14. College Preparatory Initiative (CPI)
14.1 Background
14.1.1 History
On April 27, 1992 the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York passed a resolution mandating the establishment of academic unit requirements for students entering in the Fall 1993 semester and thereafter. The affected students would have to meet these unit requirements in order to be eligible for graduation from any of the colleges of the City University of New York. (See sections 14.2.3 and 14.3 for exceptions to this requirement.)
14.1.2 Rationale
The College Preparatory Initiative seeks to have students complete a series of academic courses in high school that will prepare them to succeed in college as well as the workplace. The sequence includes courses in English, Mathematics, Laboratory Science, Social Science, Foreign Language and Fine Art.
The initiative in no way affects or changes the University's historical commitment to open access. Rather the project seeks to:
- Insure equal opportunity for success in college as well as equal access.
- Increase career and program-of-study options for all students.
- Encourage more rapid credit accumulation.
- Better prepare students, whether bound for immediate college enrollment or for the workplace, for an evolving and increasingly demanding job market.
(Abstracted from the Summary of the Chancellor's Advisory Committee.)
14.2 College Preparatory Initiative
14.2.1 Overview
Beginning in the Fall of 1993 all students entering the University directly from high school will be expected to have completed academic units in accordance with the chart located in paragraph 14.2.4 of this codification. Exceptions to this requirement are found in paragraph 14.2.3
14.2.2 Evaluation of Academic Units
The University Application Processing Center (UAPC) will be responsible for evaluating entering freshmen records and supplying the College with CPI information. The CPI document will indicate the high school units completed by the student.
14.2.3 Exceptions to the CPI
The following are exempted from the CPI requirements:
- Students who have graduated from high school prior to 1993.
- Students who have received a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) prior to January 1994.
- Students enrolled in Certificate Programs.
- Non-Degree students.
- Students admitted to the College prior to Fall 1993.
- Students who have graduated from a foreign high school prior to Fall 1993.
- Students or students in academic programs found to be exempt from these regulations by the University Office of Academic Affairs. (See also section 14.2.8)
14.2.4 Unit Requirements
Date
Unit Total
Lab Science
Math
English
Social Sciences
Fine Arts
Foreign Language
Elective Units
1993
9
1
2
3
0
0
0
3
1995
11
1
2
4
0
0
0
4
1997
13
1
2
4
2
0
0
4
1999
15
2
3
4
2
0
0
4
2000
16
2
3
4
4
1
2
0
Unit requirements will be phased in according to the chart above. Students entering in the Fall 1993 semester will be required to meet a 9 unit requirement while at full implementation, in the year 2000, a total of 16 units will be in effect. Note that these requirements are in addition to any degree requirements of the student's curriculum.
14.2.5 Implementation Date
The CPI requirements will be effective starting with the Fall 1993 semester.
14.2.6 Remediation of Unit Deficiencies
It is expected that students graduating from high school will have completed their academic units prior to entering the College. Students lacking units may:
- take the courses listed in Appendix B of this codification to fulfill those requirements. This list of equivalent unit requirements has been prepared by the College Curriculum Committee and approved by the College Senate.
- take examinations approved by the College which demonstrate satisfactory completion of the unit requirements of the CPI.
14.2.7 Graduation and Transfer requirements
All associate and bachelor's degree students will be required to complete the CPI standards in effect at their time of entry into the College.
Prior to 1996, associate degree students desiring to transfer within CUNY will be required to complete CPI expectations in English and acquire, at least, one additional CPI unit in mathematics if needed. After 1996, students will be required to complete all deficiencies in mathematics and English before transfer.
14.2.8 Exemption from CPI requirements
All exemptions from the CPI requirements must be approved by the University Office of Academic Affairs.14.3 Special Categories of Students
14.3.1 General Education Diploma (GED)
Students who received General Education Diplomas prior to January 1994 will be exempt from CPI expectations.
Students with GEDs who are not exempt from the CPI will:
- submit high school transcripts showing evidence of meeting some or all of the high school unit requirements when the student has taken such courses.
- be evaluated on the basis of their scores on the GED tests. An index will be developed to award unit requirements depending on performance levels attained by the student on the GED tests. A joint CUNY/Board of Education Task Force on the GED is charged with the responsibility of developing this protocol.
14.3.2 Foreign Secondary School Graduates
Students who have graduated from high school prior to 1993 will be exempt from CPI expectations.
The University Application Processing Center (UAPC) will evaluate the foreign student's transcript and produce a CPI transcript for the College. It is expected that fluency in the student's native language may be used to fulfill the foreign language unit requirement.
14.3.3 Transfer students
Students transferring to CUNY from another college outside CUNY will be required to meet prevailing CPI expectations. The College will determine those college courses taken at other institutions that may satisfy CPI unit requirements.
14.3.4 ESL students
All ESL will be expected to meet the CPI requirements except to the extent that they fall under other special categories.
14.3.5 SEEK / CD students
The prevailing admissions and program standards for SEEK and College Discovery Students remain in effect.14.4 Program Review
14.4.1 CPI Reviews
The Chancellor will periodically provide the Board of Trustees with reports on the impact of the initiative, including an examination of the compliance of the New York City high schools. This report shall include data concerning the number of academic units presented by the incoming classes and the scores on the skills tests, GPA, credits accumulated and retention rates for students who entered the University since the implementation of the CPI. Data on the impact on special student populations will be included.
These data have been collected and analyzed for the years preceding the initiative as part of the University's enrollment and retention studies, providing "baseline" data as a basis for comparison.