American Samoa Community College

II.A.4. If the institution offers pre-collegiate level curriculum, it distinguishes that curriculum from college level curriculum and directly supports students in learning the knowledge and skills necessary to advance to and succeed in college level curriculum.

Developmental/Pre-collegiate, continuing, and community education offerings are determined by students’ placement on entrance exams and by the community needs in alignment with the College’s mission. The College does not offer study abroad, international student, short term training, or contract education programs at this time.

The College offers developmental /pre collegiate courses to accommodate students placed in remedial English and Math as determined by the College’s entrance exam or SAT/ACT scores.  Pre-collegiate/developmental courses are currently offered through the College Accelerated Preparatory Program (CAPP) to prepare students for college level curriculum courses. CAPP is a special admissions program for selected students who do not meet current “college level” admissions requirements. A CAPP student is allowed a certain duration of time to successfully complete and exit from the program. 1

ASCC has in place a CAPP policy for students who do not demonstrate college level Reading, Writing and Math competencies.  Students who have not met these necessary requirements are advised to enroll in preparatory courses to gain knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in college level courses. A student with a placement result indicating ENG 150 Introductory to Literature, and ENG 151 Freshman Composition and Math 90 Elementary Algebra, is eligible to take General Education courses (150-college level) courses. 2

For direct entry into the workforce, ASCC students are provided with the opportunity to enroll in entry level career technical courses to attain the necessary skills.  The College provides a Nurses’ Aide and Apprenticeship programs for students with introductory courses necessary for entry level job placement. These programs are supported through MOUs/MOAs with community agencies. Upon a student’s successful completion of entry level courses and set requirements, the College awards him/her a certificate of completion (COC) to certify qualification for direct placement into the workforce.  COC are not conferred certificates, but are recognized for the purpose of entry level placement in the workforce. 3

 Adult Education Literacy and Extended Learning (AELEL) through Adult Basic Education (ABE) provides opportunities for students to pursue a General Education Diploma (GED) through college preparatory courses and occupational training which enable them to sit the GED examination.  Successful completion of the GED examination allows the students to attain a high school diploma. 4

The process for establishing any course or program within the institution involves the collaboration between academic departments and a community advisory council based on educational needs of the College’s community stakeholders. All new, revised, removed or proposed changes to courses and programs are presented to the Curriculum Committee for their review and approval to ensure alignment to the ASCC mission. 5

Course credit is recommended by the academic department/programs based on faculty expertise, research in meeting the minimum national standards requirements in content/discipline areas. Final approval of all course changes follows the Standard Operating Procedures for Catalog Review for Course/Program Approval. Determination of appropriate credit type and differentiating of pre-collegiate from collegiate courses is the sole responsibility of faculty through collaboration with departments and final approval by the Curriculum Committee. 6

ASCC has identified through its Institutional Student Achievement standard a clear ‘Pathway to Student Success’ as a guide for students to succeed in attaining a degree/certificate.  This shows a direct alignment of pre-collegiate curriculum with college level curriculum as follows:

  • Developmental Courses: The successful completion of highest developmental English and Math courses, which transition students into college readiness.
  • Gateway Courses: The successful completion of college level English and Math Courses as required by all degrees to transition into Gen-Ed and Program Requirements 7

Through these pathways, students are able to see a clear transition from pre-collegiate courses to college level course curriculum in Math, Reading and Writing. This provides students with a clear and efficient pathway as they transition from developmental courses to collegiate level courses.

1 - ASCC Catalog: College Accelerated Preparatory Program (CAPP), p. 14
2 - ASCC Catalog: Certificate of Completion, p. 70