Transition with Purpose: Pathways from English Language to Academic Study

13 MEETING PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY’S UNDERGRADUATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT Completion of the Pathways Program satisfies PSU’s English language proficiency requirement. Submission of a language proficiency test score is not required for students who successfully complete the Pathways Program. All students who intend to study for an undergraduate degree (bachelor’s degree) at Portland State University and have not submitted a language proficiency test score that meets PSU’s requirement, will participate in the Pathways Program. Students are expected to earn a 2.7 GPA in their level 4 and 5 classes while in the Pathways Program to meet the university’s language proficiency requirement and move to all-academic coursework. Students who do not participate in and successfully complete the Pathways Program will be required to submit a language proficiency test score to be able to study at PSU, even if they have completed level 4 and 5 IELP academic preparation classes (core skills). ACADEMIC STANDING Students enrolled in IELP classes have two transcripts and are subject to the IELP Academic Standing System and the PSU Academic Standing System. It is important to understand the details contained in each transcript, as well as how the two are similar and different. 1. IELP transcript: available only by request from the IELP office or the Pathways Advisor 2. PSU transcript: available online through the student’s PSU Banweb a ccount IELP GRADES IELP classes are credit classes through the PSU Department of Applied Linguistics. All IELP classes appear on both transcripts with the course prefix LING. Grades earned in IELP classes will always show as A-F on the IELP transcript. All grades are counted and calculated in the IELP grade point average (GPA). Grades earned in level 4 and 5 IELP academic preparation classes are calculated in the PSU grade point average and are counted in both the PSU term and cumulative GPA. Level 4 and 5 classes are graded A-F in the PSU transcript unless students intentionally change the grade option to Pass (P)/No pass (NP). P/NP grades have no grade points associated with them and do not impact the PSU GPA. Credits are still earned with the P/NP grade option. Grades for Skills Enhancement Classes (SECs) and Pathways seminars always show as P/NP on the PSU transcript unless the student changes the grading option to A-F, according to the university’s posted grade option change deadlines.