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Division of Learning Support

Mission Statement

The Learning Support Department provides an opportunity for under-prepared students to develop or refine skills and knowledge in the areas of English, reading, and mathematics in order that these students may successfully pursue college-level course work. Assessment of college preparedness is determined by performance on SAT/ACT entrance exams and/or the COMPASS placement exam. Students enrolled in Learning Support courses work toward enhancing their cognitive abilities and academic skills. Faculty members guide students' development while helping them to accept the responsibility of their own future. Students learn skills that enable them to be successful when taking courses in the academic disciplines and their respective programs of study. Students exit Learning Support courses when they meet the established minimum scores on the COMPASS exam. Additionally, the Department offers remedial courses for those students who fail either part of the Regents' exam, which assures minimum state competencies in reading and writing for all Georgia college students.

Location:
200 Building ( Academic Building)
Tel: (229) 248-2569
FAX: (229) 248-2555

Exit Policy

Reading — Students must meet or exceed minimum requirements on basic performance objectives in order to be eligible to take the COMPASS. A grade of 74 or higher on the COMPASS is required for students to be able to exit READ 0099. In order to exit READ 0097, students must have a minimum 75% average on classwork and score at least 75 on a teacher-made final examination. For the Regents Reading class, students must pass the Regents Reading Exam with a score of 61 or better. Math — A student exits MATH 0097 and enters MATH 0099 by having at least a 70% average on course work and scoring 70% or better on a teacher-made final. A student exits MATH 0099 by having at least a 70 average for the semester and scoring at least 37 on the COMPASS.

English — A student must have a 75% average on course work, successfully complete the writing sample, and make a grade of 60 or higher on the COMPASS in order to exit ENGL 0099. In order to exit ENGL 0097, students must have at least a 75% average on class work, pass a writing sample, and score at least 75 on a teacher-made final examination.

Placement In Learning Support Classes Based On COMPASS Scores

COURSE	COMPASS SCORE	REQUIRED CLASS
Reading	57-73	READ 0099
	0-56	READ 0097
Mathematics	31-36	MATH 0099
	21-30	MATH 0097
	0-20	TECH 0085
English	31-59	ENGL 0099
	0-30	ENGL 0097

Placement in Learning Support classes is based on COMPASS scores. Students scoring below 480 on the SAT-Verbal Section or 440 on the SAT-Mathematics section or who have not completed CPC requirements will be placed in the appropriate Learning Support courses according to their COMPASS placement exam scores only. (See chart below.) If both the student's SAT-Verbal and SAT-Math scores are 480/440 or above and the student has completed all College Preparatory Curriculum requirements (CPC requirements pertain to students graduating from high school after 1987), then the student exempts Learning Support requirements and the COMPASS is not required.

TRANSFER POLICY

Learning Support Transfer Students

Bainbridge College will honor the grades made by transfer students in Learning Support courses at all colleges in the University System of Georgia. If a student has satisfactorily completed one or more of the three areas at another college, that student will not be required to take the appropriate Learning Support course at Bainbridge College. If a student transfers prior to completing Learning Support requirements at another system unit, he/she will be placed in Learning Support courses according to Bainbridge College's placement requirements for a beginning degree-seeking student.

Other Transfer Students:

Applicants who have fewer than 30 semester hours from other institutions that are transferable to Bainbridge College must complete all the requirements for freshman admissions (Take the SAT/ACT and/or the COMPASS). The transfer student, or advanced standing, classification is for individuals who have previously enrolled in one or more other institutions of higher education but who now wish to attend Bainbridge College. To be admitted, the transfer student must:

1. Complete a Bainbridge College Application for Admission.
2. Provide complete transcripts. Applicant must have completed a minimum of 20 semester credit hours that are transferable to Bainbridge College.
3. Transfer students who previously attended a non-University System of Georgia institution must also submit a high school transcript for evaluation of the College Preparatory Curriculum. (Applicable only to students who graduated from high school after 1987.)
4. Submit required test scores. Students transferring from institutions that do not require admissions testing may be required to take the SAT and/or the COMPASS.
5. Submit required Certificate of Immunization form.

Learning Support Transient Students

If a sending institution indicates that the student needs a Learning Support course and that they approve of the students taking the course at Bainbridge College, the transient student will be enrolled in the appropriate Learning Support course.

Learning Support Academic Progress, Probation, and Suspension Policies

Students with Learning Support requirements must take required courses (in sequence) each semester of enrollment. A student may not accumulate more than twenty (20) semester hours of degree credit before finishing Learning Support courses. A student who accumulates twenty(20)semester degree credit hours and has not successfully completed required Learning Support courses must enroll only in Learning Support courses until all requirements are successfully completed. In order to exit Learning Support courses, students must satisfy the college's requirements for each prescribed course. In addition, students must score at least the institutional minimum on the appropriate part of the prescribed test (COMPASS) before they can exit a Learning Support area. Learning Support English requires a satisfactory evaluation on an exit writing sample as a precondition to taking the COMPASS as an exit test.

Students who do not complete requirements for a Learning Support area after 12 semester hours or three attempts will be suspended and may not be considered for readmission within three years of the suspension.

Prior to being suspended, a student who has not exited a LS area within the 12 semester hour or three semester limit may appeal for one additional course. All time spent in Learning Support course work will be cumulative within the University System.

Compass Exit Exam: Guidelines for Learning Support Students

As you are probably aware, exiting Learning Support requires you to not only successfully complete all class assignments, but also to pass the COMPASS exit exam for your particular subject area. If you pay attention in class, complete assignments and attend regularly, you should have no problems passing the exit portion of the COMPASS at the end of the semester.
The following are some rules of taking the exit COMPASS to which all Learning Support students must adhere.

1. During the exit COMPASS, you are not allowed to have any materials on your desk. All books, papers, pens, etc. must be placed on the floor unless otherwise directed by your instructor. The COMPASS allows you to look at passages and problems as many times as needed to successfully answer exam questions without penalizing your score. Failure to comply with this rule could get you to be asked to leave the COMPASS testing session without finishing the test.
2. You must respect the testing environment by remaining as quiet as possible. When it comes test-taking time, we all need it quiet. It's easy to sometimes forget when we finish a test that our neighbors are still working. For that reason, any talking during the exam is strictly prohibited. NO CELL PHONES, BEEPERS, ETC. ARE ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOM DURING TESTING. If you complete the exam before your classmates, remember to remain quiet. Don't discuss whether you passed or failed with a classmate or anyone else. You must leave as quietly as possible. Because a quiet, calm, testing site is the only fair avenue for administering a test of this magnitude, this policy will be strictly enforced.
3. Do not exit the COMPASS test before the instructor has viewed your grade! Upon finishing the exam, a blue screen will appear, prompting you that it's time to compute your score. You are to raise your hand to quietly alert the instructor when this occurs. The instructor must view your score before you exit the score screen. You will not be allowed a re-test if you exit this screen before calling the instructor.
4. COMPASS retests are available on a case-by-case basis ONLY! If you fail your first attempt at the COMPASS, you may be allowed ONE AND ONLY ONE retest. This is subject to the instructor's discretion and is based on your overall class performance. Students facing three year academic suspensions and on their last chance to pass Reading, English and/or Math 099 may be approved for third attempts. However, if they are, their names will be submitted to the instructor by the department head prior to the first round of testing. The instructor, if needed, will notify those students who qualify under this exception.
5. Technical problems with computers will be investigated! Rarely, there are times when the computer will take the COMPASS off the student's screen. If this happens, do not touch the machine. Raise your hand to notify the instructor. Even less frequent are times when the instructor must re-boot the machine to resume your COMPASS testing. However, if the machine is re-booted, your COMPASS test will resume in progress where you left off. If the computer doesn't allow the instructor to restart your current test, it generally means the student has taken the COMPASS off-screen after receiving an unfavorable score. So to prevent any appearances of improprieties, computer center technicians will be asked to investigate such computer problems. As the system logs your score each time you take the COMPASS, "hidden" scores will be brought to the instructor's attention and will count as a COMPASS attempt by the student. However, in the extremely unlikely event of a system failure, the student will be eligible for a retest with the instructor on a subsequent day, at a mutually agreeable time. These guidelines are in place for your protection and to ensure you do the very best job on your COMPASS exam.

These guidelines will be introduced at the first of the semester and also reviewed near the end of the semester, before the COMPASS is administered.