MONTANA BOARD OF REGENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
 Policy and Procedures Manual

SUBJECT:  ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Policy 301.15 - Mathematics Proficiency
Effective November 16, 2007; Issued December 3, 2007

I.  Board Policy:

            A.         Beginning in Fall 2010, any student seeking full admission to a four-year degree program at Montana State University-Bozeman, Montana State University-Billings, Montana State University-Northern, The University of Montana-Missoula, Montana Tech of The University of Montana, and The University of Montana Western must satisfy the mathematics proficiency standard. That standard is as follows:

                        1.         a score of 22 or above on ACT Mathematics;
                        2.         a score of 520 or above on SAT Mathematics; or
                        3.         a score of 3 or above on the AP Calculus AB or BC Subject Examination or a score of 4 on the IB Calculus test.

 
            B.         A student whose mathematics score is 18-21 on the ACT or 440-510 on the SAT meets the mathematics requirement for admission without condition to any two-year degree program or provisional admission to a four-year degree program on any campus of the MUS.
 
            C.         A student whose mathematics score is below 18 on the ACT or 440 on the SAT may be admitted without condition to any two-year degree program of the MUS, but may not be admitted to a four-year degree program of the MUS.

            D.         In lieu of the indicators set out in paragraphs A and B above, students may offer CLEP Subject Examinations in selected topics [College Algebra, College Algebra-Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, or Trigonometry] if their scores on the examination meet or exceed the ACE Recommended Score for Awarding Credit of 50. 

            E.         Alternately, students may be excused from any testing in mathematics and deemed proficient if they complete a Rigorous High School Core including four years of mathematics in high school (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry & a course beyond Algebra II, as outlined in the matrix attached to this policy as Appendix I) with grades of C or better in all courses.

            F.         Students who have been denied full admission to a four-year program in the Montana University System because they do not meet the mathematics proficiency standard set out in this policy may prove that they have the appropriate proficiency in the following ways:

                        1.         within 3 semesters or 32 credits of enrolling, earn a C- grade or better in a college course entitled Intermediate Algebra or Algebra for College Students, or in a college course that is the prerequisite to any of the courses described in paragraph F.2 below; or

                        2.         earn a C- grade or better in a mathematics course that satisfies the general education program requirement described in Board Policy 301.10; or

                        3.         earn a score of 22 or above on the mathematics portion of the ACT or 520 or above on the mathematics portion of the SAT; or

                        4.         earn a score of at least 60 on the COMPASS Algebra exam, or an equivalent score on another placement exam used by the campus, upon enrollment; or

                        5.         complete an A.A. or A.S. degree.

The above-described standards will also be used to determine mathematics proficiency when students move from two-year programs or campuses to four-year programs or campuses.

            G.         Institutions in the Montana University System have authority to use the 15% pool of first-time, full-time undergraduates, established by the Montana Board of Regents’ Policy 301.1, Section I.E., to exempt students from the requirements of this Policy.  The following categories of students are also exempt from the requirements of this policy:

                  1.         non-traditional students (those who do not enter college for a period of at least three years from the date of high school graduation or from the date when they would have graduated from high school);
                  2.         summer only students; and
                  3.         part-time students taking seven or fewer college-level semester credits.

            H.         For Fall 2008 and 2009, the previous mathematics proficiency policy applies, granting full admission to students with minimum mathematics (quantitative) scores of:
                        1.         18 on the ACT,
                        2.         440 on the SAT, or
                        3.         3 or above on the AP Calculus AB or BC Subject Examinations.

Scores below 22 on the mathematics portion of the ACT or 520 on the SAT indicate placement into developmental mathematics courses.

History:

Math Proficiency Admissions Standards, approved July 10, 2003 (Item 119-104-R0503).  Revised May 20, 2005 (Item 127-128-R0505), approval of math proficiency statement; editorial change June 30, 2006.   Item 137-105-R1107 approved November 16, 2007 (supporting material).

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