Academic Placement and Points of Entry
Students come to Landmark College with varying abilities in reading, writing, math, and information literacy. Through our placement process, we determine college readiness based on previous coursework, writing samples, and achievement scores.
We want our students to be successful, and we tailor our incoming entry points to meet the needs of students, to meet collegiate standards, and to be sure that students are placed accurately in their entering curriculum.
There are three points of entry for incoming Landmark College students: Credit, Strategic Transition Entry Point (STEP), and the Language Intensive Curriculum (LIC).
The Credit Curriculum is designed for students entering with college-level skills.
Both required first-semester courses focus on delivering content while providing explicit skills instruction in what is often referred to as “the hidden curriculum.” Students are introduced to study strategies, writing process strategies, self-management techniques, and organization and time management.
Required Core Courses:
EDU 1011 Perspectives in Learning
This course develops study skills in conjunction with learning about the brain, behavior, and cognition. Students learn concepts related to executive function and the critical role it plays in memory and learning. Recent research has shown that many people diagnosed with language-based learning disabilities, ADHD, or ASD may have challenges in this area. Students will also learn about the legal environment related to learning disabilities to develop their self-advocacy skills.
WRT 1011 Composition and Rhetoric
This course provides reading, writing, and critical thinking skills development at the credit level in order to prepare students in meeting the demands of college level expectations within the course and across the curriculum.
In addition to the required core, Credit Curriculum students take two credit-bearing electives.
STEP is a one- or two-semester program designed to increase college readiness.
We focus on helping students improve reading comprehension, writing skills, and academic habits that are needed to be successful in managing a full credit curriculum.
The STEP curriculum offers:
- Intensive skills approach
- Explicit instruction in active and critical reading
- Embedded assistive technology instruction and support
- Focused instruction for generating and producing written language
- Scheduled supplemental support for reading and required core courses
STEP 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 minimum grade 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.
Required Core Courses:
First Semester
College Learning Strategies (EDU0911)
This course focuses on helping students develop the strategies needed for success in college and the work force. This course also includes an additional weekly support component facilitated by the course instructor. (Noncredit)
WRT 0911 Developmental Writing
This course focuses on developing the student writer’s ability to use writing in academic, personal, and professional contexts. Students learn to develop and organize their ideas to craft clear and concise writing in multiple genres, including those encountered in professional settings. This course also includes an additional weekly support component facilitated by the course instructor. (Noncredit)
COM 1011 Introduction to Communication
This survey course introduces students to the field of communication and enables them to increase their effectiveness and precision as public speakers and members of seminars and groups. Students explore how their perceptions influence the manner in which they communicate and how to use a wide variety of listening skills. They become aware of how verbal and nonverbal language can alter, detract from, or enhance messages. Students also employ a variety of language strategies that promote inclusion, honesty, conflict resolution, and support from within a group. (3 credits)
FIN 1011 Personal Finance or other math placement*
This course provides students with a foundation upon which to develop lifelong personal financial management skills. Topics include: the importance of personal finance; financial planning and the time-value of money; money management skills such as budgeting, balancing a checkbook, taxes, cash management, credit/debit cards, and major purchases (auto, home, education); insurance (property/liability, health, life); and investments (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, portfolio management, real estate, retirement planning). Math Level 3 or higher required. (3 credits)
*Other Math Placement: New students take a math placement test that is hosted through our student onboarding site. Students test into a wide array of math levels from the need for noncredit math to calculus. A student’s math level is determined by departmental review and math placement test results.
Students who have taken an AP math course or college-level math should be sure to submit transcripts and scores to the Registrar before determining if they need to complete the math placement in the student onboarding site.
Electives
Students may want to round out their academic experience with one-credit enrichment offerings. We have many one-credit offerings that do not require prerequisites.
Eligibility for full credit after the first semester:
- Earned grades of C or better in EDU0911 and WRT0911.
- Completion of proficiency test that meets benchmarks for full-credit entry.
- Our placement team reviews proficiency test results, includes two readers, and considers faculty input about student performance.
Second Semester
WRT 0912 SpTp: Writing for Business
Writing for Business prepares students to be effective and confident writers in the workplace. Skill with written communication, a key attribute for professional success, is a qualification that employers increasingly seek. Whether in a class, job, internship, apprenticeship, or volunteer opportunity, the ability to communicate effectively in writing and apply the principles that guide workplace communication practices enhances professional and personal experiences. (Noncredit)
EDU 1021 Digital Literacy
People today live in a digitally connected world. This credit course is designed to teach students the digital tools, behaviors, and ethics necessary to thrive in this ever-evolving technological landscape. Instruction is designed so that students interact with a variety of topics, including accessing and assessing information, understanding their digital footprint, using technology purposefully and ethically, managing digital communications, and protecting themselves online. (3 credits)
BUS 1011 Introduction to Business
This course surveys the dynamic environment in which businesses operate today. Students learn about economic concepts, business organization, forms of ownership, management, marketing, and managing financial resources. Actual business cases are used to explore the impact that managerial roles, market trends, legal standards, technological change, natural resources, global competition, and the active involvement of government has on businesses. The relationship between social responsibility and profits in our free enterprise system is explored. (3 credits)
General Electives
Students take a range of general electives depending on prerequisite course requirements.
Eligibility for full credit after the second semester:
- Earned grade of C or better in Writing for Business, WRT0912
- Completion of proficiency test that meets benchmarks for full-credit entry.
- Our placement team reviews proficiency test results, includes two readers, and considers faculty input about student performance.
For more details, please see College Policy
The Language Intensive Curriculum (LIC) is a noncredit, one-semester intensive program for students with significant needs in reading and writing—students who are reading and writing well below college level.
The LIC emphasizes the benefits of assistive technology such as the required Kurzweil text reader and Dragon Naturally Speaking dictation software along with explicit skill development. Students are also introduced to digital applications that support note taking, active reading, and time management.
Students take three developmental courses in writing, reading comprehension, and communication. Students entering the LIC also go through a screening process to determine eligibility for the Wilson Reading Program. Students who do not take the Wilson decoding class are eligible to take math or art to round out their curriculum.
Required Noncredit Core:
EDU 0111 Developing Reading & Study Strategies
This course is designed to help students develop basic study skills and reading comprehension strategies. Students establish a multi-step system and learn to improve reading comprehension through the active reading process. Paraphrasing and summarizing skills are introduced. Students will read and interact with a variety of materials, including short stories, articles, essays, etc. This class will focus on understanding rhetorical structures, developing vocabulary, and using Kurzweil, Inspiration, and Microsoft Office suite features to aid in the active learning process.
WRT 0111 Fundamentals of Writing
Students in this course will learn to generate writing on a variety of topics as they are introduced to the concept of writing as a multi-stage process. They will practice writing process strategies for generating and organizing, including freewriting, brainstorming, and using Inspiration software. They will learn and apply knowledge of sentence and paragraph structure and the basic rhetorical patterns of narration, description, and illustration. They will read a selection of short fiction and non-fiction, use reading logs to develop their active reading skills, and write short responses based on these readings. Vocabulary development and technology skills will also be practiced and reinforced in this course.
COM 0111 Language and Communication
The primary focus of this course is to create a language-rich environment in which students derive meaning from language and generate language in an academic setting. By practicing oral language and communication skills, students will learn to be more effective in expressing their own ideas and responding to the ideas of others during classroom discourse. This course is also built on the premise that developing oral language improves reading and writing skills. Narrative and descriptive language are emphasized in readings, discussions, and other forms of communication. Vocabulary development and technology skills will also be practiced.
WIL 0111 Wilson Small Group Instruction I
The Wilson Reading System is a carefully sequenced program that teaches word structure and language to students who need to develop basic reading and writing skills. Landmark College Wilson instructors are certified by the Wilson Reading organization. Students who have deficiencies in phonologic awareness and/or orthographic processing benefit from Wilson’s explicit, systematic, and multi-sensory approach to learning to read and spell. Wilson Reading instruction is offered to students who score below 8th grade equivalency in decoding and reading fluency. Students may take one or two semesters of Wilson Reading instruction.
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, in advising, or in classes.
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.
Students who enter in the LIC curriculum are expected to earn grades of C or better in their noncredit courses and complete a proficiency test that meets benchmarks for full credit entry. Students needing an additional semester to prepare for full credit curriculum are eligible for the STEP curriculum.
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 eight majors at the Associate and/or Bachelor’s level:
Bachelor’s Level Majors:
Communication and Entrepreneurial Leadership (B.A.) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Computer Science (B.S.) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Liberal Studies (B.A.) (School of Liberal Studies and the Arts)
Life Science (B.S.) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Psychology (B.A.) (School of Liberal Studies and the Arts)
Studio Art (B.A.) (School of Liberal Studies and the Arts)
Associate Level Majors
Business Studies (A.A.) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Computer Science (A.S.) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
Liberal Studies (A.A.) (School of Liberal Studies and the Arts)
Life Science (A.S.) (School of Professional Studies and Science)
General Studies (A.A.) (School of Education)
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 Strategic Transition Entry Point (STEP) 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 STEP or 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 A.A. or A.S. degree from Landmark College but who enroll for subsequent semesters must declare a B.A. or B.S. 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 between 15 and 24 credits. Some minors may require completion of prerequisites that are not included in the total requirements of the minor. The following are required by a student pursuing a minor:
- Students may not minor in the same area of study as their baccalaureate degree.
- Students are expected to earn a C (2.0) average in the minor requirements to earn the minor.
- A maximum of eight credits can be at the 1000 level.
- At least three credits in the minor must be at the 3000 level or higher.
- At least nine credits in the minor must be Landmark College institutional credits.
- At least nine credits must be unique to the minor, that are not shared with the major or any other minor.
- Substitutions for specified courses or cluster courses are not allowed.
- A department or program may include courses that are graded on a credit/no credit basis in a minor, but all other courses in the minor must be taken for a grade.
For specific major requirements see section on Major, Minor, and Concentration Requirements. Minors are administered by academic departments within the schools as listed below - There are four minors to choose from:
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 all declared associate degree students as an option in the Landmark College curriculum. A concentration is required to earn an associate’s degree in General Studies, but is not required for any of the other associate degrees offered.
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. Students must earn an average of C or better in all 15-16 credits. Students may apply transfer credits towards the achievement of a concentration.
For specific major requirements see section on Major, Minor, and Concentration Requirements. Landmark College offers eleven concentrations administered by academic departments within the schools as listed below
Declaring a Concentration: Student who elects to pursue a concentration are encouraged to submit a Declaration of Concentration form to the Registrar as soon as possible but no later than the conclusion of the add period in the semester in which they plan to complete their associate’s degree.
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.
|
