Academic Placement and Points of Entry
Because all students at Landmark College experience some type of learning difficulty, we strive to place students accurately based on their skill level and academic ability. The First-Year Academic Placement Team at Landmark College is comprised of the Director of First Year Programming and Placement, the Director of Advising, and the Department Chair for Core Education. This team carefully examines each student’s admission file including the psycho-educational evaluation, which contains cognitive and achievement testing results. This information helps us to determine which point of entry is most appropriate for the individual student. Personal attention at this level of detail is one of the features that makes Landmark College unique. After all placement material is read and discussed, the student is placed in one of three entry points Credit Curriculum, Strategic Transition Entry Point (S.T.E.P.), or Language Intensive Curriculum (LIC).
The Credit Curriculum is designed for students entering with college level skills. Most students are enrolled in WRT 1011 and EDU1011 in their first semester and round out the rest of their load with courses related to their interests and degree plan. Throughout the first semester students are introduced to study strategies, writing process strategies, self-management techniques, and organization and time management. Within the credit option, students will be placed in either a reading fluency/writing production focus or an academic self-management focus.
STEP is designed for students who need time to improve reading, writing, and some communication skills to engage with a college level curriculum. Students are placed into STEP if evidence from the student’s admission file suggests the student:
- Is in need of one to two semesters to develop writing strategies, reading comprehension and fluency, study strategies and communication skills
- Could benefit from learning to effectively use assistive technology to address decoding and fluency skills
- Needs opportunities to learn and practice the skills that are most relevant to the college classroom
- Is identified as having reading, fluency or writing scores below college level on standard achievement tests such as Woodcock Johnson, WIAT, GORT, Nelson Denny
- Has cognitive scores that may indicate a need for classes that move at a slower pace because of working memory deficits or slower processing speeds, and thus need enough time in class for direct instruction and practice
Students who are placed into STEP have up to two semesters to meet the requirements for entering into the credit curriculum. The first semester full-time STEP curriculum includes general education core courses that can be applied to any Landmark College degree program, WRT0911 Practical Writing, EDU 0911 Reading and Study Skills, and required workshops and supplemental study sessions. If a student needs an extra semester to meet grade and proficiency expectations, they will be enrolled in WRT0912 Writing for Business along with additional courses that could be applied to general education or elective choices in a degree. Students will also continue with required workshops and supplemental study sessions.
S.T.E.P. Requirements:
Students who are placed into S.T.E.P. must demonstrate proficiency in managing multiple courses and expectations. Students must also earn a passing grades of C or better in WRT0911 Practical Writing and EDU 0911 Reading and Study Skills. In addition, students will complete a portfolio of work that includes work samples and a proficiency exam administered in WRT0911. If a student does not meet the grade or proficiency expectations in the first semester they will continue in the STEP second semester. At that time students will be enrolled in WRT0912 Writing for Business. Students must also earn a passing grades of C in WRT0912. The proficiency exam will be offered again in WRT0912. Students who complete the two-semester sequence of the STEP curriculum and are unable to meet the minimum grade requirements and demonstrate proficiency for college level reading and writing may not be eligible to continue enrollment.
The Language Intensive Curriculum (LIC) is a non-credit, one to two semester intensive track for students with significant learning issues in the areas of reading and writing. The LIC emphasizes the use of assistive technologies to help students develop skills that will be required in the credit curriculum. Students take three developmental courses in writing, reading comprehension and communication, plus a reading decoding class using the Wilson Reading System. Students who enter the Language Intensive Curriculum must be interested in learning and using the many technology tools that will become part of their repertoire when they take credit-level classes in subsequent semesters.
Assistive Technology and the Language Intensive Curriculum
Students accepted into the Language Intensive Curriculum are required to use a laptop that has been installed with the required software to facilitate in-class instruction and practice. It is the student’s responsibility to make use of this software. Training in the use of the technology is integrated into the coursework across the curriculum.
Wilson Reading Instruction
Wilson small-group reading instruction is available through Step 9 to eligible students in the program. Students are eligible to receive Wilson small-group reading instruction under one of the following conditions:
- Placement into the Language Intensive Curriculum (LIC) with evidence of qualification for the Wilson program during initial screening.
- Request from students who have completed the LIC program who wish to continue with Wilson instruction and are able to define how they will make room for it in their schedule.
- Students do not place into the LIC, but decoding is noted as a learning issue during the placement process.
- Students are not in the LIC but decoding is observed to be a learning issue by an advisor or classroom professor. In this case, the student is referred to the Wilson supervisor and is screened to determine that Wilson instruction is appropriate. Additionally, the Wilson Reading class must fit the student’s course schedule.
Attendance in Wilson Reading Instruction Small Groups
Wilson small-group reading instruction is an intensive program that requires regular attendance to make progress. Missing a class negatively affects the individual student as well as the group. For these reasons, a student may be Administratively Withdrawn from a group if they accrue enough absences to affect their ability to maintain their place in their group, and/or at the discretion of the instructor. If a student drops Wilson or is Administratively Withdrawn, we cannot guarantee that they will be able to re-enter the Wilson program.
General Education
A Landmark College Liberal Arts education promotes creative and scholarly engagement, fosters understanding of and respect for self and others, and develops resilient and ethically responsible global citizens.
All degrees at Landmark College embed curricular and co-curricular experiences and share a general education core designed to provide the opportunity for students to:
1. Draw on knowledge to engage ethically and responsibly in a diverse world.
- Through a foundation in liberal arts and sciences students will knowledgeably engage with big questions, both contemporary and enduring, that shape our understanding of Human Cultures and the Natural World.
- Embedded across the curriculum and co-curriculum students will find opportunities to responsibly and ethically engage with a community and the world in a manner that supports and values diversity, inclusion, and equity.
2. Use and express critical, creative, and reflective thinking.
- Through opportunities to engage in critical reading, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning, students will develop the habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion.
- Through opportunities to engage in individual and group creativity, students will combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original, innovative, or divergent ways.
- Embedded across the curriculum are opportunities to develop information literacy, the ability to know when there is a need for information, and to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information to meet that need.
3. Communicate effectively within a variety of groups and contexts.
- Through foundation courses and opportunities to write across the curriculum, students will develop their ability to communicate with purpose, clarity, coherence and persuasiveness in writing.
- Through foundation courses and opportunism across the curriculum and co-curriculum, students will develop their ability to communicate verbally and non-verbally with creativity, receptivity, purpose, clarity, and reciprocity.
- Embedded across the curriculum and co-curriculum are opportunities to use technology effectively to learn about the world, communicate, collaborate, and interact in a coherent, respectful, and ethical manner in a variety of contexts
4. Demonstrate self-insight and a commitment to life-long learning.
- The whole Landmark College experience will help students gain self-knowledge to sustain an ongoing process of self-reflection, self-awareness and self-advocacy that leads to both self-understanding and the successful management of the skills and strategies of a life-long learner.
- Embedded wellness experiences will help students develop an understanding of how physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and occupational wellness affect learning and contribute to personal and community well- being.
- Through an emphasis on career and life readiness, students will be prepared to live a productive and responsible life.
General Education Core Requirements provide the foundation to meet these goals. For some majors, general education core requirements are also considered to be major requirements – see specific major descriptions for more information.
At the Associate Level, students are expected to complete 31 credits which includes the following:
- EDU1011 Perspectives in Learning
- WRT1011 Composition and Rhetoric
- WRT1012 Research and Analysis
- COM 1011 Introduction to Communication
Plus one course from each of the following subject areas*:
- Humanities (HUM, HST, LIT, PHI, REL, BIO2041 and COM 2064)
- Interpersonal Communication/Creative Expression (BUS, COM, CRW, JRN, ART, CER, DRW, MUS, PNT, THE, VID, PHO)
- Laboratory Natural Science (BIO, CHE, GEO, NSC)
- Math,(MAT - see majors for specific level)
- Quantitative Reasoning,(ACC, CSC, ECN, FIN, MAT, BIO, CHE, GEO, NSC)
- Social Science (ANT, POL, PSY, SOC, ECN)
At the Baccalaureate level, students are expected to complete 41-43 credits in the core which includes all of the above plus the following:
- Advanced Discipline Writing (WRT 3011, or equivalent)
- Alternative Experiential Study (see definition below)
- Capstone Experience (4-6 credits, see definition below)
Alternative Experiential Study is an experience that motivates students to make connections between their learning and the world around them through experiences and projects that are not bounded by a traditional classroom setting. Students are expected to use this opportunity to reexamine their own points of view while considering issues and ideas from others’ perspectives. These experiences are typically not classroom based. Examples include (but are not limited to): Internships, Study Abroad, Faculty/Student Research, Mentor-Guided Service Projects, Co-Op experiences, Field experiences, or Mentor-Guided Project Development.
Capstone Experience is a significant culminating endeavor based upon students’ course work, reading, interests and experience. Through the application of principles, theories and methods learned, students analyze, synthesize and evaluate information resulting in a representative sample of students’ work in their chosen area of interest.
A degree is a blanket term that refers to a complete program offered by the college.
The degree is the credential a student earns by meeting a series of requirements and completing a specific number of credits, either 60-61 credits (Associate level) or 120-122 credits (Baccalaureate level).
Landmark College offers four undergraduate different degrees, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Associate of Arts and Associate of Science. Arts degrees are generally more expansive requiring a variety of liberal arts courses. Science degrees are generally more focused on a specific specialization or area of study.
A complete degree program is comprised of a general education core, major requirements, major distribution requirements, and electives. Students can also use their electives to complete an optional minor (in a bachelor degree program) and/or a concentration (in an associate degree program).
Declaring a degree: Students indicate what level of educational goal they are attempting by enrolling at Landmark College when they are admitted to the college. They do this by declaring a degree (Bachelor’s or Associate’s). At this point, Enrollment Management should capture if a student is interested in completing that degree with Landmark College or if they intend to transfer.
A major is the specialization or area of focus within the degree. It refers to the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits. While a student may be qualified to be matriculated to seek a degree at Landmark College, some majors require additional qualifications to be accepted into the major. Students are expected to earn a C (2.0) average in major requirements to graduate. For specific major requirements see section on Major, Minor, and Concentration Requirements. Majors are administrated by the Schools as listed below.
Landmark College offers seven majors at the Associate and/or Bachelor level:
Bachelor’s Majors:
Communication and Entrepreneurial Leadership (BA) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Computer Science (BS) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Liberal Studies (BA) (School of Liberal Studies and the Arts)
Life Science (BS) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Psychology (BA) (School of Liberal Studies and the Arts)
Studio Art (BA) (School of Liberal Studies and the Arts)
Associate’s Majors
Business (AA) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Computer Science (AS) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Liberal Studies (AA) (School of Liberal Studies and the Arts)
Life Science (AS) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Declaring a major: In order to assure satisfactory academic progress towards a degree, students are required to declare a specific major.
- Students accepted to the full credit curriculum may declare their major upon entry into Landmark College.
- Students placed into the S.T.E.P or the Language Intensive Curriculum (LIC) tracks will defer declaration until the semester in which they are enrolled in full credit.
- Students who enter Landmark in S.T.E.P or the LIC, will have an undeclared degree listed as their degree of interest upon entry.
- Students are required to declare a major by the conclusion of their second semester in the full credit program. If a student has not declared a major by the start of the third semester they will not be allowed to register for additional credits.
- Transfer students with 30 or more transfer credits must declare a major before their second semester registration begins in their first semester or they will not be allowed to register for additional credits.
- Transfer students who have earned an Associate degree must declare a major before registering for their first semester.
- Students are obligated to meet the degree requirements published in the academic catalog of the academic year in which the declaration of major is accepted.
- Landmark College will honor degree requirements for students who have declared a major and who have left the College for up to four semesters at which point the student must declare the major under the new major requirements.
- Students are allowed to re-declare newer major requirements but cannot revert to older requirements once that re-declaration has been accepted.
- Students who graduate with an AA or AS degree from Landmark College but who enroll for subsequent semesters must declare a BA or BS degree and major before registering for courses in the subsequent semester.
- The Declaration of Degree and Major form, signed by the student and advisor, will be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.
- The Registrar’s Office will record the students’ degree and major choice which will then appear on their transcripts, schedules, and in the Power Campus database for tracking purposes. The date the student declares will be available through Student Central.
Minors are available to declared baccalaureate degree students as an option in the Landmark College curriculum. A minor is not required to earn a bachelor’s degree. A minor provides a student with an opportunity to take on a second area of focus beyond the major. This could be an area that compliments the student’s major or different area of interest a student wants to explore. Engaging in the study of a discipline through a minor promotes connections to multiple departments, as well as to a subject area that a student may choose to pursue beyond the attainment of their bachelor’s degree.
A completed minor is noted on a student’s degree transcript and serves as further demonstration of a student’s intellectual persistence and dedication to a particular academic discipline. A minor requires at least 21 credits which includes at least 9 credits at the 3000/4000 level. Minors outline 6-9 required credits plus a choice of distribution requirements. Minor required courses include a foundation course (1000/2000) and at least one course at the 3000/4000 level. Students must earn a C or better in the specific courses listed in the Landmark College Academic Catalog as minor requirements for the program. (See section Major, Minor, and Concentration Requirements) Students can apply 6-8 credits that count as requirements for a major program toward a minor. Distribution electives in a major can be applied toward the minor. Six credits from transferred courses can apply towards a minor. Minors are administered by academic departments within the schools as listed below
There are six minors to choose from:
- Communication Minor (Department of Professional Studies)
- Education Minor (Department of Core Education)
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minor (Department of Professional Studies)
- Environmental Studies Minor (Department of Science)
- Humanities Minor (Department of Liberal Studies)
- Psychology Minor (Department of Liberal Studies)
Declaring a Minor: Any student who elects to pursue a minor must submit a Declaration of Concentration form to the Registrar by the conclusion of the add period in the year in which they plan to complete the bachelor’s degree. Students who wish to pursue more than one minor must have permission from the Dean of the School offering the second minor.
Academic Concentrations
Concentrations are available to declared associate degree students as an option in the Landmark College curriculum. A concentration is not required to earn an associate’s degree. A concentration focuses on an area of interest that a student wishes to explore. A concentration could include pre-requisite course work that articulates with a Landmark College bachelor’s degree. A completed concentration is noted on a student’s degree transcript and serves as further demonstration of a student’s intellectual persistence and dedication to a particular academic discipline. A concentration requires 15-16 credits which includes specific concentration course requirements and (in some cases) distribution requirements (See section Major, Minor, and Concentration Requirements). Students must earn a C or better in all 15-16 credits. Students may apply transfer credits towards the achievement of a concentration.
Landmark College offers ten concentrations administered by academic departments within the schools as listed below
- Arts Concentration (Department of Fine and Performing Arts)
- Business Studies (Department of Professional Studies)
- Communication (Department of Professional Studies)
- Computer Science (Department of STEM)
- Creative Writing (Department of Core Education)
- Education (Department of Core Education)
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Department of Professional Studies)
- Humanities (Department of Liberal Studies)
- Natural Science (Department of STEM)
- Psychology Department of Liberal Studies)
Major, Minor, and Concentration Requirements
Students are obligated to meet the degree, major, minor, and concentration requirements published in the academic catalog of the academic year in which the declaration of major, minor, or concentration is accepted.
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