Community College Dean Seeks Corequisite Course Dilemma

A community college dean is asking colleagues how they handle a specific academic policy conflict. The dilemma centers on students who are required to take a developmental English corequisite but fail that support class while passing the main college-level composition course.

The Corequisite Model and Its Intent

At the dean's institution, most students do not place into developmental English. For those who do, it is structured as a corequisite for the first credit-bearing composition course. This model aims to provide targeted support aligned with the assignments in the college-level class, moving away from teaching skills in isolation. The approach gets students onto their degree path immediately and has shown better success rates than standalone remedial courses.

Making the support class a requirement serves two key purposes. It ensures the course is eligible for federal financial aid. It also significantly increases student attendance, echoing the observed principle that "students don't do optional," a point attributed to researcher Kay McClenney.

The Policy Conflict Emerges

The problem arises when a student required to take the developmental corequisite fails it but earns a passing grade in the college-level composition course. Philosophically, the dean argues, such a student has demonstrated they did not need the extra help. "The educator in me wants to say more power to 'em," the dean writes in a column for Inside Higher Ed.

However, policy creates a stark conflict. By definition, failing a corequisite course means a student is no longer eligible for the associated credit class. Even with a passing grade in composition, the student could be disqualified on a technicality. This conflict between the spirit and the letter of the rule is intensified by financial aid regulations and a political climate where such inconsistencies could be exploited by critics.

Exploring and Rejecting Alternatives

The dean has considered making the developmental class optional but sees major flaws. The adage that students skip optional support holds true, evidenced by low uptake of free tutoring services on campus despite active promotion and accessible facilities.

Financial aid presents another barrier. Optional courses are not covered by aid programs. Even if students could be persuaded the class is beneficial, they might not afford it if it doesn't count toward their aid package. The dean notes that if community college were free, waivers could be easily granted for students who pass the higher-level class, but that is not the current reality.

Having found no elegant solution internally, the dean is now seeking advice from the wider academic community. The appeal is directed at wise and worldly readers who may have lived this reality and found a workable resolution.