Dr. Connolly explained that the Nursing and Respiratory Therapy programs started using pre-admission assessments years ago because students were graduating but failing the Board exams required in order to be licensed in those fields. The same is now true for Dental Hygiene. Other VCCS colleges have more stringent admission requirements for these programs. Where possible, students who do poorly on parts of the assessment would be advised of courses to take to improve their skills. There is no course specifically designed to teach critical thinking, but ENG 107 Critical Reading and ENG 108 Critical Reading and Study Skills do address critical thinking skills.
Students can re-take parts of the test on which they score poorly.
The new assessment would be effective for students entering Fall 2001. It would be administered through Continuing Education. The committee discussed the philosophical issue of whether pre-admission tests should be allowed if they keep some students from entering the programs. The committee questioned what happens to students who are not initially offered admission to these programs. The committee also wondered if it is ethical to admit students who are extremely unlikely to pass their Boards.