Introduction
I interviewed Dr. Shelley DeBlasis, Director of Developmental Education at New Mexico State University at Carlsbad, New Mexico, for the Writing Program Administrator (WPA) Interview assignment. I was especially excited to speak with her because of her work with developmental education, a field I currently work in, am very interested in learning more about, and would like to make a career of working in developmental education at the community college level. She was extremely personable, and we had (I thought) a great conversation. She described how she came (unintentionally) to work with developmental students, what drives her professionally, the importance of professional organizations, and how she functions as a WPA as well as the Director of Developmental Education.
In order to provide a stronger context for the WPA position of Dr. DeBlasis, I will provide some background information – a brief history of developmental education in American higher education, a profile of the New Mexico State University system and specifically New Mexico State University at Carlsbad – before detailing Dr. DeBlasis position as Director and WPA.
Developmental Education – Not such a new thing
Contrary to what many may think, developmental education is not new to higher education in America. Ellen Brier’s 1984 article “The Academic Preparation Gap: An Historical View” in The Journal of Developmental Education explains that developmental education is not a direct result of open admissions during the 1960s but instead something that has been an issue throughout the history of higher education in America as institutions tried to become more egalitarian rather than an opportunity only for those of privilege and wealth. For almost 200 years, institutions of higher learning have lamented over student deficiencies; university professors as early as 1828 have been frustrated by students with “defective [college] preparation” (Brier 2). During the 1830s, Cornell University founder Ezra Cornell had a conversation with an admissions professor where he learned admissions was low because students didn’t know enough. When he inquired as to why the faculty couldn’t teach them, the professor responded Cornell should have started a primary school if he wanted to teach reading and spelling (Casazza 2-3). Over the next 30 years, leaders in higher education continued to promote the belief that the college should provide support for those underprepared students. In 1869, Charles William Eliot, president of Harvard College stated, “The American college is obliged to supplement the American school. Whatever elementary instruction the schools fail to give, the college must supply” (Brier 2). Clearly, the need to support underprepared students is not something new.
One may raise the question of why institutions even admitted these students into their school if all they did was complain about their academic deficiencies. The first reason Brier lists as to why institutions of higher learning admitted underprepared students is money: “… colleges needed enrollment to generate the revenue required to operate” (4). Much like education today, budgets and financial concerns drove most decisions; this has not seemed to change too much over the years. Colleges and universities are still looking to the bottom line to see if a course should be run, or ways to educate more students with fewer resources. A variety of other reasons for admitting these “deficient students” include an more colleges established than the number of students ready to perform at the collegiate level, the emerging belief that higher education should be more accessible, and frequent changing of curriculum which changed the prerequisites making it difficult to achieve appropriate preparation for higher learning (Brier 4). In response to the influx of underprepared students, many colleges created preparatory departments and tutoring schools to help students strengthen skills necessary to become successful with college curriculum (Brier 3-4). These departments and schools seem to have been the first occurrence of developmental education programs.
The need for developmental education continued to grow as the country’s population grew and the economy changed. One notable effect of legislation for developmental education was the passage of the GI Bill in 1944 by President Roosevelt. As a result of the GI Bill, over a million World War II veterans attended college in the fall of 1946 bringing with them not only a variety of needs but also much needed funding to support additional services such as counseling and tutoring centers (Casazza 3). However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that open access/open admissions was encouraged in community colleges as a result of pioneer Mina Shaughnessy and her work at City University of New York (CUNY). As a result of her dedication to and advocating for non-traditional students, it slowly became known throughout educational communities that non-traditional students do in fact have a lot to contribute to higher education and academe.
Accordingly, as the population of underprepared and non-traditional students grew, so did the need for instructor resources to support this growing group of students. The website for the National Association for Developmental Education (www.NADE.net) chronicles its beginning in 1976 to the present day. It was in the spring of 1976 when a small gathering of college and university professors from around Chicago met to discuss the emerging field of developmental education and decided to establish a professional organization with hopes of it becoming a national organization at some point. Originally, the founders decided to name the organization the National Association for Remedial/Developmental Students in Postsecondary Education (NAR/DSPE) as remedial and developmental were both popular and considered synonymous. As the group grew, a movement began during the early 1980s to change the name of the organization to what it is recognized as today: the National Association for Development Education (NADE). NADE began circulating and publishing journals and resources for its members such as the Journal of Developmental Education, NADE Self-Evaluation Guides, the NADE Digest, and the “NADE Think Tank” as well as hosting annual conferences with attendance exceeding 1,000 beginning in the 1990s. Today, NADE is the leading national organization and a powerful resource for developmental educators.
As a result of NADE’s influence and expansion, many conversations and much research about developmental education have resulted. One aspect of research focuses on outcome of student success in developmental education programs. In a turn away from supporting underprepared students, members of higher education, critics and legislators have begun to question the necessity of developmental education. Thomas Bailey explores this issue more deeply in his 2009 article “Challenge and Opportunity: Rethinking the Role and Function of Developmental Education in Community College” in the journal New Directions for Community College which is supported by the Community College Research Center. While he acknowledges that many students enter the community college underprepared, he questions the effectiveness of current developmental programs. He examines if students who are recommended for developmental classes actually enroll, the number of students who enroll who complete the developmental sequence, and the number of students who complete the developmental sequence those who enroll in college level courses. Surprisingly, he found that approximately 25% of his sample did not enroll in any developmental course for which they were referred, only about 35% completed the developmental sequence, and that many students who successfully completed the developmental courses never enrolled in college level classes. Additionally, he examines the placement of students into developmental courses. He found no standardization and large differences in cutoff scores between not only institutions within states but also at institutions across states. With such variance, he argues that with the same placement score a student could be classified as “developmental” at one institution and “college-ready” at another institution; this high-stakes test and resulting score with seemingly arbitrary cut-offs can have a profound effect on a student financially and psychologically. However, he does acknowledge successes of developmental programs for producing students who have made significant growth due to the program even if some of those students are still not ready to perform at the college level. Bailey concludes by calling for reforming developmental education programs. His suggestions include rethinking assessment with a focus on what the individual student needs and not only what the placement score reports and opening more college–level courses that incorporate supporting services for students with higher placement scores. He closes by recognizing the growing commitment for at-risk populations by various private, state, and federal agencies.
Developmental education has come a long way since the early 1800s, and it continues to (appropriately enough) develop into a significant support system that helps students overcome not just academic weaknesses but also provides resources for many of the other issues that developmental students bring with them to the classroom.
New Mexico State University – The only land grant college in New Mexico
New Mexico State University, or NM State, is the main campus and is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico; it is a result of the first Morrill Act of 1862 which established land grant colleges where states or territories received land to either be sold or used for profit with the proceeds funding at least one college that would primarily focus on teaching agriculture and mechanics and allow for citizens of average means have access to higher education in the areas of agriculture and mechanical arts (National Research Council 1). These “citizens of average means” are the same students who professors lamented over as being underprepared for admittance to institutions of higher learning thus facilitating developmental programs to help these individuals strengthen weaker academic skills for college level coursework.
According to the “Heritage” section of the New Mexico State University’s website, the school as it is known today began as Las Cruces College led by Hiram Hadley in 1888. The territorial legislature authorized the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1889 and the two schools merged with an official opening date of January 21, 1890. The first semester had 35 students, six faculty members, and met in the two-room building of the Las Cruces College; it wasn’t until 1960 that the school was renamed to New Mexico State University. Today, NM State in Las Cruces enrolls over 14,000 students employs almost 700 faculty and slightly over 3,000 staff, and sprawls over 900 acres.
Because NM State is a land grant college, the university prides itself on the three facets of land grant colleges: teaching, research and extension. The “Points of Pride” page of the school’s website discusses ways NM State excels as leaders in teacher, research, and outreach programs. NM State is also a recipient of the NASA Space Grant Program. Most recently, students in the College of Arts and Sciences received $30,000 in fellowship grants to help support research supporting NASA (Beasley).
In addition to the main campus located in Las Cruces, NM State has four branch campuses, three of which function as community colleges. These community college campuses in Alamogordo, Carlsbad, and Dona Ana offer courses that can directly transfer to baccalaureate degrees at the Las Cruces campus, a variety of certificates, Associate degrees, Associates of Applied Science, and outreach programs such as Adult Basic Education, GED classes, and community education programs; the campus in Grants, NM State at Grants, offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Statistics according to US News & World Report for each college are organized in Table 1 in the Appendix. In terms of size, NM State at Dona Ana has the largest enrollment, NM State at Alamogordo is in the middle, and NM State at Carlsbad the smallest. Similarities include that all have open admissions policies and boast small class sizes while differences include enrollment and tuition. Also acknowledged are retention rates, graduation rates, and transfer rates (it was not specified if the student transferred to NM State or another school). Similarities include that all have open admissions policies and boast small class sizes, and differences include enrollment and tuition. Also acknowledged are retention rates, graduation rates, and transfer rates (it was not specified if the student transferred to NM State or another school). In terms of retention, graduation, and transfer rates, perhaps Bailey has a point in his findings about the low number of students who complete either the developmental sequence, and/or enroll in college level courses, and/or complete a degree.
New Mexico State University at Carlsbad
The course catalog for the 2015-2016 year provides much information about the origins of New Mexico University at Carlsbad, or NMSU-C. Founded in 1950 as the Carlsbad Instructional Center, it was the first community college in New Mexico. In 1953, it became part of the NMSU system. Currently, NMSU-C is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The mission statement of the school states, “The mission of New Mexico State University Carlsbad is to provide access to quality educational opportunities and to support the economic and cultural life of the people of southeastern New Mexico” (7). This is evidenced in the amount of courses that are not just available to students during the day, evening, Saturdays, or online, but also the number of courses that transfer to a baccalaureate degree if the student chooses to transfer to the main NM State campus in Las Cruces (8). A complete listing of the degrees and certificates NMSU-C offers as listed in the 2015-2016 course catalog is in the Appendix.
In order to begin coursework in any of these certificate or degree programs, students are required to take an English course, Rhetoric and Composition. So, of specific interest to me in the catalog are the requirements for those students who do not place into college level courses. This information about placement, course requirements, and developmental course sequences for Reading, Writing, and Math from the current 2015-2016 course catalog can be found in the Appendix, and it provides a stronger context for Dr. DeBlasis’ position as Director of Developmental Education.
Dr. Shelley DeBlasis – Director of Developmental Education, NMSU at Carlsbad
Dr. Shelley DeBlasis began her PhD program as a Rhetorical Theorist with a focus on using composition for social justice; her dissertation focused on the rhetoric of genocide. It was during her doctoral program she began working at a community college and consequently fell in love with the community college student, specifically, the developmental student. As a result of her experiences with her students, she changed the focus of her dissertation from FYC to developmental education. Her passion became to help students learn to advocate for themselves through language; a principle that became very apparent to me throughout our conversation. Her pedagogical approaches to achieve this goal include active learning and collaboration with peers. By using these approaches, students can learn to think about situations in a rhetorical manner, learn how language changes according to different communities of practice, and practice these skills in a safe environment. Patricia Bizzell expanded on this idea of explicitly teaching students how to think rhetorically in her article “Cognition, Convention, and Certainty: What we need to know about writing” when she wrote, “To help poor writers, then, we need to explain that their writing takes place in a community and explain the conventions of the community” (402). By clearly explaining how thinking, language, and behavior change according each discourse community or situation, students will be more open to not only accepting and learning the thought processes and language of the academic community, but also learning how to think about other situations rhetorically outside the classroom. Through learning how to think rhetorically about situations and responding with writing in the classroom, students will be more confident when it comes to real world situations where they need to advocate for themselves or someone else, exactly what Dr. DeBlasis wants for her students.
She was appointed interim Director of Developmental Education for the duration of the search for a Director, but after two failed searches the president of the college asked her to be the director. As director, she is responsible for all developmental courses in reading, writing, math, and the tutoring center. Her appointment is a faculty line position through the English Department; she is up for tenure next year. While she stated she loves the job and the students, she explained how dealing with so many personalities and the politics can be draining, especially for someone who is more introverted.
Even though Dr. DeBlasis stated she is constantly learning about best teaching practices, research, and analyzing data, her core belief that drives her actions is, “Champion and advocate for the students.” She said it is powerful for students to see and know that they have someone who will advocate and stand up for them. By knowing that they are important and that they matter, the developmental students are more likely to invest in themselves and their coursework. Through her experiences with the students, Dr. DeBlasis explained that developmental education is so much more than just strengthening weak academic skill sets. It can be a social justice tool to help equalize the playing field for her students. By learning the power of language and thinking rhetorically, students can become their own advocates and use language in a way that is beneficial to them.
Students are placed into either developmental classes for reading, writing, or math according to their COMPASS placement scores. She explained how they recently redesigned their developmental writing courses to try to improve retention and course passing rate. Previously, only 54% of developmental students passed the FYW course; however, with the adoption of the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) the passing rate increased to 84%. Success! She credits the higher passing rate to increased support and personal relationships developed during the ALP companion course time. The ALP program has remained in place with continued success. According to Accelerated Learning Programs (www.alp-deved.org), this model of mainstreaming was originally developed at the Community College Baltimore County (CCBC). What makes this model different from other mainstreaming models is that students who place on the higher end of the developmental cut-off score are enrolled in a FYW course with non-developmental students and an hour long workshop session which meets directly after the FYW class andt is taught by the same instructor. For example, in a FYW class of 20 students, 10 of those students are also enrolled in the ALP companion course. A critical aspect of this program is not only giving students extra time, but it builds a strong community and support group between the students and the instructor, something that is important for the basic writer and developmental student. The concept of giving students, namely basic writing/developmental students more time is not something entirely new. Other programs offer basic writers more time using a different approach. Gregory R. Glau chronicles the Stretch Program at Arizona State University where individuals who are identified as basic writers complete the FYW course which is normally a one semester course over two semesters with very positive results (456). Similar to what Dr. DeBlasis and the ALP website state, with more time, these students significantly increased the passing rate for the FYW course when compared to the one semester course.
As far as her workload is concerned, Dr. DeBlasis has a 2/2 teaching load with optional summer courses, but she said usually uses the summer for working on the program review and traveling to conferences. In terms of who teaches the developmental courses, the basic writing courses and reading courses are taught by full time faculty members because they receive the most support and resources from the college.
We spent some time discussing relationships that are important to her in her position. Again, she stressed the importance of professional organizations and the powerful resources and networking opportunities they provide. She then explained how she is very fortunate that the college president, Dr. John Gratton, was a NADE board member and therefore more understanding of the needs of the developmental program. The chairs of the Math and English departments are also relationships that are important when it comes to curriculum design and gathering assessment data, and of course the bookstore managers are important people to create positive relationships with, but the relationship she said caters to the most would be the advising department because of placement. Each semester she does what she referred to as “the breakfast bribe” to help keep lines of communication open and the relationship working well.
An interesting facet of our conversation focused on the importance of connecting with professional organizations. She stressed that these organizations, namely NADE, CCCC, and College Reading Association, can provide powerful resources and networks. One example of how a professional organization provided a powerful resource was when she had to complete a program review for the first time. Since she was asked to complete a program review shortly after accepting the directorship, she stated how she had to learn the process. By consulting program review templates and best practices supported by NADE, she was able to conduct the program review with more confidence knowing that she was following NADE recommendations. She said by starting at the course levels and gathering data from teachers such as how learning objectives were met, what worked/didn’t work, suggested changes, and percentage of students passing it provided a way to make data driven decisions about strengths and weakness of the courses and program as well as recommendations. Additionally, she commented that the Journal of Developmental Education, the official journal of NADE, has been a very helpful resource in her current position.
In terms of challenges, one of the issues she deals with is publishing companies pushing for online programs for developmental students. The publishers tout the money saving aspect of their product by having many students in what amounts to a computer lab with one facilitator working on their academic weaknesses. From an administrator and budgetary position, this seems like a great idea, but she fervently explained and why this is not as great an idea in reality as it appears on paper. The developmental student has frequently been marginalized in some way throughout his/her educational experience and this proposal deletes the one thing that can make a difference in a student’s experience: the human component. One of the biggest parts of her job is the emotional labor aspect: being a cheerleader for the students and helping them build the confidence they need to complete the course, the developmental sequence, and/or enroll in the college level courses. She explicitly stated that this emotional labor, being the cheerleader of students is one major difference between her job and that of other WPAs. Another challenge she deals with are student reading abilities. While there are two developmental reading courses offered, many students do not enroll in them and find out as they are trying to graduate or transfer to the main NM State campus in Las Cruces. Also, helping students to self-educate about taking basic writing classes to help them in their other courses has been something the program and tutoring center have struggled with.
Final Thoughts
Dr. DeBlasis’ passion for helping students learn to use language as a tool to advocate for themselves was apparent throughout our conversations. Almost every topic somehow came back to what is the best way to help students learn about language and use language. From textbooks to the emotional labor, it is clear that she truly considers what the student needs in order to become successful at the college level.
Appendices
Appendix 1: Table 1 – Statistics from U.S. News & World Report comparing the three community college branch campuses.
Appendix 2: The degrees and certificates offered at NMSU-C are from page 37 in the current catalog.
Appendix 3: A description of the required courses from pages 28-29 in the course catalog.
Appendix 4: The Mission Statement for the Developmental Education Program and requirements for developmental courses as found on page 28 of the course catalog.
Appendix 5: Excerpt from page 29 of the current catalog detailing information about required English courses.
Appendix 1
| School | Enrollment | Faculty/
Student Ratio |
Tuition | Academic Life | Open Admissions | Notes |
| Carlsbad | 2,060
FT – 573 PT – 1487 |
17:1 | In State:
$1, 780
Out of State: $3,700
Books & Supplies: $1, 084 |
Retention rates:
FT – 48% PT – 23%
Graduation Rate: 4%
Transfer Rate: 15% |
Yes | Earn degrees and certificates in 14 different fields
|
| Alamogordo | 2,458
FT – 875 PT – 1,583 |
16:1 | In State:
$1,920
Out of State: $5,160
Books & Supplies: $1,084 |
Retention rates:
FT – 50% PT – 20%
Graduation Rate: 9%
Transfer Rate: 20% |
Yes | Earn degree and certificates in 13 different fields
|
| Dona Ana | 8, 837
FT – 4,197 PT – 4,640 |
23:1 | In State:
$1,560
Out of State: $4,968
Books & Supplies: $1,084 |
Retention Rates:
FT – 57% PT – 30%
Graduation Rate: 12%
Transfer Rate: 7% |
Yes | Earn degrees and certificates in 20 different fields |
Table 1 – Statistics from U.S. News & World Report comparing the three community college branch campuses
Appendix 2
The degrees and certificates offered at NMSU-C are from page 37 in the current 2015-2016 catalog.
Associate Degree Programs
Associate of Arts
Associate of Arts in Heritage Interpretation
Associate of Science
Associate of Science in Engineering
Business Office Technology
Accounting
Medical Transcription and Records
Word Processing
Criminal Justice
Education
Early Childhood Education
General Studies
Nursing
Pre-Business
Social Services
Associate of Applied Science
Agriculture (not available 2015-2016)
Automotive Body Collision Repair
Automotive Technology
Building Technology
Business Management
Computer and Information Technology
IT Specialist
Networking
Programming
Digital Media Technology
Digital Animation
Digital Graphics
Digital Signage (not available 2015-2016)
Digital Storytelling
Digital Video
Digital Video Game Animation
Digital Video Media Production (Film Industry)
Drafting and Graphics Technology
Architectural Technology
General Drafting
Electronics Technology
Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic
Facilities Maintenance Technology (not available 2015-16)
Facilities Maintenance
Industrial Maintenance
Fire Science Technology (not available 2015-2016)
Hazardous Material
Health Information Technology
Health Physics (not available (2015-2016)
Heating, AC, and Refrig. (Not available 2015-2016)
Hospitality and Tourism
Industrial Maintenance Technician
Electrical
Mechanical
Manufacturing Technology
Electronic Assembly
Manufacturing Process
Surgical Technology
Welding Technology
Certificate Programs
Accounting
Automotive Body Collision Repair
Automotive Refinishing
Non-Structural Collision Repair
Structural Collision Repair
Automotive Technology
Banking
Building Trades
Business Office Technology
Medical Transcription and Records
Office Assistant
Computer and Information Technology
Microcomputer Applications
Digital Media Technology
Digital Animation
Digital Graphics
Digital Signage (not available 2015-2016)
Digital Storytelling
Digital Video
Digital Video Game Animation
Digital Video Media Production (Film Industry)
Drafting and Graphics Technology
Architectural Drafting
General Drafting
Early Childhood Education Provisional Administrator (not available 2015-2016)
Electrical Trades
Emergency Medical Technician
Basic
Intermediate
Facilities Maintenance Technology (not available 2015-16)
Facilities Maintenance
Industrial Maintenance
Fire Science (not available 2015-2016)
New Mexico General Education Common Core
Hazardous Materials Technology (not available 2015-2016)
Health Information Technology
Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (not available 2015- 2016)
Heritage Interpretation
Industrial Maintenance Technician
Electrical
Mechanical
Microcomputer Applications
Practical Nursing
Security Guard Level One (not available 2015-16)
Solar-Wind Energy (not available 2015-2016)
Welding Technology
Appendix 3
A description of the required courses from pages 28-29 in the 2015-2016 course catalog.
Developmental Courses and Course Sequence
Developmental Reading
CCDR 101, Intro to Basic Reading.. …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
CCDR 103N, Comp Rdng Dvlpmnt …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
CCDR 105N, Fnd of Acadmc Read …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .3 cr.
CCDR 110N, Effective College Rdg …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .3 cr.
Developmental English Sequence
CCDE 105N, Effctv Comm Skills… …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
CCDE 110N, General Composition …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
Developmental Math Sequence
CCDM 100N, Math Prep/Coll Success …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
CCDM 103N, Pre-Algebra …. …. …. …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
CCDM 105N, Math Prep/Pre-Algebra …. …. …. …. …. …. .5 cr.
CCDM 112N, Dvlpmntl Algebra I . …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
CCDM 113N, Dvlpmntl Algebra II …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
CCDM 114N, Algebra Skills… …. …. …. …. …. …. …. …. …. .4 cr.
CCDM 105N, an accelerated mathematics preparation and pre-algebra review sequence, which can be taken by those students who have recently had math.
*CCDM 112N/113N, a slower paced (two semester) basic algebra review sequence, which should be taken by those students who have not had math for at least a year, received a “C” in high school Algebra, or received a “C” in CCDM 103N (Pre-Algebra).
***COLL 155, Tutoring for Math/English.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 cr.
***May be taken concurrently with MATH 120 and MATH 121G and any college-level English. Graded on an S/U scale, based on the number of tutoring hours required. Students must contact the Tutor Coordinator in the TEAM Center prior to the start of the semester to receive additional information ad sign a contract agreement that stipulates the number of required tutoring hours.
PAGE 29
Students may only enroll for a total of 2 credits of COLL 155 per semester and course may be repeated in subsequent semesters for a maximum of 8 credits.
****UNIV 110, Personal Learning Skls I.. . . . . . . . . 1 cr.
****UNIV 111, Personal Learning Skls II .. . . . . . . . 1 cr.
****Requires the student to design a curriculum of study to meet individualized learning goals. Graded on a S/U scale, based on the number of hours completed and amount of progress made during the semester. Students must contact the Tutor Coordinator in the TEAM Center prior to the start of the semester to receive additional information and sign a contract agreement that stipulates the number of required hours and dictates the curriculum to be followed. The course may be repeated in subsequent semesters for a maximum of 3 credits.
Appendix 4
The Mission Statement for the Developmental Education Program and requirements for developmental courses as found on page 28 of the 2015-2016 course catalog.
The mission of the Developmental Education Program at NMSU Carlsbad is to help students cultivate the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for success in college-level curriculum by providing quality instruction and academic support that encourages students to be active participants in the learning process.
New students are placed into developmental education courses based on their ACT and/or COMPASS placement testing scores. The course placement level is determined based on system-wide standardized “cut-off ” scores. The university strongly recommends that all required developmental education coursework be started during the first year of enrollment.
Students must pass all developmental coursework with a grade of “C” or higher, in order to move on to the next course in the sequence. Students who earn less than a “C” in a course will be required to repeat that course and must obtain the required minimum grade before moving to the next course in the sequence. Please note that credit earned in developmental coursework is not applied toward any degree or certificate at NMSU Carlsbad, but completion of developmental coursework may be a requirement for any degree or certificate. Credit for developmental coursework is included in the credit calculations for financial aid. Most developmental courses are offered for 4 credits, which includes 3 credits of instruction and 1 credit of laboratory time to practice skills taught during instruction. A variety of course instructional formats may be offered. Please refer to the semester course schedule or visit the Learning Assistance Center for more information regarding specifics for each course section.
Appendix 5
Excerpt from page 29 of the 2015-2016 catalog detailing information about required English courses.
College Level English Courses
ENGL 111G, Rhetoric and Composition.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..4 cr.
This course is required for all degree programs. Also, this course should be taken only by those who either initially “placed” into the course (by placement testing) or by those who have first successfully completed CCDE 110N prior to enrollment in the course.
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