Prerequisites, Co-requisites, and Recommended Preparation

Definitions

The first three definitions are taken from Guidelines for Title 5 Regulations Section 55003: Policies for Prerequisites, Corequisites and Advisories on Recommended Preparation, Links to an external site. Chancellor’s Office (February 2012)

• Prerequisites 

Conditions of enrollment that students are required to meet prior to enrollment in particular courses and programs. The assignment of a prerequisite to a course signifies that the course skills, or body of knowledge described in the prerequisite, are essential to the success of the student in that course and that it is highly unlikely that a student who has not met the prerequisite will receive a satisfactory grade in the course for which the prerequisite has been established.

• Co-requisites 

Signify that a body of knowledge or course skill(s) is essential to the success of a student in a course. However, this body of knowledge or course skill(s) can be acquired or developed concomitantly with the primary course. Therefore, a student is required to enroll in a co-requisite simultaneously with (or, in some cases, may be allowed to enroll in the corequisite prior to) the primary course.

• Recommended Preparation 

Signify that acquisition of a body of knowledge or course skills will be of great advantage to a student prior to enrollment in a specific course. However, enrollment in a course to acquire this knowledge or skills is not required, merely recommended. (“Advisories to Recommended Preparation” is the language used in Title V. Skyline uses “Recommended Preparation” for clearer language to students.)

• Sequential Course Prerequisite/Co-requisite

A required course within the same department as the course being proposed.

• Non-sequential Course Prerequisite

A required course that is not part of the department of the course being proposed. For example, an English requirement on a Chemistry course would be a non-sequential course prerequisite.

Justifying and Validating Prerequisites, Co-requisites and/or Recommended Preparation

The Curriculum Committee is responsible for reviewing and scrutinizing prerequisites, co-requisites, and recommended preparation proposals during the approval process. As such, faculty are responsible for providing justification and validation for all requests for prerequisites, co-requisites and recommended preparations, and must consider the following Title 5 requirements when proposing them:

1. Prerequisites are mandatory when a student is “highly unlikely to succeed” without the prerequisite;
   
2. Prerequisites must be validated on a course-by-course and/or program-by-program basis;
   
3. Prerequisites must be revalidated every six years, or two years for career technical education (CTE, i.e., vocational) courses;
   
4. Prerequisites or co-requisites may be required without content review or statistical validation when they are (1) required by statute or regulation, or (2) part of a lecture-lab course pairing within a discipline, or (3) required by four-year institutions; or (4) baccalaureate institutions will not grant credit for a course unless it has the particular communication or computation skill prerequisite;
   
5. Colleges must be attentive to and seek to alleviate any disproportionate impact of a prerequisite or co-requisite;
   
6. Students have the right to challenge prerequisites. The student challenge process is clearly stated in the SMCCCD Board Policies and Procedures regarding prerequisites and co-requisites.
   
   

In addition, according to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office guidelines, prerequisites and co-requisites can be established only for the following purposes:

• The prerequisite or co-requisite is expressly required or authorized by statute or regulation; or
  
• The prerequisite will assure that a student has the skills, concepts, and/or information that is presupposed in terms of the course or program for which it is being established, such that a student who has not met the prerequisite is highly unlikely to receive a satisfactory grade in the course for which the prerequisite is being established; or
  
• The co-requisite course will assure that a student acquires the necessary skills, concepts, and/or information, such that a student who has not enrolled in the co-requisite is highly unlikely to receive a satisfactory grade in the course or program for which the co-requisite is being established; or
  
• The prerequisite or co-requisite is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or the health or safety of others.

Note that simplifying or clarifying the pathway for a student to earn a Certificate or Associates Degree is not an appropriate rationale for adding a prerequisite or co-requisite.

Proposing Prerequisites, Co-requisites and/or Recommended Preparation

Faculty propose and justify prerequisites, co-requisites, and recommendations through CurricUNET by completing the Prerequisite/Co-requisite, Recommended Preparation, and/or Content Review screens in CurricUNET.

If a faculty member proposing a course believes that students who would take the course are highly unlikely to be successful without completion of a stated prerequisite, the faculty member should take the following steps to establish the prerequisite:

1. Determine if the prerequisite or co-requisite is exempt from Content Review. If one of the following four conditions apply, Content Review is not required:

• • Prerequisite and/or co-requisite is required by law or government regulations (Cite the appropriate section of the legal code.)
  • The course is part of a lecture/lab course pairing within a discipline.
  • The prerequisite and/or co-requisite is required for the course to be accepted for transfer by the UC or CSU systems. (List name of at least three CSU or UC campuses with parallel enrollment prerequisites and provide justification.)
  • Baccalaureate institutions will not grant credit for a course unless it has the particular communication or computation skill prerequisite.

1. If none of the above exemptions apply, the faculty member must demonstrate that the prerequisite or co-requisite is appropriate and necessary for student success in a course by completing the Content Review screen on CurricUNET. This screen allows you to indicate which learning objectives of the required course are essential to student success in the target course. The goal is to show that the content of the target course clearly builds upon and requires the content of the requisite.

For more information, faculty should consult Board Procedure 6.14.1. Prerequisites and Co-requisites Links to an external site.. The procedure covers the following five areas:

1. Information in the Catalog and Schedule of Courses
2. Challenge Process
3. Curriculum Review Process
4. Program Review
5. Implementing Prerequisites, Co-requisites, and Limitations on Enrollment.

Board Policy 6.14. Course Prerequisites and Other Limitations on Enrollment Links to an external site.