Matriculation Process

Matriculation is a process designed to assist students in achieving their educational goal at Pierce College. It is an agreement between the College and the student. Pierce College agrees to provide an organized process of admission, orientation, assessment, counseling, and student progress follow-up. The student agrees to declare a specific goal, attend class, and complete all assigned course work.

What is Matriculation?

The purpose of Matriculation is to ensure that students complete their college courses, persist to the next academic term and achieve their educational objective. Matriculation provides students with easy access to the College's programs and services. These services can promote higher grades, completion of more classes, and increased persistence from semester to semester.

Who is Eligible for Matriculation?

All first-time students who have declared a goal of earning a certificate, AA, or transferring are subject to Matriculation.

Matriculation at Pierce College

Matriculation is a campus-wide program. Success is measured by the attainment of the student's stated educational goal or objective. The following are the components of Matriculation:

• Assessment: All students who go through the matriculation process complete the assessment process. This assessment takes 3 1/2 hours to complete and covers reading comprehension, grammar, essay writing, and math. The assessments are administered at the Assessment Center; practice tests are available to help students prepare for the exam. The assessments help place students in classes where they are most likely to succeed. Placement recommendations are advisory and intended to assist students
   
• Orientation: Upon completion of assessment, students will view an on-line orientation which provides information about the Pierce campus, including the College's programs, services, Academic expectations, and institutional procedures. All new students are encouraged to sign up for Personal development 40, a College Success Course.

• Counseling and Advisement: All matriculating students are required to attend an advisement session conducted by a counselor, before registering, to develop a Student Educational Plan (SEP). This plan is an educational blueprint that outlines exactly what courses are needed to meet an educational goal. Undecided students are encouraged to register for a career counseling class (Personal Development 4 or 8) taught by a career counselor.

• Follow-up: After enrolling for the first semester, students will continue to receive follow-up services through the Counseling Department, Career/Transfer Center, and Early Alert program. These services will include help with planning programs for each semester, preparing to transfer, and earning an Associate degree. In addition, the Early Alert program helps identify students who begin encountering academic difficulty early in the semester.

• Matriculation Exemptions: At the time of application, all students are classified as exempt or nonexempt from various matriculation components. The exemption policy is listed below:

Assessment Exemption Criteria

1. Students who have already earned an AA/AS degree or higher.
2. Students who are attending Pierce with a goal of personal interest and who have completed fewer than 16 units of college credit.

Note: Students who have completed equivalent assessments or prerequisite courses at other colleges, and have presented this documentation for verification to the Assessment Center are exempt from the assessment process. (Note: Verification must be presented before an exemption can be granted).

Orientation Exemption Criteria:

1. Students who have already earned an AA/AS degree or higher.
2. Students who are concurrently enrolled at a four-year college or university and who have completed fewer than 16 units of college credit.
3. Students who are concurrently enrolled in the 12th grade or below and who have completed fewer that 16 units of college credit.
4. Students who are attending Pierce with a goal of personal interest and who have completes fewer than 16 units of college credit.

Counseling/Advisement Exemption Criteria

1. Students who have already earned an AA/AS degree or higher.
2. Students who are attending Pierce College with a goal of personal interest and who have completed fewer that 16 units of college credit.

Matriculation Challenge

Students wishing to waive any matriculation component should request a challenge form from the Assessment Center in the Campus Center. Please fill out the form, then return it to the Assessment Center. Please retain a copy of the challenge form.

A student may challenge a prerequisite or corequisite by filing a prerequisite challenge form. The reasons for seeking a challenge may include one or more of the following:

1. A prerequisite is not reasonably available;
2. The student believes the prerequisite is not valid or necessary for the success in the course for which it is required;
3. The student believes the prerequisite is discriminatory or being applied in a discriminatory manner, or
4. The student has the documented knowledge or ability to succeed in the course without meeting the prerequisite.
5. The student believes it to be unfounded that he or she might cause a health or safety hazard.

The steps for filing a challenge are outlined below:

1. Obtain and complete a challenge form, accompanied by all necessary documentation, from the Assessment Office.
2. Return the completed form with documentation to the Assessment Office. A prerequisite challenge requires written documentation (e.g. proof of alternative course work, explanation of background or abilities which adequately prepare the student for the course, etc.) before it can be processed.
3. Return to the Assessment Office five (5) working days after the form has been filed, for an answer.

Students with questions regarding filing a prerequisite challenge may contact the Assessment Office in the Student Services Building or call (818) 719-6499 for information or appeal procedures to the challenge process outlined above.

Alternative Matriculation Services

1. Pierce has translated the application questions into various languages. At the present time, information is available in Farsi, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Spanish at the information desk.
2. For a physical, visual, or communication limitation that might require special assistance for any matriculation component, please come to the Special Services Office for more information on how the college can provide accommodations for you.
3. If you have questions or concerns regarding your assessment scores, English and math advisiors are available to speak with you. Please contact the Assessment Office.