Rules Governing Proficiency Requirements

The proficiency requirements ensure that each student has the ability to use the written word and mathematics as tools of thought and expression and to use a foreign language in a functional way.

Students who demonstrate proficiency in mathematics, writing, or foreign language will be exempted from the appropriate course or courses without credit.

Rules Governing All Proficiency and Developmental Courses

Students who are placed into them must earn a grade of “C” or better in ENG 001, ENG 101, ENG 102, MTH 001, MTH 101, MTH 103, MTH 105, and the first semester (101) of a foreign language in order to satisfy proficiency requirements. Students who either drop or earn a grade of less than a “C” in these courses must repeat the courses immediately in the following regular semester. Students must earn a “C” in the second semester (102) of a foreign language in order to enroll in the first course (201) of the second year of a foreign language.

Once students have matriculated at Lyon, they are advised not to take and attempt to transfer back to Lyon proficiency courses (ENG 101, ENG 102, MTH 101, MTH 103, MTH 105, and the 101-102 foreign language sequence) at other institutions. For that transfer to occur, they must pass a Lyon proficiency exam at the level of the course they are attempting to transfer to Lyon. 

Composition and Reading Proficiency

The English faculty will determine incoming students’ writing and reading proficiency and placement on the basis of standardized test scores. Developmental courses taken at other institutions may also be considered in placement but do not transfer to Lyon. Students who are not placed out of  ENG 001 will enroll immediately in the sequence as placed. Incoming students who demonstrate proficiency in ENG 101 may delay taking ENG 102 until the spring of their first year. Similarly, students who are placed into ENG 001 must enroll immediately in the course.

Proficiency and Placement

1. Completing ENG001 (if placed into it), ENG 101, and ENG 102 is a continuous enrollment requirement with the exception that a student placed into ENG102 in the fall may wait until the spring semester to enroll in it.
    
2. Placement is based on ACT Reading section scores or SAT Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing scores. See point 5 below for students without official ACT or SAT scores. 
    
   1. If either the highest ACT Reading score or the highest ACT English score is 19 or less (SAT EBRW of 520 or less), placement into ENG 001 College English
   2. If both the highest ACT Reading score and the highest ACT English score are 20 or higher (SAT EBRW of 530 or more) then
      • If the highest ACT Reading score is 20 to 24 (SAT EBRW of 530 to 600) the student places into ENG101
      • If the highest ACT Reading score is 25 or higher (SAT EBRW of 610 or more) the student places into ENG102

 

 

3. There are two AP English exams that may serve for ENG 101 credit. See the AP Credit section later in this Handbook for details. Lyon does not currently award AP credit for ENG 102.
4. Students who submit no official ACT or SAT score from which to derive English placement may choose one of the following three options:

 

OPTION 1: Take an online diagnostic exam

Step 1: Students complete an online English diagnostic exam housed within the “Becoming a Scot” process. The exam would be free to the student.

Step 2: and students submit their best piece of graded high school or college written work

Step 1 will decide whether the student goes into ENG 001. If the student satisfies the benchmark to get out of ENG 001 on the diagnostic, an English professor will read the writing sample to place the student into either ENG 101 or ENG 102.

OPTION 2: Complete the appropriate Accuplacer exam

Step 1: Students complete the Writing and Reading exams. These exams are available at Lyon College (https://www.lyon.edu/mac) or at many other institutions. A small fee is associated with them.

Step 2: Ensure that the official score is submitted to the Lyon College Registrar.

The Registrar will review the score report to determine placement based on the following ranges:

• placement into ENG001: if the student scores 249 or lower on the Accuplacer Writing or 236 or lower on the Accuplacer Reading segments
• placement into ENG101: if the student scores a 250+ on the Accuplacer Writing and a 237+ on the Accuplacer Reading segments
• placement into ENG102: not applicable via Accuplacer
  
  OPTION 3: Take the ACT Residual Exam

Step 1: Students contact the Lyon College Enrollment Services Office and arrange to take the ACT Residual English and Reading sections.

Step 2: The Registrar will review the score report to determine placement based on the ranges given on the previous page.
 

OPTION 4: Be placed into College English

In the absence of (a) transfer credit for English courses that dictates placement, (b) official ACT/SAT scores, (c) residual ACT scores, and (d) an online diagnostic test, then the default placement will be ENG 001 College English.
 

Mathematics Proficiency

The mathematics faculty will determine incoming students’ mathematical proficiency on the basis of standardized test scores. College-level mathematics courses completed by the transfer students will also be considered by the mathematics faculty when determining their mathematics proficiency. Developmental courses taken at other institutions may also be considered in placement but do not transfer to Lyon. Incoming students who are placed into MTH 001 must enroll in the course during their first year. Students who are not placed out of MTH 101, MTH 103, and MTH 105 must enroll in one of these three courses during their first two years.

Proficiency and Placement

The mathematics proficiency of new freshmen and transfer students without credit for MTH 101 College Algebra will be determined by using the students’ highest mathematics scores on the ACT or SAT. For transfer students, other college-level mathematics courses completed will also be considered by the mathematics faculty when determining placement.

Full-time students who are not proficient in college algebra must take MTH 101/103 or MTH 105 during their first two years.

Place the student at the proper math level using the ACT/SAT scores given in the table below:

* If a student has earned proficiency in MTH 101 (24 or higher on the math section of the ACT), he or she may also then enroll in courses that require MTH101 as a prerequisite such as BIO110, BUS 323, ECO 208, etc.
 

Students who submit no official ACT or SAT score from which to derive mathematics placement may choose one of the following three options:

OPTION 1: Take the Accuplacer Exam

Step 1: Students find a location that administers the Accuplacer Advanced Algebra and Functions exam, take the exam, and have scores sent to Lyon College.

Step 2: The Registrar will review the grade report to determine placement based on the following ranges:

• 200-236: Intermediate Algebra
• 237-262: College Algebra
• 263-275: Elementary Functions
• 276-300 + H.S. Trig: Calculus 1

OPTION 2: Take the ACT Residual Exam

Step 1: Students contact the Lyon College Enrollment Services Office and arrange to take the ACT Residual Mathematics section.

Step 2: The Registrar will review the score report to determine placement based on the ranges given in the table on the previous page.

OPTION 3: Be placed into Intermediate Algebra

In the absence of (a) transfer credit for math courses that dictates placement, (b) official ACT/SAT scores, (c) residual ACT scores, and (d) an Accuplacer score, then the default placement will be MTH 001 Intermediate Algebra.
 

Foreign Language Proficiency

All degree-seeking students at Lyon College are required to demonstrate proficiency in a second language. For most students, proficiency will be achieved by taking and passing two semesters of a foreign language at Lyon College.

Any student who is not a native or heritage speaker of that language may opt to take FRN 101, SPN 101, or FGN 101. To take a course above the 101 level, students must demonstrate the appropriate level of proficiency by taking a foreign language placement exam. Students who have had two or more years of French, Latin, or Spanish in high school (grades 9-12) are encouraged to take a foreign language placement exam.

Students should normally take foreign language placement exams, which are available online, during the process of completing Becoming a Scot online well before Scot Week and Matriculation. Once completed, the exams may be returned to Lyon College by e-mail (language.placement@lyon.edu) or by USPS. The appropriate foreign language faculty will then assess the exams and send placement results by e-mail to the Registrar and the Dean of First-Year Studies for use in advising. Students should not expect that foreign language faculty will be available to evaluate placement exams that students bring with them or take on campus during Scot Week.

Students are often anxious about their performance on the placement exams. If they have a concern about their placement, they are welcome to talk with the foreign language faculty during the first week of the semester. They are sometimes embarrassed by their performance. You should reassure them and explain that most students place at the 101 level. The 101 courses assume no prior knowledge of the language.

Certain scores on appropriate Advanced Placement (AP) exams may also result in the awarding of language proficiency. See this section for more details.

Students are encouraged to complete their foreign language requirement as soon as possible. Once they have completed a 101 course with a grade of C or better, they are required to take the 102 course the following semester. Students who take a placement exam and place into a 102 course should take that course their first year; otherwise, they will have to retake the proficiency exam. Spanish 101 courses are typically offered only in the fall and 102 courses are typically offered only in the spring. French 101 and 102 courses may be offered in both semesters. 

NOTES: (1) normally students should start the foreign language sequence in the fall and complete it in the spring; and (2) it is not recommended that students wait to meet this requirement in their senior year, as failing one of the two required courses may cause a delay in their graduation.

Students who wish to demonstrate proficiency in a second language by means other than
(1) taking and passing two semesters of foreign language at Lyon College, (2) passing a proficiency exam as described above, or (3) submitting appropriate AP exam scores must fall into one of the following three categories:

1. Native English speakers who have studied a language not taught at Lyon College

English-speaking students who wish to fulfill Lyon’s foreign language requirement by demonstrating proficiency in a second language not taught at Lyon bear the burden of providing proof of their reading, writing, speaking and listening proficiencies in that language to the satisfaction of Lyon’s foreign language faculty. This is done through a letter from a qualified post-secondary instructor certifying the student’s level of proficiency in that language. Such letters should be mailed directly to the Lyon College Registrar’s office, and that office may consult with the foreign language faculty before awarding proficiency.

2. Heritage speakers of a language other than English

Students whose primary and/or secondary education has been conducted in English (e.g. they have lived in the United States for a significant period of time) but who have also grown up speaking another language at home may use their proficiency in such a non-English language to satisfy Lyon’s foreign language requirement. If that language is French, Spanish, or another language currently taught at Lyon College, then the student should meet with the faculty in that area to take the proficiency exam during the first week of the fall semester or the week before spring advising. The faculty will then notify the Registrar’s office in writing or by e-mail whether or not the student has satisfied proficiency.

If the language in question is not currently taught at Lyon College, then the students bear the burden of providing proof of their reading, writing, speaking and listening proficiencies in that language to the satisfaction of Lyon’s foreign language faculty. This is done through a letter from a qualified post-secondary instructor certifying the student’s level of proficiency in that language. Such letters should be mailed directly to the Lyon College Registrar’s office, and that office may consult with the foreign language faculty before awarding proficiency.

3. International students whose native language is not English

International students who are admitted to Lyon College and whose formal primary and/or secondary school education in their home country was conducted in a language other than English use the fact that their proficiency in English was sufficient to merit admission to Lyon College to satisfy the College’s academic foreign language requirement. Once the student’s enrollment deposit, international status, and native language are confirmed, the Registrar will update the student’s academic records to show foreign language proficiency in the appropriate courses in which their primary and/or secondary education was conducted, i.e., FRN 101-102, SPN 101-102, or FGN 101-102 (using the FGN if the student’s primary/secondary education was in a foreign language not taught at Lyon College).

4. Lyon Foreign Language Courses Taken Outside of the College

Current Lyon College students who take courses at a different institution (during the summer, for instance) in a foreign language taught at Lyon must take and pass a verification exam during the first week of either the fall or spring semester, whichever comes first, to transfer those courses to Lyon. Graduating seniors who have not met language proficiency requirements are discouraged from taking language courses the following summer, as doing so may result in having to repeat the course(s) at Lyon.