS test, students may be given the ASSET placement instrument;
A complete battery of COMPASS assessments typically takes two hours. Depending upon the COMPASS results, some students may need additional placement testing in one or more areas;
At the conclusion of the COMPASS instrument, the Academic Advisor will meet with the student to discuss the placement results;
Students who are dissatisfied with their placement results may retest after a one week waiting period.

Placement results will be used to make initial placement for students in Math and English courses. Depending upon their placement results, some students may need to enroll in The Learning Cornerstone (TLC) courses to develop the skills needed to succeed in college-level courses.

Placement results are also used to determine eligibility for General Education courses. Depending upon their placement results, some students wishing to take General Education courses may need to co-enroll in a pertinent TLC course.

Certain program-specific courses such as NAT 101 and EMT 102 also have required placement minimums. Please contact your Academic Advisor for more information regarding required placement scores for NPC courses.

Placement testing is available at all campuses and centers during advising office hours. Consult with the campus or center Academic Advisor to schedule a placement session. Students are strongly encouraged to complete testing prior to the registration period. Early placement testing gives students the opportunity to retest if needed and gives the Academic Advisor more time to discuss placement results with the student. Placement testing may be done during registration. Testing is typically available during registration hours, though students should plan to start testing no later than two hours prior to the end of the registration day.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

STUDENT LOAD CLASSIFICATION

FULL-TIME STUDENT

A student enrolled for twelve (12) or more semester credits is considered full-time. Students planning to graduate with an associate degree in two (2) years must enroll in, at least, sixteen (16) credits/semester.

PART-TIME STUDENT

A student enrolled for fewer than twelve (12) semester credits is a part-time student.

EXCESS COURSE LOAD

Students may not carry more than eighteen (18) credits a semester without special permission obtained in writing and in advance from one of Northland's Academic Advisors. The student must submit, in writing, a request to an Academic Advisor along with any supporting documentation. Such permission may be denied unless the student has maintained a grade point average of 3.0 the previous semester.

This restriction does not apply to special contract programs or other concentrated or extended training programs in which the course structure and load requirements are prescribed in advance and worked out for student and client benefit. Admission to these special programs will constitute prior approval.

REGISTRATION

Dates for registration are published in each semester's NPC Class Schedule. Please be aware that early registration is encouraged for students and that courses lacking sufficient enrollment may be canceled before classes begin. Students should also be aware of the telephone registration process as published in the semester's NPC Class Schedule.

Academic Advisors are available to assist students in planning their program of study.

All fees must be paid at the time of registration. A student is not officially registered until all applicable tuition and fees are paid or payment arrangements have been made. Students who have a delinquent account with the College will not be allowed to register until all prior obligations are met.

LATE REGISTRATION

A student may register for specific class(es) after the end of the registration period provided the instructor agrees to admit the student. Instructor and Academic Advisor signatures on the Registration or Course Change Forms are required.

SHORT-TERM COURSES

(Credit and Non-Credit)

Various classes are offered on a short-term schedule. Some are targeted to specific student populations. The Business and Community Services Division is responsible for offering many of the newest short-term workshops, seminars or classes as either credit or non-credit opportunities. The Business & Industry Training division and the Small Business Development Center offer specialized training for the needs of the business and industry sector. Community Education and Events specializes in avocational classes and workshops (see Business & Community Services section). Dates are published in the NPC Class Schedule each semester or in special news releases to the public. Registration can take place during regular registration periods or anytime prior to the start of the classes. Contact your local campus/center for additional information about short-term courses.

SCHEDULE CHANGES

The student changing to another section or course must officially add the new section and drop the old section through the submission of a Course Change Form. This form is available at all campus/center locations or the Records and Registration Office.