AU students have continued to go against the national trend of rising remedial class enrollment, as the number of students who have enrolled in remedial classes at AU dropped significantly in the past year.
Twenty-six students are currently enrolled in AU's only remedial course, "Basic Algebra." Last fall, 33 students took "Basic Algebra," according to Robin Beads, associate director of Institutional Research and Assessment.
A recent National Center for Educational Statistics study showed 29 percent of students who attend four-year public universities and 43 percent of students in community colleges end up needing to take remedial classes. Remedial reading courses account for more total remedial coursework than any other remedial courses community colleges and four-year universities offer.
Garrison Carr, a senior in the Kogod School of Business, said he took "Basic Algebra" during his freshman year and said he thinks it did not help him in the classes he took later on in college.
"Remedial math class in freshman year was very similar to math classes that I took in high school," he said. "They were not relevant to my major or to the math classes I took later in college. I did not really think I was being helped in math."
AU dropped its remedial reading course, College Reading, in 2003 due to low enrollment in the class. Students now must take College Writing as an introductory course, which is meant to help sharpen their critical reading and writing skills, according to the Office of the Registrar's Web site.
A growing number of students end up being exempted from College Writing. Undergraduate degree requirements on the registrar's Web site specified that those who score a 4 or a 5 on the Advanced Placement English Language exam do not need to take "College Writing" as a freshman and can transfer their AP credits to AU. Students who score a 5 on the AP Calculus exam can also transfer their credits to AU. The students who score a 5 on this test then would not have to take another math class if they are not a math major.
University Registrar Linda Bolden-Pitcher said she thinks the decrease in remedial class enrollment is due to a stronger curriculum in high schools.
"As our student profile has improved, these students are entering AU with more rigor in their high school course work, including AP, International Baccalaureate and other enriched courses," she said.
The average SAT grade for incoming freshmen in four-year universities was 1137 for the 2008-2009 academic year, USA Today reported.
The average SAT score of incoming AU freshmen was 1260 this year, and the average grade point average was 3.78, according to Bolden-Pitcher.
Anthony Miller, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, said that even though he never took a remedial class himself, he thinks they are worth the money for students who need them.
"[Remedial classes] help students grasp basic concepts of math which can help them in other classes such as biology and chemistry," he said. "[AU] stands for diversity, and that means students of all educational levels should have a chance in the general education program. Students should be able to get help whenever they need it."
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