Oct 07, 2024  
2023-2024 Academic Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Developmental Coursework


Developmental Education

Some students enter Odessa College lacking many of the basic skills necessary for college level reading, writing and mathematics. The developmental education program offers specialized courses and activities designed to help students acquire basic educational skills.

Developmental education courses and activities are available in basic English, basic mathematics and reading. All courses listed in this program grant one or three credit hours. These credit hours do not satisfy the requirements of any degree plan at OC, and they may not transfer to another college or university.

Developmental Course Progression

Students who have completed their required developmental sequence with grades of “C” or higher in a subject area may enroll in the appropriate college-level course and they will have satisfied the TSI requirement for the subject area.

Evaluation of Developmental Coursework From Other Institutions

Odessa College will apply the same standards for coursework transferred to OC as it applies to its resident coursework in terms of meeting the standards of the Success Initiative Plan. Transfer grades in developmental courses that are lower than the grade of “C” will not be sufficient for the student to advance to the next course in the sequence or to the first college-level course. The only exception will be for official designation on a transcript or other official documentation materials that the student has successfully met the Success Initiative standards of the sending institution.

Dropping Developmental Classes

Students enrolled in developmental classes for compliance with Odessa College’s Success Initiative Plan and state law are expected to remain active in those classes so long as they are active in other classes. Should circumstances arise that make it critical for students to drop a developmental class while continuing with other classes, they will be allowed to do so, but only with the signature of their developmental teacher on the schedule change form. Students dropping a developmental class will also be required to sign a document provided by their instructor attesting that they fully understand the potential outcomes of the decision to drop.

Waiver of Developmental Course Requirements

A student enrolled for interim sessions or for summer school may elect to temporarily waive developmental requirements so long as the student does not enroll for a course or courses that require skills for areas in which the student has not met Success Initiative requirements.

When individual student circumstances warrant a temporary waiver, the vice president for instruction or designee may grant appropriate waivers to the college’s policy of continuous enrollment in developmental course work. The individual approving the exception will document that exception on the student’s developmental degree plan.

In the case where a student changes goals and pursues an approved Level I certificate, the student’s developmental requirements will be waived as long as the student follows the certificate plan.