2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Developmental Studies
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Website: www.iup.edu/devstudies
Melvin A. Jenkins, Chair
The Department of Developmental Studies is committed to helping underprepared students prepare, prepared students advance, and advanced students excel. With this motto as its mission, the department provides various academic support services to all IUP students.
The department offers a package of freshman seminar courses designed to prepare first-year students with the skills and knowledge important to college success. These three 1-credit courses count toward graduation and include DVST 150 , DVST 160 , DVST 170 .
The department offers a precollege experience to all incoming first-year students called CUSP: The Early Entrance Experience. This program starts one week before fall classes and includes the course DVST 150 plus activities, workshops, and seminars to orient students to the higher education experience, to IUP in particular, and to the factors in student success.
In addition, the department offers courses that develop learning skills to enhance academic success. Courses in developmental mathematics and reading are offered for institutional credit. Institutional credit counts in determining full-time enrollment status but not in determining credits applicable for degree eligibility at graduation. DVST 110, a 2-credit course that can be used for undergraduate graduation credit, is often linked with another content course.
All students matriculating through the Department of Developmental Studies as department advisees receive a program of freshman-year courses, developmental advisement, and academic support services and are transferred to advisement in their college at the end of a successful freshman year.
The Center for Learning Enhancement
The department provides educational support services in the areas of reading, mathematics, biological and physical sciences, foreign languages, social sciences, study skills, and related areas. These services are provided by both professional and undergraduate paraprofessional staff. Students are encouraged to participate in a broad array of program services including one-to-one and group tutorials, workshops, and Supplemental Instruction sessions provided by a trained staff of undergraduate peer educators. These services focus on historically difficult academic courses and majors.
Act 101 Program
Students identified as eligible for Act 101 support receive the Department of Developmental Studies complete freshman program. The program, created as a result of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Equal Opportunity Act 101 in 1971 by the legislature of the commonwealth, focuses on servicing IUP students to make the ideal of equal educational opportunity a reality for all qualified students.
The department offers two Act 101 programs—one on the main campus and another at the Punxsutawney Regional Campus. The office is located in 202 Pratt Hall. Further information about the Department of Developmental Studies and the Act 101 program can be obtained by calling 724-357-2729 or at the website www.iup.edu/devstudies.
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