BASIC STUDIES ACADEMY

• Purpose and Objectives
• Admission and Placement
• Program Restrictions

The Basic Studies Academy (BSA) is designed to meet the pre-college and associate level needs of local students impacted by the new admission standards of the University System of Georgia. The Program was developed as a response to the Board of Regents’ mandate to phase-out remedial programs for traditional students at state universities by Fall 2001. The mandate largely limits remedial programs to the two-year colleges. Consequently, motivated students with pre-college deficiencies who want to earn a baccalaureate degree must transfer to a state university upon satisfying remedial and transfer requirements. However, the Savannah service area does not have a system two-year college to provide such access. As the Savannah solution to the two-year college dilemma, BSA was developed as an alternative delivery model to ensure access to motivated individuals who would not otherwise be served.

During Summer 2005, the scope of BSA was modified to include the University System’s admissions pilot, designed to provide more access opportunities. Heretofore, those opportunities were limited by SAT/ACT scores, which have not proven to be consistent predictors of college success in the two-year sector.

The specific objectives of BSA are as follows:

1. To provide greater access to higher education for local citizens and other prospective students who prefer a Savannah State experience;
   
    
2. To provide intrusive, proactive counseling, advisement, and academic support to improve retention rates and student achievement among under prepared but highly motivated students;
   
    
3. To offer a curriculum that will ensure a smooth transition into a two-year or four-year program of their choice; and
   
    
4. To document successful completion of the curriculum by issuing students a certificate of achievement affirming their eligibility to transfer to a two-year or four-year degree program.

The Academy is a subsidiary of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Academic Support with whom the Academy shares a common faculty and support staff to deliver remedial courses in English, mathematics, and reading to students enrolled in the Academy. Through the Center, students receive appropriate academic advisement and academic support.

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ADMISSION AND PLACEMENT

Applicants eligible for BSA should meet the following criteria:

High School Diploma or GED
High School GPA of 2.0 or higher
Completion of College Preparatory Units (a minimum of 16 units preferred)

Applicants with less than a 2.0 HSGPA and fewer than 16 CPC units may be admitted as presidential exceptions.

Applicants to SSU who meet the criteria for limited admit students but who did not make the 20% quota for limited admit students will be referred to the Basic Studies Academy.

All prospective students must sit for the Computer Adaptive Placement Assessment (COMPASS) and a Writing Assessment. To satisfy Learning Support math and reading requirements, students must earn 37 or above on the math COMPASS and 74 or above on the reading COMPASS. To satisfy Learning Support English requirements, students must pass the Writing Assessment as well as score 60 or above on the English COMPASS. Students failing to satisfy requirements at placement must enroll in a corresponding remedial course for each subject area of COMPASS they failed. However, students satisfying the math COMPASS may enroll in the appropriate core math course. Students who satisfy reading requirements may enroll in a core social science or science course. Students who satisfy both the English and reading COMPASS and pass the Writing Assessment may enroll in English 1101. Students with reading requirements may not enroll in English 1101. Nor may they enroll in social science and science courses, unless these are courses that satisfy CPC deficiencies. Students who maintain a “C” average or better throughout the semester in their remedial course(s) (English, math, and/or reading) are eligible to sit for the respective post-examinations. The passing scores for post-examinations are the same as the passing scores for placement examinations (see  “Exit Requirements” under “Learning Support”).Once students have completed all Learning Support requirements and CPC deficiencies and 30 hours of prescribed core courses (with at least an overall 2.0 GPA), they will be awarded a certificate of program completion. They are now eligible to transfer to a University System two-year or four-year degree program of choice.

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All students must complete 30 hours of credit in the prescribed core curriculum before they transfer. Students with reading restrictions cannot enroll in college-level social, natural, or physical science courses or College English until their reading requirements have been satisfied.  Students in good academic standing can enroll in a full class load: 12 hours (minimum) to 17 hours (maximum) of courses per semester.

Students enrolled in the Academy have three semester attempts per area to remediate deficiencies, provided that they consistently demonstrate satisfactory academic progress as defined by Savannah State University. Any students in the Academy whose academic standing is less than that which is accepted by the University are subject to academic suspension though they may not have exhausted all three attempts. Students enrolled in the Academy who are also enrolled in credit courses are governed by both the University’s policy on academic standing (see “Academic Probation and Suspension” in the University Catalog) and Learning Support policy on satisfactory progress.  Students who fail to exit within the time allotted shall be suspended from the program. However, students may appeal a suspension to the Director of the program, provided they have only one remedial course left to complete requirements, have a class average of at least 80 or above, and obtain a letter of recommendation from their most recent instructor of the course that they need to complete. If the students do not exit after the fourth semester, a second appeal may be granted, provided they have met at least the same academic requirements for the first appeal. If their appeal is granted for a fifth semester, students must enroll only in the remedial course, unless permission is granted to enroll in specific approved courses. Students who fail to pass the course after the appeal will be suspended.

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For additional information, contact:

Director of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Academic Support
912-356-2178
 

BSA | SAAP | CTLAS