F75-6 TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL) REQUIREMENT FOR RESIDENT ALIEN STUDENTS

Legislative History:

Document dated January 5, 1976.

The Academic Senate at its meeting of November 24, 1975, passed the following resolution on the TOEFL Requirement as presented by Mr. Brad Wood, Chairman, Stutent Affairs Committee.

ACTION BY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT:

"Approved"Signed: John H. Bunzel, January 5, 1976.

TOEFL REQUIREMENT

F 75-6

At the present time, admission requirements at SJSU are structured specifically for applicants who are citizens educated in the U.S., or for foreign students. The applicant who is a resident alien with an immigration visa does not fall into either category, and thus has been exempted by default from admission requirements which apply to the other two categories of students. The alien with an immigration visa is typically similar in academic preparation and linguistic skill to the foreign student. Because a permanent resident has not been required to present evidence of English proficiency, such a student is often admitted to the University without adequate language skills to succeed in his academic program. It is this situation to which some policy proposals have recently been addreseed. The Committee is proposing the following policy recommendation:

WHEREAS, Applicants for admission to SJSU who are aliens with immigrant visas are not presently required to meet either the entrance test requirements for U.S. citizens or those for foreign students who graduated from a foreign secondary school, and

WHEREAS, The prior academic preparation of applicants who are aliens with immigrant visas is often comparable to that of foreign students who are presently required to present a minimum score of 500 on the TOEFL examination for admission to SJSU, now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That permanent residents who have graduated from a foreign high school be required to achieve a minimum score of 500 on the TOEFL as a condition for admission to San Jose State University, and be it further

RESOLVED: That this requirement may be waived in the Admissions Office if the applicant meets one or more of the following criteria:

1. The applicant has completed 56 units of transferable coursework at a college or university in the United States, or from a comparable foreign University in which English was the language of instruction, including satisfactory completion of English 1A or its equivalent;

2. The applicant has completed a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in the United States, or a comparable foreign university in which English was the language of instruction;

3. The applicant seeking admission to the undergraduate division has achieved satisfactory scores on either the ACT or the SAT;

4. The department chair requests that a waiver be granted after consultation with the Foreign Student Advisors Office to assess English language competence.