Placement Into 101
If you are taking any 101 language course (ASL 101, French 101, Japanese 101, Spanish 101) you do not need to take any placement testing. Just enroll in the 101 courses!
Placement Into 102 and Above
If you would like to take any 102 or higher language course, yet you have not taken the specific prerequisite stated in the catalog, you could challenge the prerequisite in 1 of 2 ways:
Prerequisite Equivalency Form (PEF) (previous academic experience or course equivalency, does not apply to high school)
or
Prerequisite Challenge Form (PCF) (for reasons such as knowledge or ability to succeed, invalid prerequisite, prerequisite course not available, discriminatory reasons, curricular reason)
PEF and PCF can be completed online!
In your MyCOM Student Portal, in the STUDENTS tab, find the bottom center box titled "Student Services and Resources". Click on the “Petitions and Prerequisites” link in this box to submit either a Prerequisite Equivalency Form (PEF) or Prerequisite Challenge form (PCF).
PCF - Completing Process ONLINE
In your MyCOM student portal (mycom.marin.edu), in the STUDENTS tab, find the bottom center box titled "Student Services and Resources". Click on the “Petitions and Prerequisites” link in this box to submit either a Prerequisite Equivalency Form (PEF) or Prerequisite Challenge form (PCF).
PCF - Contacting Instructor
For the first reason on the PCF, "knowledge or ability to succeed," please contact the instructor of course in which you are trying to place to do an assessment. If the instructor has not yet been assigned to a class or is unavailable, please contact the following point persons based on language/discipline:
- ASL – Pat Sirianni
- French – Kenny Buquen
- Japanese – Kuniko Prince
- Spanish – Rossana Pagani
PCF - 2 Semesters in High School = 1 Semester at COM
As a guideline, one year of high school language can be equal to approximately one semester of COM, yet this needs to be officially determined by an instructor. For example, if a student took a year (2 semesters) of Spanish in high school, that should be the equivalent of Spanish 101 at COM. Usually (but not always), that student should be able to take Spanish 102 at COM, yet this would need to be determined by an assessment with the instructor.
PCF - Completing Process ONLINE
Login to MyCOM student portal. On the Student page, under the Services in MyCOM section, you will find these two forms:
Petitions and Prerequisites
- Submit a petition request.
- Submit a prerequisite equivalency/challenge request.
PCF - Instructor’s Signature
If the instructor determines your knowledge is equivalent to the prerequisite, she/he will sign the Prerequisite Challenge Form (PCF) either electronically online or by hand on the hard copy.
PCF - Chair’s Signature
Then the chair, Radica Ostojic-Portello, needs to electronically sign the Prerequisite Challenge Form (PCF) online. If the PCF is not being processed through the MyCOM student portal (mycom.marin.edu), please email Radica Ostojic-Portello at rostojicportello@marin.edu with the completed and signed form as an attachment.
PCF - Enrollment Services
Once completed and signed by the instructor and chair, send the Prerequisite Challenge Form (PCF) to Sheldon Carroll in Enrollment Services either as a scanned document to sjcarroll@marin.edu or in person. Once processed, the student will be able to enroll in the course!