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OREM, Utah (AP) -- Beginning in the fall of 2005, Utah Valley State College will require new students under the age of 21 to take the ACT Assessment exam before registering for classes.
The college also is establishing new admission deadlines, beginning next August, to reduce the amount of last-minute enrollments.
The new requirements were outlined to UVSC trustees on Wednesday.
"We're trying to raise the bar just a little bit" and have better-prepared students, said Paula Tibbitts, director of Career and Academic Counseling at UVSC and chairwoman of a committee that developed the proposal for the new ACT requirement.
UVSC will keep its open-door admission policy in place. The ACT requirement will not apply to students with 15 transferable credits from another institution.
Students whose ACT scores are less than 19 in the English, math or reading areas of the test will need to take an additional assessment test at UVSC used to place them in "brush-up" courses, Tibbitts said. The college will accept the SAT exam in lieu of the ACT, she said.
The age limit for the test was put in place because the ACT is meant to be taken during high school, and is not an accurate measurement if taken several years after high school, Tibbitts said.
The time may come when taking the ACT is required for admission into UVSC, Tibbitts said. "We may go to certain ACT cutoff scores for admission into UVSC at some point, but at this time there is no date set for that," she said.
The new deadlines for admission will be Aug. 15 for fall semester and Dec. 20 for spring semester. A $75 late fee will be assessed for those registering after the deadline.
Tibbitts said it has been difficult having students registering for classes just before the beginning of a semester. "Our hope is that with this deadline we'll get students thinking a little bit farther ahead," Tibbitts said.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
