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Unless exempted by statute of regulations, every course, course section, or class shall be open to enrollment and participation by any student admitted to the College who meets the prerequisite requirments for such course, course sections, or class. Enrollment may be limited in specific courses based on health and safety considerations, facility limitations, faculty workload, the availability of qualified instructors, funding limitations, the constraints of regional planning, or legal requirements imposed by statute, regulations, or contracts.

Students may be required to meet necessary and valid prerequisites. Prerequisites for a course shall be clearly related to course content and validated as necessary for success in a course. Prerequisites involving experience requirements may not be established solely on the basis of "hours of exposure." Communication or computational skill prerequisites which apply across the entire curriculum may not be established.

Validation requires the establishment of a validity and fairness portfolio for each course of interest. This portfolio must include fundamental evidence, the monitoring of disproportionate impact, and supplemental evidence, establishing that a student who has not met the prerequisite is highly unlikely to obtain a satisfactory grade in the course. Students have the right to challenge prerequisites on the grounds specified in Section 55201 (f), Title 5.

Procedures have been established for prerequisite validation. These procedures are located in the Office of the Vice President for Instruction. A prerequisite need not be validated if it was established prior to July 6, 1960, and is part of a sequence of degree-applicable courses within a given discipline or if it is required to ensure transferability of subsequent courses to another college or university or if it falls within the other exceptions of Title 5, Section 55201(d).

Reference:
Education Code, Sections 70902 (b) (2) and (3);
Title 5, Sections 55002, 55201-2, and 58106
Revised and Adopted: 11-3-92, 4-4-95, 4-6-98