PVCC Puma Press: December 2006

Beginning in the Spring 2007 semester, new students taking six credit hours or more at PVCC will be required to complete placement tests; attend orientation; meet with advisers; sign up for iGoal, a computer-based program that helps students formulate goals, and take a course orienting them to the college environment.

Vice president of learning, Bob Bendotti, says implementation of the iStart Smart pilot program is a “bold step” for the college.

“It (iSmart Start) is trying to be more supportive of student success by changing some of our systems at the college so that students are placed properly in courses where they are going to be successful and are not going to experience failure,” he said.

Under the current system, many new students registering for classes only show transcripts and pay tuition before beginning courses. Bendotti says these circumstances put new students at a disadvantage because many do not understand academic expectations and are not accustomed to the college environment.

Researched over the last three years by PVCC faculty and administration, iStart Smart requires all new students enrolling in six credit hours or more to take placement tests in reading, English and math to determine their skill levels. Next, new students attend orientation, meet with an advisers and sign up for the iGoal program. Lastly, students take the one-hour credit course, “College Orientation and Personal Growth.”

The class, which will be offered in both the five- and eight-week formats, has 30 class sections scheduled for the spring 2007 semester. Bendotti says the college is currently working to make the course a transferable credit to all Arizona state universities.