Board of Regents Policy on Regents' Test
Kennesaw State University has established its policies on the Regents' Test based on Board of Regents Policy 306. The text of that policy follows.

"An examination (the Regents' Test) to assess the competency level in reading and writing of all students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs leading to the baccalaureate degree in University System institutions shall be administered. The following statement shall be the policy of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia on this examination.

"The formulation and administration of the Regents' Test shall be as determined by the Chancellor.

"Each institution of the University System of Georgia shall assure the other institutions, and the System as a whole, that students obtaining a degree from that institution possess certain minimum skills of reading and writing. The Regents' Testing Program has been developed to help in the attainment of this goal. The objectives of the Testing Program are: (1) to provide System-wide information on the status of student competence in the areas of reading and writing; and (2) to provide a uniform means of identifying those students who fail to attain the minimum levels of competence in the areas of reading and writing.

"Students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs leading to the baccalaureate degree shall pass the Regents' Test as a requirement for graduation. Students must take the test in their first semester of enrollment after earning 30 credit hours if they have not taken it previously. (Institutions may not prohibit students who have earned at least 30 credit hours from taking the test for the first time.) At an institution's discretion, students may be permitted to take the test during a semester in which they are not enrolled.

"Each institution shall provide an appropriate program of remediation and shall require students who have not passed both parts of the test by the time they have earned 45 credit hours to take the appropriate remedial course or courses each semester of enrollment until they have passed both parts.
"Students with 30 or more semester credit hours transferring from outside of the System or from a System program that does not require the Regents' Test should take the test during their first semester of enrollment in a program leading to the baccalaureate degree. Those who have not passed before their third semester of enrollment are subject to the remediation requirement.
"The Regents' test is not a requirement for an Associate of Applied Science degree or an Associate of Science degree in an allied health field, although institutions may choose to require the test for these degrees.

"A student holding a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education will not be required to complete the Regents' Test in order to receive a degree from a University System institution."

Other Board of Regents policies are also pertinent.

1. The Regents' Test will be administered during one testing period each fall and spring semester after approximately ten to twelve weeks of instruction. The test will be administered on a flexible schedule during the summer.
2. Students whose mother tongue is other than English must first attempt the regular Regents' Test. If unsuccessful in passing that test, students may then take a test designed for international students. After attempting the international test, students must follow all policies and procedures regarding Regents' remediation.
3. For extraordinary situations, each institution shall develop special procedures for certifying the competence of their students in reading and writing. Such procedures shall include provision for remediation if needed and for formal examination prior to certifying competency. Such examination shall equal or exceed the standards of the Regents' Testing Program.
4. Certain students with learning disabilities or severe test anxiety may receive special administration of the Regents' Test.
5. A student may request a formal review of his/her failure on the essay component of the Regents' Test if that essay received at least one passing score among the three scores awarded, and if the student has successfully completed the courses in English composition required by the local institution. This review will be conducted in accordance with board approved procedures.
6. Remedial work as required under the above policy shall be in keeping with regulations in satisfaction of federal and state student financial assistance and such other eligibility programs.
7. These regulations shall not prohibit institutions from increasing requirements affecting the Regents' Testing Program.
   

KSU Policy on Regents' Test
The following information about the Regents' Test is applicable to all KSU students enrolled in undergraduate programs leading to the baccalaureate degree.

1. Students must take the test in the first term after they have earned 30 credit hours. To assure compliance with this requirement, a hold will be placed on the registration of all students when they reach 30 hours and will not be removed until they have registered for the test in the Registrar's office.
2. Students who transfer into KSU with 30 or more credit hours must take the test during their first term of enrollment. These students, as well, will have a hold placed on their registration to assure that they register in the Registrar's office for the test.
3. Students who have not passed both parts of the test by the time they have earned 45 credit hours must take the appropriate remedial course each term of enrollment until they have passed both parts. If they have failed the writing portion of the test, they must register for ENGL 0020; if they have failed the reading portion, they must register for READ 0020.
4. Transfer students who have not passed both parts of the test by their third term of enrollment must also take the appropriate remedial course (ENGL 0020 or READ 0020) each term until they have passed both parts.
5. Students whose native language is not English and who fail either portion of the test are eligible for an ESL version designed specifically to accommodate their language difficulties. Information about this test can be obtained from the ESL Director in the Department of Learning Support Programs.
6. Students with documented learning disabilities or severe test anxiety may be eligible for a special administration of the test. Further information is available in the CAPS (Counseling, Advising Program Services) center.
7. Students must be enrolled in KSU to be eligible to take the test or receive tutoring.
8. Students are encouraged to take English 1101 and 1102 as early as possible in their academic career in order to be prepared for the test. Additional assistance is available in the Writing Center (Humanities 237).
9. Students taking the test must present a picture identification card in order to be admitted to the testing site. They will be permitted to use a dictionary or Thesaurus during the final 15 minutes of the essay portion of the test.
10. Students wishing to appeal the results of the essay portion of the test should follow the procedure outlined in the following section.

Regents' Test Appeals
Students wishing to appeal the results of the essay portion of the test should contact the Director of the Writing Center who will determine their eligibility for appeal. (At least one of the three readers must have passed the essay.) The appeal will then follow this procedure.

1. The on-campus review will be conducted by the three (3) faculty members designated by the institution as a review panel.
2. The on-campus review panel may (1) sustain, by majority opinion, the essay's failing score, thus termination the review process, or (2) recommend, by majority opinion, the re-scoring of the essay by the Regents' Testing Program central office. The student will by notified concerning the results of the on-campus review.
3. If the on-campus panel recommends re-scoring of the essay, that recommendation will be transmitted in writing, along with a copy of the essay, to the office of the system's director of the Regents' Testing Program. The director will utilize the services of three (3) experienced Regents' essay scorers other than those involved in the original scoring of the essay to review the essay, following normal scoring procedures for the essay component of the Regents' Test. The decision of this panel on the merits of the essay will be final, thus terminating the review process. The student will be notified, through the institution, concerning the results of the review.
   

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