English, A.A.

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One of the primary goals of education at the community college level is to provide students with the skills necessary for their personal achievement in a changing world. Communication skills are essential for such achievement. The Department of English and Speech therefore accepts its obligation to help students develop the ability to read and to listen critically, to think clearly, to speak eloquently, and to write effectively. Essential to the St. Philip’s curriculum is a developmental writing program designed to prepare the student for College English and passage of the Texas Success Initiative. The Department also offers courses in literature in order to help students develop a broader understanding of themselves, their environment, and their cultural background.

A student is placed in ENGL 0300/0310, 0301/0311, or 1301 according to scores made on a college placement exam, such as the Accuplacer, ASSET or THEA Test which is administered by the College. Students whose test scores indicate inadequate preparation to do satisfactory work in English 1301 must complete English 0300/0310 and 0301/0311 before enrolling in English 1301.

The Texas Success Initiative is designed to ensure that all students attending a public college in Texas have the reading, mathematics, and writing skills necessary to perform effectively in college‐level courses. Remedial courses, such as the 0300 sequence in the English Department, will be required for those students who do not pass a state‐mandated assessment test or the college placement test (Senate Bill 286, Texas Legislature, 2003).

Students enrolling in sophomore literature courses should consider their majors and the curricula outlined by colleges or universities to which they plan to transfer. English majors should follow the Associate of Arts Degree plan.