Learning Support Program
The Learning Support Program is a system-wide program that enables entering students who are ineligible for admission to English and/or Math in the regular college curriculum to develop the basic skills required to enroll in these classes. Additionally, regularly admitted students who believe they need skill development in English, reading, and/or mathematics may voluntarily enroll in learning support courses.
Required learning support students should enroll in LANG 0099 and/or MATH 0099; regularly admitted students who want to enhance their English, reading, and/or mathematics skills should enroll in courses with "ACA (E, M, R)" designators.
Prior to registration, students designated as learning support students are given placement tests to evaluate readiness for regular college work. If students achieve satisfactory scores on the placement tests, they may be recommended for unconditional admission. Otherwise, they are placed in learning support courses, and their status remains conditional until they have successfully completed the prescribed program.
Learning support students must enroll in their required learning support courses the first semester of attendance. Learning support courses do not carry college-level credit leading to graduation; however, the courses do carry institutional credit, which counts toward eligibility for sorority/fraternity membership, for being excused from military quarters, and for various other college activities that require a certain number of credit hours and a certain GPA. Being in learning support classes does not affect students' eligibility for the HOPE grant or for financial aid, provided all other HOPE grant and financial aid requirements are met.
Grading and Exit Policies: Learning support students must fulfill all their learning support requirements in order to be transferred to the status of "regularly admitted." Students must achieve a minimum of a C average and an established, approved score on the University System standardized exit examination in each course before they are permitted to exit language arts (LANG 0099) and mathematics (MATH 0099). In addition, students in language arts (LANG 0099) must achieve a minimum of a C on an end-of-semester, independently graded, in-class essay. Reading (DSRD 0099) is restricted to those students who have completed LANG 0099 but have not passed the University System exit reading examination. Required Learning Support students will be limited to three (3) semesters to complete their learning support requirements.
Seven grading symbols are approved for use in the program: A, B, C, W, F, WF, and IP. A grade of IP (in progress) is assigned if required students have not achieved a minimum of a C average in the course(s) or do not pass the exit examination; the grade of IP indicates students will be retained in the course(s) without penalty of grade assignment. Once students have commenced their learning support courses at North Georgia, they may not complete them as transient student at another institution. Required students who have not successfully completed the course(s) in the allotted three semesters receive a grade of F and are academically suspended for three (3) years. Students who volunteer for the program receive grades of A, B, C, D, W, WF, or F.
Attendance Policy: Students required to enroll in learning support course(s) are not allowed more than four unexcused absences and will be dropped with a grade of WF when they exceed the allowed number of unexcused absences. Excused absences are those for which students have documentation for illnesses and other medical matters and for official leaves of absence for university-sponsored activities. The official institutional attendance policy will apply to excused absences for required students and for volunteer students who enroll in ACAE 0099, ACAM 0099, and ACAR 0099.