Instructional Services
Placement Criteria
The following information will help students better understand which first-level classes they will take upon entering Lander as well as which placement assessments they will need to take prior to their first term. A link is also provided to the Placement Assessment site for the Math or Pre-Cal Skills Assessment.
ENGLISH
All students will be placed into English 101 unless any of the following apply:
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Students have at least 680 Verbal SAT or at least 30 ACT English. These students may take the validation essay to attempt credit for ENGL 101 and placement into ENGL 102.
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Transfer students who have credit for ENGL 101 will be placed into the next required English course. Students must seek advice from their advisor.
Please note that students with less than 400 Verbal SAT or less than 15 ACT English should consider enrolling in a developmental English course at a local community or technical college prior to enrolling at Lander.
MATH
All students must take the Math Sills Assessment unless any of the following apply:
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Transfer students who transfer in credit for a course listed as equivalent to a Lander University mathematics course are exempt from taking the math placement exam.
Please note, students whose program requires one or more additional courses in mathematics are strongly advised to take the Math Skills Assessment prior to enrolling in a mathematics course at Lander University.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
ALL NEW STUDENTS are required to take the Foreign Language Placement Exam in the language they had in high school. The Foreign Language Placement Exam is available in Spanish, French, German, and Russian through our link to the on-line testing site. PLEASE CLICK ON " PLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS" TO ACCESS THAT PASSWORD-PROTECTED SITE. Students who have a foreign language background in Latin or other lanuages not listed above must go to the Academic Success Center (located in Genesis Hall), for information about what to do when they get to campus in the fall (or spring).
It is strongly recommended that students review their foreign language skills prior to taking the Foreign Language Placement Exam to assure the best results. The Foreign Language Exam in Spanish or French will place students into Spanish or French 101 or 102 which will satisfy Lander's General education Foreign Language requirement. A student may also "Pass" the foreign Language placement Exam which will exempt them from the General Education foreign language requirement.
As regards international students, students who graduated from a secondary school whose language of instruction was not English must confer with the chairperson of the English and Foreign Languages Department if they wish to take courses in foreign languages offered by Lander University. International students for whom English is not their native language are exempt from the General Education Foreign Language requirement.
German or Latin:
Students with a background in German, Russian, or Latin should take the placement test in that language. However, if they do not pass the General Education requirement, they must enroll in either Spanish or French 101 and 102.
Other languages:
Students who come to Lander with a background in foreign language other than Spanish, French, German, Russian, or Latin (such as Japanese) should contact the Director of the Academic Success Center (located in Genesis Hall) for placement test availability. Otherwise, they may opt to enroll in SPAN 101 or FR 101
Transfer Students
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All new students must take the Foreign Language Placement Exam prior to enrolling in any foreign language class.
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If students place into a 101 status, they will be required to take six hours of foreign language - 101 and 102 - (see general education requirements).
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If students place into 102, they are required to take the 102 class only. They will need to take three credit hours of electives to replace the foreign language 101 that they exempted.
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Students who transfer in SPAN 101 or FR 101 must enroll in the 102 class.
Non-Traditional Students
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Students who are 22 years old or older will be required to take six hours of foreign language (see general education requirements) .
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They may take the foreign language exam in the language they took in high school or get permission to begin in 101.
ESL Students
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Students for whom English is a second language are exempt from the foreign language general education requirement. The six hours must be made up as elective credit.
The foreign language exam is available to everyone – see Director of The Academic Success Center, located in Genesis Hall. Students who must take placement tests are encouraged to review prior to the test.
Readmitted Students
Students who have completed math requirements for their major do not have to retake the Math Skills Assessment.
SECOND DEGREE AND SPECIAL STUDENTS
Students seeking a second bachelor’s degree are not required to take placement tests. Special students ( not seeking a degree ) are not required to take the placement tests but are encouraged to do so. Should they later declare a major and begin to work toward a degree, they will be required at that time to take placement tests.
For more information e-mail Gay Coleman at: (gcoleman@lander.edu)
