2012–2013 UNIVERSITY CATALOG - Florida Institute of Technology

English Language Proficiency
English language proficiency is required of all students whose home
language is not English and who are taking academic courses at
Florida Tech. Evidence of English proficiency in the form of results
from an Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (iBT)
or International English Language Testing System test (IELTS)
must be submitted to the university before arrival on campus.
English proficiency is not required for admission or for issuing
immigration documents. However, when students whose home language
is not English enter Florida Tech without establishing proof
of English proficiency with either an iBT or IELTS result, they will
be required to take an official Florida Tech TOEFL (paper-based)
before the start of classes. In this instance, students should register
with the division of languages and linguistics at check-in for the
TOEFL and report to the division of languages and linguistics for
the examination results before meeting with their academic adviser.
For all academic students (both international and domestic) whose
home language is not English and whose command of the English
language does not meet the requirements of their academic programs,
English language courses at two levels of proficiency are
available each semester. These courses are listed in the Course
Descriptions section under “English as a Second Language (ESL).”
Determining Proficiency
The division of languages and linguistics determines the incoming
student’s competence in English and establishes the most beneficial
program of study. Both undergraduate and graduate students
whose home language is not English with scores below 79 on the
iBT, 6.5 on IELTS or 550 on the Florida Tech TOEFL are required
to take ESL courses as specified by the program chair. Students
who score below 45 on the iBT, 5.0 on the IELTS or 450 on the
Florida Tech TOEFL are referred to the ELS Language Center on
campus where lower-level ESL courses are offered. Only Florida
Tech paper-based TOEFL scores are valid. No other paper-based
TOEFL scores will be accepted.
Students whose home language is not English are considered to
have demonstrated English language proficiency if they have done
any of the following:
1. Taken an Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) with an earned score of
at least a 79, an IELTS with an earned score of at least 6.5 or
an official Florida Tech TOEFL (paper based) with an earned
score of at least 550, no more than two years before attendance
at Florida Tech; or
2. successfully completed ELS 112 taken at an ELS Language
Center within two months of their report date at Florida Tech,
submitted an iBT or IELTS score and successfully completed all
appropriate ESL courses as determined by that test score; or
3. successfully completed a total of 20 semester credit hours at an
accredited mainland U.S. university or college where English
is the language of instruction, including three semester credit
hours of English that qualify as transfer credit for Florida Tech’s
Composition and Rhetoric (COM 1101); or
154 Florida Tech
4. earned a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited
mainland U.S. university or college where English is the
language of instruction; or
5. attended for three consecutive years and graduated from an
accredited mainland U.S. high school where English is the
language of instruction; or
6. obtained an official score of four or higher on either the
International Baccalaureate Higher Level Language A examination
in English or the College Board Advanced Placement
Program (AP) examination in English Language and
Composition.
Students who score 79 or above on the iBT, 6.5 or above on the
IELTS, or 550 or above on the Florida Tech TOEFL may still
need to complete certain ESL courses if it is so deemed by their
academic adviser. The program chair of languages and linguistics
makes the final determination. For more information about the policies
and requirements for English language proficiency at Florida
Tech, contact the program chair of languages and linguistics in the
department of humanities and communication.
Registering for Academic and ESL Courses
Students are permitted to begin their academic coursework in conjunction
with ESL courses. However, ESL courses take precedence
over academic courses. Although these courses are credit bearing
(three semester credit hours per course, three to five days per
week), they cannot be applied toward completion of a degree and
are not included in GPA calculations. Any student who is taking an
ESL course cannot take humanities (HUM), chemistry (CHM),
flight (AVF) or introductory courses in engineering.
The program chair of languages and linguistics makes the final
determination of what and when ESL courses are to be taken and
enforces all English proficiency policies. Any student who accumulates
four failing grades of F in ESL courses may be academically
dismissed at the direction of the program chair.
International students and students whose home language is not
English must have documented proficiency in English (either
through submitted writing samples, or TOEFL or placement examinations,
or a combination of these) before making the transition
from English as a Second Language (ESL) courses to Basic Writing
for ESL Students (COM 0100), Basic Writing Skills (COM 0110)
or Composition and Rhetoric (COM 1101).
Applying for Graduate Assistantships
International students are eligible for graduate assistantships in
some academic units. In addition to specific academic unit requirements,
any student whose home language is not English, whether
or not the student has graduated from an English-speaking, postsecondary
institution, must submit a score of at least 100 on the
iBT, 7 on the IELTS or 600 on the Florida Tech TOEFL, as well
as a score of at least 45 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) to be
considered for a teaching assistantship. An iBT score of at least 79,
an IELTS score of at least 6.5 or a Florida Tech TOEFL score of at
least 550 must be submitted for a research assistantship.