GCCC announces changes in response to elimination of College Level Academic Skills Test

PANAMA CITY, FL - On May 27, 2009, Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill eliminating the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) effective July 1, 2009. The CLAST has been used to measure college-level communications and math skills and has been part of the state's overall effort to ensure students had acquired the skills expected in those areas. Even though CLAST will no longer exist, students will still be required to meet college-level competencies in communication and computation to receive an Associate in Arts (AA) degree. Gulf Coast Community College is already making preparations for the change taking place in less than one month.

According to GCCC's Director of Student Services, Dr. Melissa Lavender, all AA-degree-seeking students who plan to graduate this summer must take the CLAST exam by June 30.  She explained that starting July 1, 2009, all AA students will have other options to meet the communication and computation competencies and that Gulf Coast was committed to making the transition as smooth as possible for all students. Lavender sent out an e-mail to all GCCC students informing them of the upcoming change and the information has also been posted on the website, www.gulfcoast.edu<http://www.gulfcoast.edu/>.

DETAILS OF STUDENT OPTIONS AFTER JULY 1, 2009

Communication

1) Achieve a 2.5 GPA in ENC1101 and ENC1102. (If a student makes a "B" in ENC1101 and a "C" in ENC1102 -- the student meets college-level communication competency and therefore, the student meets the communication competency requirement.)*

*As of July 1, 2009, students may also use a Humanities III course in conjunction with ENC1101 and/or ENC1102 to meet the 2.5 GPA for communication competency.

2) Achieve a score of 500 on the verbal portion of the SAT -- the student meets the communication competency requirement.

3) Achieve a score of 21 on the English portion of the ACT -AND- a score of 22 on the reading portion of the ACT -- the student meets the communication competency requirement.

Computation

1) Achieve a 2.5 GPA in two college-level mathematics courses -- specifically any two courses with the following prefixes: MAC, MGF or STA. (If a student makes a "C" in MAC1105 and a "B" in MGF1106 -- the student meets the computation competency requirement.)

2) Achieve a score of 500 on the quantitative portion of the SAT -- the student meets the computation competency requirement.

3) Achieve a score of 21 on the mathematics portion of the ACT -- the student meets the computation competency requirement.