Texas Success Initiative Requirements

Texas law has established the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), which requires that students take an approved test before enrolling in college. College applicants may forgo TSI assessment if they meet any of the waivers or exemptions listed here. Some students who are exempt from state-mandated TSI test may be required to take ACC course placement tests prior to being eligible to register.

TSI waiver — For students enrolled in a Level 1 certificate declared major. Note: Students enrolling in a TSI waived certificate program may be required to be assessed if enrolling in courses with skill prerequisites.

TSI exemptions — For students who:

• Earned an associate or bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
• Received qualifying scores on the ACT or SAT (within five years), or 11th or 12th gradeTAKS (within three years)
• Previously attended any Texas public institution and were determined to have met the readiness standards by that institution
• Transferred to ACC with college credit from out of state or private Texas accredited college that satisfy the core curriculum in the ACC college catalog and passed course with a grade of C or better
• Were honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty, Texas National Guard, or military reserves on or after Aug. 1, 1990
• Currently serve on active duty as members of the U.S. armed forces and have been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment

ACC Policies Concerning TSI Requirements

• Students who are not TSI Exempt or Waived must take the COMPASS test. (See an advisor)
• Students whose test scores indicate that they need two developmental courses must meet with an ACC advisor/counselor before they register for their first term in order to develop a TSI plan, an educational plan, and a support service plan.
• TSI students must complete their TSI requirements to graduate from any associate degree program or any certificate program having at least 43 or more semester hours.
• TSI students who do not pass all parts of the state-approved test must enroll and participate in Developmental Education courses in their area(s) of academic weakness and follow ACC's Developmental Plan until they satisfy their TSI requirements.
• Campus Advising Centers have additional information regarding TSI requirements.

Other Assessment Requirements—ESL

An ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) assessment is required of all students whose primary language is not English as well as deaf students wishing to register for ESOL classes taught in American Sign Language. Scores are used to place students in one of five levels in each of the three skill areas: Reading and Vocabulary, Writing and Grammar, and Oral Communication.

To learn more about the ESOL program call 223-4113, 223-3349, or 223-9205. To sign up for an ESOL assessment, call 223-0145, 223-4807, 223-3139, 223-9162.

Advanced Placement

Austin Community College provides students the opportunity to earn credit by advanced placement through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), College Board Advanced Placement (AP), Certified Professional Secretary exam (CPS), credit by institutional examination and credit for military courses. Credit from these programs, exclusive of credit by institutional examination, may not exceed 30 semester hours. The credit is validated and an official transcript issued only upon completion of regular coursework at ACC.

CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

Students of Austin Community College who request credit through CLEP must have official test scores sent directly to the Admissions and Records Office at P.O. Box15306, Austin, Texas 78752. Scores are obtained by contacting the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6666, Princeton, NJ 08543-6923. For each score at or above the listed minimum, the appropriate credit will be recorded on the student's ACC transcript after the student has completed at least one credit course at ACC.

• No student may substitute a CLEP award for the entire six credit hour legislative requirement for American Government. Three credit hours must be earned in a traditional credit hour granting course.
• CLEP exams are given at Austin Community College between 12:30 and 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Students must call 223.7769 for an appointment to test. CLEP fees are $85 with some exceptions. There is an additional $10 fee for the essay part of the freshman composition CLEP Exam. There is a $10 no-show fee. CLEP Center address is Highland Business Center, Room 104, 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin, Texas 78752.
• Scoring of the freshman composition essay may take 8-10 weeks depending on faculty scheduling.
• Consult the "CLEP Exams and Minimum Acceptable Scores" section in this catalog for the specific passing scores for each test.
• The CLEP Center cannot obtain score information or advise students about their scores.
• CLEP exams are given at the University of Texas at Austin and at St. Edward's University. For CLEP exam schedules and costs, call the UT Measurement and Evaluation Center or St. Edward's Admissions Office.

AP (Advanced Placement)

Students requesting credit through the College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP) must complete at least one college credit course at ACC before appropriate credit is posted on their ACC academic record. Students of Austin Community College who request credit through AP must have official test scores sent directly to the Admissions and Records Office at P O Box 15306, Austin, TX 78752.

Scores are obtained by contacting AP Exams, P.O. Box 6671, Princeton, N.J. 08541-6671. For each score at or above the listed minimum, the appropriate credit will be recorded on the student's ACC transcript.

A letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) is not assigned. The AP credit is designated as "CR" (credit) on the ACC transcript. AP credit might not transfer from ACC to other institutions. No student may receive more than three semester hours of advanced placement for the six-semester credit hour legislative requirement for American Government.

Advanced placement credit is granted for the courses listed below.

CLEP Exams and Minimum Acceptable Scores

International Baccalaureate

Austin Community College awards up to 24 semester credit hours (SCH) for various International Baccalaureate (IB) subjects. The chart below shows subjects accepted at ACC. It includes the minimum credit-earning scores, the ACC course for which you may earn credit, and the number of hours that are awarded.

1 HL—Higher Level requires 240 hours of instruction—a two-year course
SL—Standard Level requires 150 hours of instruction—a one-year course

Certified Professional Secretary

Students may earn college credit for verified passing scores on the following parts of the Certified Professional Secretary exam:

If exam passed before September 1994 —
CPS Exam Credit Given

Part IV Accounting ACNT 1403
Part V Office Administration and Communication POFT 1301
POFT 2312
POFT 1449
Part VI Office Technology POFT 2331

If exam passed after September 1994 —
CPS Exam Credit Given

Part I Finance and Business Law ACNT 1403
Part II Office Systems and Administration POFT 1301
POFT 2312
POFT 1449
Part III Management POFT 2331

Professional Administrator Credential and CDA Credential (Child Development Associate Credential)

Students who hold the PAC or the CDA should contact an advisor in the Child Development Department to obtain information about receiving credit for these credentials.

Challenging a Course (Institutional Credit by Examination)

In order to be eligible to take a challenge exam, the applicant must be a current or former ACC college-credit student and meet the course prerequisites and institutional enrollment requirements. Students must complete at least one college credit course in residence before challenge exam results will be recorded on an official transcript. A student receives credit by passing the exam with a grade of A or B. Not all courses at ACC may be challenged. A student may not challenge a course more than once. No student may challenge a course for which she/he is currently enrolled or has a grade of A, B, C, D, F, I, W, or AU. Course challenge grades are not computed in students' grade point averages (GPA) nor do they count toward scholastic achievement awards in any given semester.

To challenge a course, a student must:

1. Obtain a Course Challenge Form from the Admissions and Records Office
2. Obtain the signature of the appropriate academic or workforce dean, or department chair who approves the testing and assigns an instructor to administer the test
3. Obtain the signature of the assigned full-time or part-time instructor who has previously taught the course at ACC and has agreed to administer and grade the challenge examination
4. Return the signed Course Challenge Form to the Admissions and Records Office
5. Pay a fee of $10 per credit hour, with a $30 minimum
6. Take the Challenge Examination. The instructor submits all copies of the Challenge Form to the Admissions and Records Office. If the grade is A or B, it is recorded on the student's transcript under the heading "Course Challenge Exam." If the grade is C or lower, it is not recorded.

Note: International students may not apply course challenges toward the 12-hour enrollment requirement established by the Department of Homeland Security.

Credit for Military Courses

ACC will evaluate courses completed in the Armed Forces, USAFI and DANTES, based on credit recommendation in the American Council on Education reference Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Semester credit hours granted under this policy and the semester credit hours granted for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) together may not total more than 30. Students enrolled at ACC wishing to have their educational experience in the Armed Forces or through USAFI and the DANTES transcript evaluated for possible credit should comply with the following procedures:

• The student should submit records showing completion of educational experiences in the Armed Forces or USAFI or DANTES Courses, which include the following: educational transcripts, discharge papers, and test scores. The student is responsible for furnishing satisfactory evidence to the evaluator.
• The Admissions and Records Office references the submitted documents for credit recommendation from the Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.
• If a recommendation cannot be located, the student may request a recommendation from the American Council of Education in Washington, D.C.
• The evaluator completes the credit application and forwards it to the appropriate ACC department chair.
• The department chair will grant or deny credit for a specific corresponding ACC course.
• Credit will appear on the student's transcripts.
• The student who requests an evaluation of military courses must complete at least one semester credit hour in residence before appropriate credit is posted to their academic record.

If a student has received credit through the military for College Level General Education Development tests, equivalencies will be granted in accordance with the following schedule:

Health, Kinesiology Credit for Military Service

Students who have served on active duty in the military service of the United States for a period of at least six months without regard to character of service will receive four semester hours of credit for Health and Kinesiology. Personnel on active duty with at least six months in the military may also receive this credit by presenting a certified letter from their commanding officer attesting to their period of service. The four hours will not be computed in students' grade point averages. Students who wish to obtain this credit must submit an original or certified copy of their DD214 to the Admissions and Records Office. Credit will not be posted until students complete at least one college-level course at ACC.