Mathematics:
ACT math score 20 or above: The student may be placed directly into college level mathematics.
ACT math score 18 – 19: The student’s placement into either foundations courses or college level courses will be evaluated based on high school records, experience, motivation and placement scores.
ACT math score 17 or below: The student will be placed into an appropriate foundation level mathematics course.
English:
ACT English score of 18 or above: The student may be placed directly into English 101.
ACT English score of 17: The student’s placement will be evaluated based on high school records, experience, motivation and placement scores and may be placed either into college level English with tutorial support or into a foundations level course.
ACT English score of 16 or below: The student will be placed into a foundations level English course that may also include placement into a College Reading course.
The student’s high school transcript, general academic history, and personal attitude and interests will be taken into account by the advisor in all placement advising. The college is currently evaluating placement criteria based on the ACT science score.
A substantial body of experience exists to support these ACT placement criteria, and they are equivalent to the general practice in higher education and in Kentucky community colleges and universities. Students who have the ACT but believe that their scores are not indicative of their abilities at the time of registration may request to take the COMPASS placement battery in an attempt to improve their scores.
Foundations Challenge Courses
The transition from high school to college or the return to college after a period of time away from formal schooling can be challenging. Many students will benefit from a course of studies designed to refresh their academic preparation. St. Catharine College offers a variety of Foundation Challenge courses to provide the opportunity to lay the groundwork for academic success at the college level. Foundations Challenge courses are available in first year orientation, English, reading comprehension, and mathematics. Students who are advised to take foundation courses or who are required to take such courses will have the greatest opportunity for sustained success if they approach the courses as opportunities rather than as delays. Our experience, and the experience of all colleges and universities, is that students increase their GPA and their likelihood of graduation significantly when they accept the challenge and opportunity of foundation courses. To put it bluntly, it is better to spend a semester taking a foundation course than taking a college mathematics or English or science course over again after failing it the first time.
Course Load
A full-time student course load is a minimum of twelve credit hours. However, the normal load is generally fifteen to eighteen hours per semester in a degree program. Students wishing to take more than eighteen credit hours per semester must file an overload request form through their academic advisor. Course overloads are approved by the appropriate dean or the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The request will be considered based on the nature of the overload requested, the student’s prior academic performance and graduation requirements. An additional tuition charge will be assessed for enrollment of over eighteen hours.
