1. Definitions

In accordance with title 5 California Code of Regulations section 55003 the definitions are as follows:

a. Prerequisite:

A condition of enrollment that a student is required to meet to show current readiness for enrollment in a course or program.

b. Corequisite:

A condition of enrollment consisting of a course that a student is required to take simultaneously with another course.

c. Advisory:

A condition of enrollment that a student is advised, but not required, to meet before or in conjunction with enrollment in a course or educational program.

d. Limitation on Enrollment:

A policy or process, other than a course prerequisite(s)/corequisite(s) that places conditions on students enrolling in a course or program and thereby limits enrollment in the course or program.

e. Content Review:

A rigorous, systematic process developed in accordance with title 5 sections 53200 to 53204, approved by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office as part of the district matriculation plan required under section 55510, and that is conducted by faculty to identify the necessary and appropriate body of knowledge or skills students need to possess prior to enrolling in a course, or which students need to acquire through simultaneous enrollment in a corequisite course.

f. Assessment: Assessment is a process that is designed to assist students in selecting the English or English Language Acquisition (ELAC) and mathematics courses best suited to their communication and/or computation skill level. Beginning 2019-2020, a skill level - referred to as a “milestone” - will be communicated to students. Additionally, “milestones” meet course prerequisites in English, ELAC, and mathematics.

g. Receiving Course:

The course to which requisites are assigned. (SDCCD definition)

2. Purpose

This procedure is intended to establish the process by which faculty assign prerequisites, corequisites, advisories and limitations on enrollment both within and across disciplines.

3. Principles

The faculty, as well as the college Curriculum Review Committee (CRC), and Curriculum and Instructional Council (CIC), must approve each course prerequisite(s)/corequisite(s), advisories and/or limitations on enrollment within the curriculum review process as delegated by the Academic Senate.

The college CRC on each campus shall be responsible for the review and approval process. This process shall, at a minimum establish prerequisites, corequisites, advisories, and/or limitations on enrollment only upon recommendation of the college CRC as delegated by the academic senate, relying on the faculty in the receiving course department or discipline.

Requisites are assigned via the following steps:

a. Approve the course;

b. Approve any prerequisite and/or corequisite and certify that the prerequisite and/or corequisite is an appropriate and rational measure of a student’s readiness to enter the course or, as proved by a content reviewthat:

1) Involves faculty with appropriate subject area expertise, particularly when establishing a cross-disciplinary prerequisite and/or corequisite;

2) Considers the student learning objectives in the receiving course;

3) Is based on review of a detailed course syllabus and outline of record, related instructional materials, course format, type and number of examinations, grading criteria, and classroom research data if available or required;

4) Specifies the body of knowledge and/or skills necessary at entry and/or concurrent enrollment;

5) Identifies and reviews the prerequisite/corequisite course that develops the body of knowledge and/or measures identified skills;

6) Matches the knowledge and skills required in the receiving course and those developed or measured by the prerequisite/corequisite; and

7) Maintains documentation that steps 1) through b. 6) above have been taken.

c. Approve any advisories (See paragraph 4. h.);

d. Approve any limitation on enrollment that is being established for the courses (See paragraph 4. i.); and

e. Approve that the course meets the academic standards required for degree applicable courses, nondegree applicable courses, or noncredit courses.

f. Requisites for a course which should have a prerequisite or corequisite; but for which one or more of the requirements for establishing a prerequisite have not been met may only:

1) Be reviewed and approved pursuant to the standards for nondegree applicable credit, or noncredit, or community service; or

2) Be revised and reviewed as required to meet the criteria for establishing the necessary prerequisite or corequisite.

g. If a prerequisite requires precollegiate skills in reading, written expression, or mathematics, the colleges shall ensure that precollegiate basic skills courses designed to teach the required skills are offered with reasonable frequency. Further, a reasonable number of sections shall be offered given the number of students who are required to meet the associated skills prerequisites.

h. Whenever a corequisite course is established, sufficient sections shall be offered to reasonably accommodate all students who are required to take the corequisite.

i. No exit test may be required to satisfy a prerequisite or corequisite unless it is incorporated into the grading for the prerequisite or corequisite course.

j. Prerequisites shall be established by the faculty in the discipline of the receiving course.

k. Courses used as alternate options to fulfill prerequisites, corequisites and/or advisories shall be established through this procedure.

l. Prerequisites, corequisites, advisories and limitations on enrollment must be identified in college publications available to students as well as the course outline of the receiving any course for which they are established.

4. Establishment

a. Levels of Scrutiny/Content Review. Prerequisites and corequisites may be established only for any of the following purposes:

1) If the review finds that statute or regulation expressly authorizes or requires that prerequisite and/or corequisite.; The prerequisite assures that a student has the skills, concepts, and/or information required for preparation to earn a satisfactory grade in the receiving course;

2) The corequisite assures that a student acquires the necessary skills, concepts and/or information, such that a student who has not enrolled in the corequisite is highly unlikely to receive a satisfactory grade in the course for which the corequisite is being established;

3) The corequisite course is intended as additional support for students enrolling in transfer-level English or mathematics (or quantitative reasoning) courses, and that is has been determined the corequisite course increases the likelihood that the student will pass the transfer-level course;

4) The prerequisite or corequisite is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or the health or safety of others; or

5) The prerequisite course is expressly required for institutions for which the college has transfer agreements.

b. Standard Prerequisites or Corequisites AP

A prerequisite or corequisite need not to be scrutinized using content review or content review with statistical analysis if:

1) The review finds that skills, concepts, and/or information taught in the course are presupposed in the receiving course, and a list of the specific skills and/or knowledge a student must possess to be ready to take the receiving course is included in its course outline; or

2) Baccalaureate institutions will not grant credit for a course unless it has the particular communication or computation skill as a prerequisite and/or corequisite; or

3) The review finds that both are closely related lecture/laboratory courses paired within the same subject area and a student not enrolled in the corequisite is highly unlikely to receive a satisfactory grade in the course; or

4) The review finds that statute or regulation expressly authorizes or requires that prerequisite and/or corequisite.; or

5) The corequisite course has been recommended through placement guidelines approved by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

c. Courses in Communication or Computation Skills (Cross-Disciplinary Requisite) Prerequisites establishing communication or computational skill requirements must be decided on a course by course basis. A course in communication or computational skills, or eligibility for enrollment in such a course, may be established as a prerequisite and/or corequisite for any course, other than another course in communication or computation skills provided that:

1) Discipline faculty from all colleges where the receiving course is approved have conducted content review of the course to determine requisite skills in English and/or mathematics;

2) A list of the specific skills or knowledge a student must possess to be ready to take the receiving course is included in its course outline;

3) Identified “lead” chair/faculty collaborated with respective English and/or mathematics department to align requisite skills with appropriate level course;

4) Data supporting the prerequisite and/or corequisite was gathered by a campus based researcher and presented by the subject area dean to the chairs for review, discussion and final recommendation. This step must be completed by April, one full year prior to implementation, to allow for advanced communication to students;

5) The course passed technical review by Student Services and Instructional Services;

6) The course received approval by the college CRC; and

7) The course received approval by CIC the year prior to implementation.

d. Program Prerequisites

Prerequisites and/or corequisites must be approved in the same manner as provided for course prerequisites and/or corequisites. Each program prerequisite must appear as a prerequisite for at least one required course in the program.

e. Health and Safety.

A prerequisite identifying health or safety requirements may be established if, in addition to the review by faculty in the department or division and approval by the college CRC and CIC as provided under section 6.A.

1) The course is one in which the student might endanger his or her own health and safety or the health and safety of others; and

2) The prerequisite requires a student to possess what is necessary to protect his or her health and safety and the health and safety of others before entering the course.

f. Recency and Other Measures of Readiness

1) All recency course prerequisites shall:

a) Be established in accordance with this procedure;

b) Be established only if it has been determined a significant lapse of time will have an impact on a student’s ability to successfully complete the subsequent level of a course sequence;

c) Be stated in the official course outline of record; and d) Be required of all students for specific courses.

2) All recency program prerequisites shall:

a) Be established in accordance with this procedure;

b) Be established only if it has been determined a significant lapse of time will have an impact on a student’s ability to successfully complete the program;

c) Be stated in the official outline; and d) Be required for all students applying to the program.

3) Faculty may not establish recency course and program prerequisites of less than 36 months prior to course enrollment.

g. Review of Individual Courses

If the student’s enrollment in a course is contingent upon having met the proposed prerequisite(s) and/or corequisite(s), then such prerequisite(s)/corequisite(s) must be established per this Procedure. An advisory does not prevent students from registering in the course. Advisories must be identified as such in the schedule and catalog and do not require levels of scrutiny as defined above.

h. Advisories Each college may establish advisories which recommend that a student meet a standard of readiness at entry as provided under section 4, Establishment. This is required whether described as “advisories” "recommended," or by any other term.

i. Limitations on Enrollment

The types of limitation on enrollment specified below may only be established through the curriculum review process by the discipline or department faculty and the curriculum committee specified above including the requirement to review them again at least every six years; for example, as part of program review. The following requirements must also be met in order to establish these particular limitations on enrollment.

Limitations on enrollment may be established as provided under section 4 if the following requirements are also met:

1) Performance Courses

Each college may establish an audition, or tryout, as a limitation on enrollment for courses that include public performance or intercollegiate competition such as, but not limited to, band, orchestra, theater, competitive speech, chorus, journalism, dance, and intercollegiate athletics if:

a) For any certificate or associate degree requirement that can be met by taking this course, there is another course or courses that satisfy the same graduation requirement; and

b) Limitations on enrollment established on performance courses are reviewed during curriculum review, or at least every six years, to decide whether the audition or tryout process is having a disproportionate impact on any group. If disproportionate impact has been found, the limitation on enrollment shall be reviewed to decide if a plan needs to be implemented to remedy the impact. Any such plan shall be endorsed by the department and the college administration and promptly put into effect.

2) Honors Courses Limitation on enrollment for an honors course, or an honors section of a course, may be established if there is another section or another course at the college that satisfies the same graduation requirement;

3) Blocks of Courses or Sections Blocks of courses for which enrollment is limited to create a cohort of students may be established if there is another section or another course at the college that satisfies the same graduation requirements.

5. Implementation

Application of prerequisites, corequisites, advisories, and limitations on enrollment will be consistent and not left exclusively to the classroom instructor. Every attempt shall be made to enforce all conditions a student must meet to be enrolled in a class at registration so that a student is not allowed to enroll unless all conditions for enrollment have been met, except for those for which the student has a pending challenge or for which further information is needed.

The determination of whether a student meets a prerequisite shall be based on successful completion of an appropriate course or on an assessment or placement process using multiple measures. Any assessment instrument used shall be selected and used in accordance with the provisions of title 5 Subchapter 6 (commencing with Section 55500) of Chapter 6 of this Division.

The determination of whether a student meets a prerequisite or corequisite shall be made before his or her enrollment in the course requiring the prerequisite or corequisite, provided; however, that enrollment may be permitted pending verification that the student has met the prerequisite or corequisite. If the verification shows that the student has failed to meet the prerequisite, the student may be involuntarily dropped from the course if the applicable enrollment fees are promptly refunded. Otherwise a student may only be involuntarily removed from a course due to excessive absences or as a result of disciplinary action taken pursuant to law or to the student code of conduct.

6. Instructor's Formal Agreement to Teach the Course as Described Each college shall establish a procedure so that courses for which prerequisites or co- requisites are established will be taught in accordance with the course outline, particularly those aspects of the course outline that are the basis for justifying the establishment of the prerequisite or co-requisite. The process shall be established by consulting collegially with the local academic senate and, if appropriate, the local bargaining unit.

7. Ongoing Curriculum Review As a regular part of the Curriculum Review process, or at least every six years (every two years for Career Technical Education courses), the college shall review each prerequisite, corequisite, advisory, or limitation on enrollment to determine that each is still:

a. Supported by faculty in the department or discipline;

b. Supported by the college CRC and CIC; and

c. Meeting all other provisions of this policy and the law.

The curriculum review process shall at a minimum be in accordance with all of the following:

a. Establish a curriculum committee and its membership in a manner that is mutually agreeable to the college administration and the academic senate.

b. Establish prerequisites, co-requisites, and advisories on recommended preparation (advisories) only upon the recommendation of the academic senate except that the academic senate may delegate this task to the curriculum committee without forfeiting its rights or responsibilities under Title 5 Sections 53200-53204 and within the limits set forth in Title 5 Section 55003. Certain limitations on enrollment must be established in the same manner.

c. Establish prerequisites, co-requisites, advisories on recommended preparation, and limitations on enrollment only if:

1) The faculty in the discipline or, if the college has no faculty member in the discipline, the faculty in the department do all of the following:

a) Approve the course; and,

b) As a separate action, approve any prerequisite or co-requisite, only if:

a. The prerequisite or co-requisite is an appropriate and rational measure of a student's readiness to enter the course or program as demonstrated by a content review including, at a minimum, all of the following:

i. involvement of faculty with appropriate expertise;

ii. consideration of course objectives set by relevant department(s). The curriculum review process should be done in a manner that is in accordance with accreditation standards.

iii. be based on a detailed course syllabus and outline of record, tests, related instructional materials, course format, type and number of examinations, and grading criteria;

iv. specification of the body of knowledge or skills which are deemed necessary at entry or concurrent with enrollment;

v. identification and review of the prerequisite or co-requisite which develops the body of knowledge or measures skills identified under iv.

vi. matching of the knowledge and skills in the targeted course (identified under iv.) and those developed or measured by the prerequisite or co-requisite (i.e., the course or assessment identified under v.); and vii. maintain documentation that the above steps were taken.

b. Approve any limitation on enrollment that is being established for an honors course or section, for a course that includes intercollegiate competition or public performance, or so that a cohort of students will be enrolled in two or more courses, and, in a separate action, specify which.

c. Approve that the course meets the academic standards required for degree applicable courses, non-degree applicable courses, non-credit courses, or community service respectively.

d. Review the course outline to determine if a student would be highly unlikely to receive a satisfactory grade unless the student had knowledge or skills not taught in the course. If the student would need knowledge or skills not taught in the course itself, then the course may be approved for degree applicable credit only if all requirements for establishing the appropriate prerequisite have been met excepting only approval by the curriculum committee.

e. Review the course outline to determine whether receiving a satisfactory grade is dependent on skills in communication or computation. If receiving a satisfactory grade is sufficiently dependent on such skills, then the course may be approved for degree applicable credit only if all requirements have been met for establishing a prerequisite or co-requisite of not less than eligibility for enrollment to a degree-applicable course in English or mathematics, respectively.

c) A course which should have a prerequisite or co-requisite as provided in (5) or (6) but for which one or more of the requirements for establishing a prerequisite have not been met may only:

a. Be reviewed and approved pursuant to the standards for non-degree applicable credit, non-credit, or community service; or

b. Be revised and reviewed as required to meet the criteria for establishing the necessary prerequisites or co-requisites.

d) The curriculum committee also reviews the course and prerequisite in a manner that meets each of the requirements specified above.

e) If the District chooses to use content review as defined in Title 5 Section 55000 subdivision (f) to define prerequisites and co-requisites in reading, written expression, or mathematics for courses that are degree applicable and are not in a sequence, it must adopt a plan consistent with Title 5 Section 55003 subdivision (c).

8. Information in the Catalog and Schedule of Courses

a. The college shall provide the following explanations both in the college catalog and in the schedule of courses:

b. Definitions of prerequisites, co-requisites, and limitations on enrollment including the differences among them and the specific prerequisites, co-requisites, and limitations on enrollment that have been established.

c. Procedures for a student to challenge prerequisites, co-requisites, and limitations on enrollment and circumstances under which a student is encouraged to make such a challenge. The information about challenges must include, at a minimum, the specific process including any deadlines, the various types of challenge that are established in law, and any additional types of challenge permitted by the college.

d. Definitions of advisories on recommended preparation, the right of a student to choose to take a course without meeting the advisory, and circumstances under which a student is encouraged to exercise that right.

e. Definitions of contract course, co-requisite, noncredit basic skills course, non-degree-applicable basic skills courses, prerequisite, and satisfactory grade.

9. Program Review

As a regular part of the program review process or at least every six years, except that the prerequisites and co-requisites for vocational courses or programs shall be reviewed every two years, the college shall review each prerequisite, co-requisite, or advisory to establish that each is still supported by the faculty in the discipline or department and by the curriculum committee and is still in compliance with all other provisions of this procedure, the related policy, and with the law. Any prerequisite or co-requisite that is still supported shall be reviewed promptly thereafter to assure that it is in compliance with all other provisions of this procedure, the related policy, and with the law.

10. Challenge Procedure

Any student who does not meet a prerequisite or co-requisite or who is not permitted to enroll due to a limitation on enrollment but who provides satisfactory evidence may seek entry into the course as follows:

a. If space is available in a course when a student files a challenge to the prerequisite or co-requisite, the District shall reserve a seat for the student and resolve the challenge within five working days. If the challenge is upheld or the District fails to resolve the challenge within the five working-day period, the student shall be allowed to enroll in the course.

b. If no space is available in the course when a challenge is filed, the challenge shall be resolved prior to the beginning of registration for the next term and, if the challenge is upheld, the student shall be permitted to enroll if space is available when the students registers for that subsequent term.

Students may challenge prerequisites, corequisites or limitation on enrollment based upon one or more of the following:

a. The prerequisite, corequisite or enrollment limitation:

1) Has not been established in accordance with Procedure 5500.1;

2) Is in violation of section 55022, title 5 California Code of Regulations;

3) Is discriminatory or being applied in an unlawfully discriminatorymanner; and/or

4) Has been established to protect the health and safety of individuals and the student can demonstrate he/she does not pose a threat to himself/herself or others. Students with verified disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodation.

b. The student:

1) Has knowledge or ability to succeed in the course or program; and/or

2) Will be subject to undue delay in attaining his/her educational goal because the prerequisite or corequisite course has not been made reasonably available. The burden of proof that grounds for the challenge exist is on the student.

3) Student challenging English or Math prerequisites will be required to take the assessment test prior to filing a Petition to Challenge.

c. Challenge Petition

1) Students challenging a prerequisite, corequisite, or limitation on enrollment must complete a challenge petition. The student must:

4) Obtain a petition in the registration center on campus;

5) Complete the petition and attach all supporting documentation; and

6) Submit the completed petition to the Admissions supervisor at least 10 working days prior to the published add deadline for the course being challenged.

d. Registration

Students who complete a challenge petition will be allowed to register in the course pending re-view of the petition, provided space is available.

1) The Admissions office will register the student in the desired section;

2) The student will not be registered in a closed class;

3) All fees for the course being challenged must be paid at the time of registration; and

4) A copy of the petition will be maintained in a designated file by the Admissions officer for monitoring.

e. Processing the Petition

1) The completed petition is forwarded to the appropriate department chair or designee for approval;

2) The faculty member teaching the section of the course which the student is challenging may not participate in the decision;

3) The department chair or designee reviews the petition and make a decision;

4) The petition will be forwarded to the school dean. The dean will review the petition for consistency and sign the document;

5) Challenges based upon unlawful discrimination will be forwarded by Admissions directly to the dean responsible for the department. The dean will consult with the department chair and site compliance officer to determine basis of the challenge. A decision will be made and the petition forwarded to Admissions;

6) The final decision must be made no later than the first census of the course being challenged;

7) The petition with final action, will be forwarded immediately to Admissions by the dean;

8) Admissions will mail a copy of the petition with final action noted to the student. Timely notification is critical;

9) The original petition will be maintained in the student's folder on campus; and

10) An approved petition is transferable to another section as long as the instructor of record has not been part of the petition approval process and provided space is available at the time the transfer is requested.

f. If the challenge is denied, the Admissions office should proceed as follows:

1) Process an administrative drop from the course no later than first census;

2) Notify instructor of the administrative drop on an Administrative Drop card with the reason noted; and

3) Credit the student's account receivable for the total fees paid for the course. If the student is dropped after the refund period, a refund will be granted.

g. If the challenge is approved:

1) The student will be notified by Admissions;

2) The approval will be honored at all colleges of the district; and

3) The approval will be valid for the semester in which the petition is filed and the subsequent semester.

h. Appeal

Completion of the challenge procedure is deemed to satisfy the requirement that the district and student attempt informal resolution of the complaint. The student must be advised that he/she may file a formal complaint of unlawful discrimination pursuant to title 5, section 59300 et seq.

Reference:

California Code of Regulations, title 5, section 55000, 55003; WASC/ACCJC Accreditation Standard II.A.4

Approved by the Chancellor:

September 22, 2023

Supersedes:

AP 5260 2/10/201