Pre College (Developmental) Program
The Pre College Program is designed to prepare students for college-level coursework by developing their reading, writing, and mathematics skills required for entry into their curriculum courses. Any person who has a high school diploma or a GED may enroll in Pre College courses. The number of courses needed and, consequently, the length of time required to complete the courses will vary. Some students may need only one course while other students may take several semesters to complete a series of courses. Depending on their individual circumstances and with the approval of their academic advisor, students may take a combination of Pre College and regular curriculum courses during the same term. Pre College courses are offered every term, both day and evening. Pre College courses may be offered in a variety of formats (hybrid and face-to-face).
Placement
Students are placed in Pre College courses on the basis of test scores, high school transcripts, recommendation of their advisor or curriculum instructor, or voluntary selection of courses. Once students are assigned to the appropriate courses and levels, students must adhere to the exit criteria for Pre College courses. Students who do not meet minimum placement scores are referred to College and Career Readiness.
Attention Veterans: According to the Code of Federal Regulations, remedial courses may not be certified for payment if they are offered as independent study, distance/online learning, or hybrid course delivery. Each semester, Robeson Community College offers a selected number of remedial courses that a veteran student may enroll in that meets the eligibility requirements for payment. For more information, check with the Counseling and Career Services Office.
Exit Criteria for All Pre College (Developmental Education) Courses
A student taking required Pre College courses must earn a grade of “P” in order to progress to the curriculum course or to the next Pre College course level. A grade of “R” requires the student to repeat the course. NOTE: Developmental math and developmental reading and English courses are not eligible for a grade of Incomplete (I).
Students enrolled in a Pre College course will not earn traditional letter grades (A, B, C, D or F). Grades for all Pre College courses will be “P” (Pass) or “R” (Re-enroll).
A grade of “P” is given when a student has reached a minimal level of proficiency for the course. For all Pre-College courses, if a student demonstrates mastery, a grade of “P” will be awarded. The “P” grade is not included in the computation of the GPA. However, for financial aid purposes, a grade of “P” means that a student has made satisfactory academic progress.
A grade of “R” is given when a student has not demonstrated mastery and will have to re-enroll in the Pre College class. The “R” grade is considered a non-punitive grade and is not included in the computation of the GPA. However, for financial aid purposes, a grade of “R” means that a student has not made satisfactory academic progress. Financial aid will be affected by a grade of “R”.
For all Pre College, Chemistry (CHM 090 ), Developmental Reading and English (DRE) and OST 080 courses, mastery is defined as a final course average of 80 or higher. For all Pre College mathematics shell courses (DMS), mastery is defined as a grade of 80 or higher on each scheduled module final assessment.
Grade Per
Credit Hour |
Explanation |
Grade Points |
P |
Pass |
0 (Satisfactory Academic Progress) |
R |
Re-enroll |
0 (Unsatisfactory Academic Progress) |
W |
Withdrew
(Prior to the 60% of the semester) |
0 (Unsatisfactory Academic Progress) |
WF |
Withdrew Failing
(After the 60% point of the semester) |
0 (Unsatisfactory and computes as a grade of “F” for GPA). |
* DMS and DRE courses are not eligible for a grade of Incomplete.
Class Attendance
In order to receive credit for a Pre College course, the student must attend at least 85% of the required contact hours. If the student misses hours in excess of 15%, the student will be dropped from the course by the instructor. In no case will a student receive credit for a course if he/she has missed in excess of 15% of the required contact hours. The grade provided will follow the guidelines outlined in the RCC Drop/Add Policy. Regardless of when a student registers, absences are calculated beginning with the first scheduled class. Based on contact hours, the number of hours that may be missed for a Pre College course is outlined below:
Pre College Courses
Pre-College (Developmental) Courses
Developmental Reading and English (DRE)
Developmental Mathematics (DMS)
Developmental Reading and English Courses
DRE 096 , DRE 097 , and DRE 098 are offered in 8 week (mini) sessions.
Students will be scheduled to meet face-to-face and complete required in the learning management system (Moodle) and publisher’s learning platform (MyLabsPlus). It is strongly suggested that students have their own laptop/computer with Internet access in order to be successful. Upon successful completion of DRE 096 , DRE 097 , and DRE 098 with a grade of “P”, students will have met the prerequisite for the first curriculum English course.
Developmental Mathematics (DMS) Shell Courses
The DMS shell is a course and students complete DMA modules within a DMS shell course. DMS 003 , DMS 002 and DMS 001 are offered in 8 and 16 week sessions. Students are scheduled to meet face-to-face and complete required online activities using MyLabsPlus. Pre-College mathematics will utilize the modularization concept. Students who demonstrate mastery of a module will advance to the next module, allowing them to work at a flexible pace.
The last number of the course indicates the credit hour, and the number of modules a student must successfully complete in order to receive a grade of “P”. Upon successful completion of selected DMS courses with a grade of “P”, students will have met the prerequisite for the first curriculum mathematics, chemistry, and/or economics courses.
- DMS 003 - Students must successfully complete 3 DMA modules to receive a grade of “P”.
- DMS 002 - Students must successfully complete 2 DMA modules to receive a grade of “P”.
- DMS 001 - Students must successfully complete 1 DMA module to receive a grade of “P”.
The three (3) versions of the DMS shell courses are listed in the table below:
Shell Course
Name |
Credit Hours |
Scheduled |
Purpose |
DMS 001 |
1 |
8 weeks |
Holds any
ONE DMA |
DMS 002 |
2 |
16 weeks |
Holds any
TWO DMAS |
DMS 003 |
3 |
16 weeks |
Holds any
THREE DMAS |
MAT-050 Basic Math Skills
In some cases, students may not meet the minimun NC DAP scores to place into the DMA modules. If a student scores 0 or 1 on the NC DAP for DMA 010 and does not score 7 or higher on any other module, the student is required to register and successfully complete MAT 050 prior to enrolling into a Developmental Math Shell course. In order to successfully pass MAT 050 , a student must earn a grade of “80” or higher or score “2” or higher on their retest of DMA 010 on the NC DAP.
For additional information on the Pre-College program, please contact the Lead Coordinator/Department Chairperson.
Pre-College Chemistry
Louis McIntyre – lfmcintyre@robeson.edu or 910.272.3381
Pre-College Mathematics
LaRonda Lowery – lalowery@robeson.edu or 910.272.3383
Pre-College English and Reading
Sherry Lofton – slofton@robeson.edu or 910.272.3360
Algebra for Precalculus (DMA 065 )
Students who do not place out of DMA-060 on the NC DAP and whose curriculum math is MAT 171 , are required to enroll in DMA 065 .
Pre-College Chemistry Course
CHM 090 - Chemistry Concepts is offered in 16 week face to face format. Students will be required to complete activities using the learning management system Moodle and the textbook publisher’s learning platform (MyLabsPlus).
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