Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Plan


TSI General Information

Students attending Texas public institutions of higher education must be in compliance with the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) mandated by the State of Texas in 2003. The law requires that entering college students demonstrate college readiness in mathematics, reading, and writing before enrolling in college-level course work, unless the student qualifies for an exemption. Students can demonstrate compliance through meeting exemption criteria or through meeting passing standards on TSI assessment instruments.

Current TSI placement scores are under review by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and subject to change as a result of House Bill 1244.

UHV administers the Accuplacer, Asset, and Quick THEA for TSI assessment purposes, but also accepts Compass test scores to measure college-level readiness in reading, mathematics, and writing.

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UHV Requirements

Students can be admitted to UHV without being TSI complete or exempt; however, they will not be able to register for some UHV classes until they are TSI complete.

Students who are not TSI complete upon enrolling at UHV must co-enroll in the appropriate developmental course(s) at a community college each semester until they become TSI complete.  A TSI hold will be placed on the student's record until appropriate TSI completion documentation (i.e., test score, course grade) is provided to the academic advisor.  Students have at most 3 semesters from their first semester of enrollment at UHV to become TSI complete and remain enrolled at the university. 

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TSI Exemptions

Students are exempt from TSI if you meet one of the following exemption criteria and submit the appropriate documentation mentioned below by mail or fax to the UHV Admissions Office.

MAIL:
University of Houston-Victoria
Office of Admissions
3007 N. Ben Wilson
Victoria, Texas 77901

FAX:  UHV Admissions Office: (361) 580-5500

Exemption Criteria

1. Test Exemption – if any one of the following test scores (ACT, SAT, TAKS, TAAS) are met, students are exempt from that area and must present those official test scores, if not shown on your high school transcript, to UHV.

Reading

ACT ( within 5 years from date of testing): Composite 23 and English 19 (must meet or exceed both scores)

SAT** ( within 5 years from date of testing): Composite 1070* and Critical Reading/Verbal 500 (must meet or exceed both scores)

TAKS (within 3 years from date of testing): ELA 2200 and Writing Essay score 3 (must meet or exceed both scores)

TAAS (within 3 years from date of testing) (replaced by TAKS): 89

Math

ACT ( within 5 years from date of testing): Composite 23 and Math 19 (must meet or exceed both scores)

SAT** ( within 5 years from date of testing): Composite 1070* and Math 500 (must meet or exceed both scores)

TAKS (within 3 years from date of testing): Math 2200

TAAS (within 3 years from date of testing) (replaced by TAKS): Texas Learning Index (exit level) of 86

Writing

ACT ( within 5 years from date of testing): Composite 23 and English 19 (must meet or exceed both scores)

SAT** ( within 5 years from date of testing): Composite 1070* and Critical Reading/Verbal 500 (must meet or exceed both scores)

TAKS (within 3 years from date of testing): ELA 2200 and Writing Essay score 3 (must meet or exceed both scores)

TAAS (within 3 years from date of testing): 1770

*SAT Composite = Critical Reading plus Math

**A Note about the SAT:
The name of the SAThas recently changed to "SAT Reasoning Test"; the name "New SAT" has been used for the version of the test administered after January 2005. The verbal portion of the New SAT has been renamed "critical reading." Both old and new total, math, and verbal/critical reading scores that are less than five years old may be used to meet TSI requirements as described here. The essay section of the New SAT may not yet be used to meet TSI requirements.


2. Degree Exemption- mail or fax an official transcript to UHV noting either an associate or baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution;

3. Out-of State or Private Institution Course Work Exemption – mail or fax an official transcript that shows you have satisfactorily completed college-level coursework with a C or better transferred from an out-of-state or private institution of higher education;

4. Previous Exemption – mail or fax the official determination of your having met readiness standards at a previous institution of higher education;

5. Certificate or Non-Degree Seeking Program Exemption - notify UHV that you are not seeking a degree or are seeking a certificate that does not have TSI requirements;

7. Military Service Exemption or Waiver – submit to UHV a DD214 or Notice of Benefits Eligibility that shows you are on active duty as a member of the US armed forces, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the US armed forces and have been serving for at least 3 years preceding enrollment; or honorably discharged, retired or released from active duty on or after August 1, 1990.

 

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TSI and Transfer Students

UHV can determine college readiness on an individual basis once students have been tested or otherwise evaluated using TSI approved testing or exemption requirements. UHV may review individual coursework of students who have successfully completed developmental and/or college level work but who are not determined to be TSI complete by the transferring institution.

Students transferring to UHV from regionally accredited private or out-of-state institutions with grades of "C" or better in the courses listed below in all three TSI areas (writing, reading and math) will meet TSI requirements. Students need to mail or fax to UHV Admissions and Records official copies of your transcripts showing these grades.

Students who do not have grades of "C" or better in all three areas, you must take an approved TSI test in those areas.

TSI Writing (TSI compliant in writing if you achieved a “C” or better in one of the two courses listed below)

ENGL 1301 (Composition I)

ENGL 1302 (Composition II)

 

 

 

 

TSI Reading (TSI compliant in reading if you achieved a “C” or better in any one of the courses listed below)

HIST 1301, HIST 1302 (U.S. History)

ENGL 2321, ENGL 2322, ENGL 2323 (British Literature)

ENGL 2331, ENGL 2332, ENGL 2333 (World Literature)

ENGL 2326, ENGL 2327, ENGL 2328 (American Literature)

PSYC 2301 (General Psychology)

GOVT 2301, GOVT 2302, GOVT 2305, GOVT 2306

(American Government)

TSI Math (TSI compliant in math if you achieved a “C” or better in any one of the courses listed below)

MATH 1332 (College Mathematics)

MATH 1333 (College Mathematics)

MATH 1314 (College Algebra)

MATH 1316 (Plane Trigonometry)

More advanced mathematics course for which any of the above are prerequisites.

 

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Partial TSI Exemption

Students will have a partial TSI exemption and will be required to provide documentation to support your partial exemption if they have

  • Obtained a composite score on the appropriate test and the required minimum score on either the math or verbal English language arts. Students will be exempt from that individual section of TSI but will have to take the others sections. For example, students who score high enough on the SAT to be exempt from the math portion (Composite 1070 and Math 500), but not the writing or reading portions will need to take just the writing or reading sections of the TSI.
  • Completed college-level coursework in one or two of the three designated areas (reading, math, and writing) with a grade of "C" or better and so may be exempt from those sections of the TSI. Students will have to take the other portions of the TSI for which they are not exempt. 
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Approved TSI Tests and Required Scores  -  Revised Summer 2013

Students not TSI exempt can complete any of four approved TSI tests: (a) Accuplacer, (b) Asset, (c) Compass, and (d) THEA/Quick THEA. UHV offers the Quick THEA, Accuplacer, and the Asset.

Students may take any of these four tests from any institution of higher education, but must provide UHV with official score reports for that test.

Enrolled students who have attended UHV prior to Summer 2013, and have remained continuously enrolled,* must submit scores required at the time of entry to UHV.  Beginning with the Summer 2013 semester, to be able to enroll in most UHV courses, students must meet the minimum scores as shown in the table below:

Accuplacer

Reading Comprehension – 78 or higher

Elementary Algebra –

63 or higher
(*Students currently  enrolled prior to Summer 2013 must score 80 or higher.)

Written Essay – 6 or higher (or a 5 written essay score and an 80 or higher on the Accuplacer Sentence Skills)

Asset

Reading Skills – 41 or higher

Elementary Algebra –
38 or higher

(*Students currently  enrolled prior to Summer 2013 must score 55 or higher.)

Written Essay – 6 or higher (or 5 Written Essay score and a 40 or higher on the Asset Writing Skills)

Compass

Reading Skills – 81 or higher

Algebra – 39 or higher
(*Students currently  enrolled prior to Summer 2013 must score 65 or higher.)

Written Essay – 6 or higher (or 5 Written Essay score and a 59 or higher on the Compass Writing Skills)

THEA/Quick THEA (formerly TASP test)

Reading – 230 or higher

Mathematics – 230 or higher

(*Students currently  enrolled prior to Summer 2013 must score 270 or higher.)

THEA Writing – 220 or higher        
TAKS Reading - 2200           Mathematics - 2200
(*Students currently  enrolled prior to Summer 2013 must score 2400 or higher.)		 Writing Essay 3

 

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TSI and Core Curriculum Area Course Enrollment

The table below shows which UHV core curriculum classes students can take if they are not TSI complete in the specific TSI areas of reading, writing, and math.  Students will need to become complete in all three areas.   

Core Component Area

Courses

Semester Credit Hours (SCH)

Not Complete in Reading

Not Complete in Writing

Not Complete in Math

10 Communication

ENGL 1301

ENGL 1302

6

No

No

Yes

20 Math

1 course

3

Yes

Yes

No

30 Natural Science

2 courses

6

No

No

Yes

40 Humanities

1 course

3

No

No

Yes

50 Visual and Performing Arts

1 course

3

No

No

Yes

60 History

HIST 1301

HIST 1302

6

No

No

Yes

70 Government

GOVT 2305

GOVT 2306

6

No

No

Yes

80 Social and Behavioral Sciences

1 course

3

No

No

Yes

90 Institutionally Designated Option

COSC 1301

SPCH 1315

6

No

No

COSC 1301 - No

SPCH - Yes

 

 

Total: 42

 

 

 

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TSI Contact Information

Contact the Office of Admissions with any questions you may have about the TSI.

 Email Admissions@uhv.edu or telephone (361) 570-4110.

 

 

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