FAC hears mixed views on ACME plan to phase out standalone developmental courses

Faculty Advisory Committee members and ACME co‑leads spent more than an hour debating whether Connecticut State Colleges and Universities should eliminate standalone developmental English and math courses and replace them with co‑requisite supports, bridge programs and high‑school partnerships.

ACME co‑lead James Chantille, a faculty member at CT State Manchester, said the policy goal remains to place more students directly into college‑level courses with concurrent support. “We know that we currently have, open enrollment institutions … and that is very important when you consider the varying levels of preparedness,” Chantille said, framing ACME as an attempt to increase access while addressing large equity gaps.

Why it matters: Committee members said the debate is not only pedagogical but also political and financial — the students most likely to be placed in developmental courses are disproportionately Black, Hispanic and part‑time, and many come from underfunded K–12 districts. Several FAC members warned that removing developmental courses without significant state resources, targeted bridge programs and…