Beginning a few years ago, students who failed IE1 have been allowed to take IE2 in the second semester because there are no remedial IE1 classes offered in the second semester now. We did not want these students to get too far behind in their studies. Formerly (up to the 2020 Academic Year), they were required to return to IE I in the subsequent year, whether they passed IE2 or not.
Henceforth (from April 2021), those students who fail IE1 will not be required to return to IE1 whether or not they pass IE2. They will be regarded as “IE2 starters.”
However, they will not be prevented from returning to IE1 if they wish to do so as long as they have not earned any IE credits, and their application is in accordance with the rules set up by the IEP Committee.
This policy is retroactive in that students who failed IE1 in the Spring of 2020 will not be required to retake IE1. The policy was officially approved by a meeting of the English Department (Bunkakai) in July 2020.
This is a permanent change; not a temporary one to cope with the COVID-19 crisis.
Rationale for change:
- It really makes no sense for students to return to IEI after they have passed IEII and, especially, if they’ve passed IE III. Passing either IEII or IEIII is sufficient evidence that students have mastered what is covered in IEI because these classes build upon each other. For teachers to have to teach students who have already mastered the content of the course is counterproductive.
- Due to the fact that we use systems such as Xreading and EnglishCentral, it is disruptive and confusing for all involved if students have to return to IE I. As IE Coordinators, Reimann and Dias have to go into the systems and make time-consuming readjustments for the students who are taking the courses out of the intended order.
