Since Ohio State began enforcing competitive admissions, the amount of incoming freshmen enrolled in precollegiate classes has plunged.

Each year, a percentage of incoming freshmen must take precollegiate classes, compensating for essential preparation not received in high school. In recent years, however, this percentage has dropped.

Jon Tafel, vice chancellor for the Board of Regents, said OSU accepts students requiring basic classes on a conditional basis.

“They must first pass the remedial classes before they can begin college-level work,” he said.

Primarily, students must attain extra help in math and English, said Tafel. The mathematics department offers pre-100 level remedial classes. The English department offers 109.01 and 109.02, which are not considered remedial, but nonetheless offer hefty preparation for English 100. However, remedial courses do not count toward a student’s graduation requirements. Reasons for needing these classes vary.

“Most likely these students did not take the core curriculum in high school preparing them for college,” Tafel said. A high percentage of students taking basic-level courses originate from urban and rural backgrounds.

Gail Stephenoff, Interim Director of Enrollment Management, said the number of students needing these classes has decreased during the past several years.

In autumn 2002, nearly seven percent of incoming freshmen needed remedial math, while 133 students took intensive English. Yet seven years ago, 23 percent of the freshmen class took remedial math and 230 students needed intensive English.

“We’ve improved the quality of the freshman class over the last several years,” Stephenoff said. “The average ACT score has improved from 22.8 in 1995 to 25.2.”

Edgar Singleton, assistant director of the First Year Writing Program, said students are placed into the appropriate English class based on placement essays they compose on their first day of class.

“Sometimes we find that students in (English) 110 should not be there, and students placed in (English) 109 do not need to be there. It works both ways,” he said.

Singleton said the term “remedial” can be very misleading when referring to English 109.01 and 109.02.

“It implies failure and is not helpful to the students,” he said. “We prefer to use the term ‘basic.'”

Remedial, as described by the Board of Regents, means any class below the 100 level.