III.O. – General Education English Writing and Mathematics Course Placement – 04-2025

This subsection shall apply to Boise State University, Idaho State University, University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, and North Idaho College.

This policy establishes consistent guidelines for the placement into general education courses in writing (English) and mathematics. It clarifies the general education writing and mathematics courses available at all institutions. These courses are a key component of the general education framework as described in Board Policy III.N General Education and are strongly linked to student retention and success. This policy is designed to ensure that students can access and successfully complete general education writing and mathematics courses in a timely manner, increase retention and graduation, clarify options for transfer students, and provide information for college going students.

1. Definitions

• a) A statewide General Education Matriculation (GEM) writing or mathematics course is a course that meets the respective Written Communication or Mathematical Ways of Knowing GEM competencies identified in Board Policy III.N., is listed on the Common Course Index list maintained by the Board office, and is available for students at all institutions.
• b) Corequisite support is a learning opportunity provided to a student during the same semester in which the student is enrolled in a GEM course. Corequisite support is most often delivered as a concurrent credit-bearing course but may include other flexible approaches for concurrent learning support.
• c) Prerequisite instruction is offered to or required to be successfully completed by students prior to enrolling in a GEM course. Prerequisite GEM mathematics instruction is most often delivered as a stand-alone course but can include other flexible approaches to supporting student learning. Prerequisite instruction is rarely a preferred instructional approach.

2. Placement into Statewide GEM Writing Courses

• a) English x101 Writing and Rhetoric I and English x102 Writing and Rhetoric II are the Statewide GEM writing courses.
• b) Corequisite support must be offered to all students enrolled in English 101 at all institutions.
• c) In addition to the placement requirements established in this policy, institutions may develop additional placement processes to facilitate students’ placement into and understanding of the GEM writing courses.
• d) Full-time students must be encouraged to and have the opportunity to complete both statewide GEM writing courses during their first academic year.
• e) Institutions must accept the highest of students’ SAT, ACT, or 11 th grade Idaho Standards Achievement Test scores when such scores are available for minimum placement into statewide GEM writing courses as defined in the table below. Scores are valid for two years after high school graduation.

Additional prior learning credit and course equivalencies set and maintained by the Board for statewide GEM writing courses (for example, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests scores) may supersede the placement criteria in the table above.

3. Placement into Statewide GEM Mathematics Courses

• a) Math x123 Math in Modern Society, Math x143 Precalculus I: Algebra, Math x153 Statistical Reasoning, Math x170 Calculus, and Math x254 Statistical Methods are the Statewide GEM mathematics courses.
• b) Institutions must offer corequisite support with at least two of the statewide GEM mathematics courses and are strongly encouraged to offer corequisite support with all statewide GEM mathematics courses.
• c) Institutions may require a student to take one semester of mathematics instruction prerequisite to any GEM mathematics course only when institutional data compellingly demonstrate that a student will be at significant risk of failure in a GEM mathematics course without prerequisite instruction. No student shall be required to complete more than one semester of mathematics instruction prerequisite to a GEM mathematics course. Institutions shall provide the Board office, annually by June 30, a list of the names and course numbers of any courses that are prerequisites for GEM mathematics courses offered during the prior academic year.
• d) Institutions may offer institution-specific courses as GEM mathematics courses but must not require transfer students to take such courses to meet statewide general education requirements as outlined in 3.a.
• e) A program must not include requirements for students to complete a specific GEM mathematics or statewide GEM mathematics course unless it is critical to the students’ later success in the program.
• f) Full-time students must be encouraged to and have the opportunity to complete a GEM mathematics course during their first academic year.
• g) In addition to the placement criteria in the table below, institutions may use institutional placement processes designed to facilitate students’ placement into and understanding of the GEM mathematics course options.
• h) Institutions must accept the highest of students’ SAT, ACT, or 11 th grade Idaho Standards Achievement Test scores when such scores are available for placement into statewide GEM mathematics courses as defined in the table below. Scores are valid for two years after high school graduation.

Additional prior learning credit and course equivalencies set and maintained by the Board for statewide GEM mathematics courses (for example, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests scores) may supersede the placement criteria in the table above.