Substitutions/Waivers

Course Substitutions

There are two types of course substitutions, one in which a student submits a request to the Chair or Assistant Chair of their program of study asking that a course previously taken be substituted for a program-specific course or a general education core course. If the Chair or Assistant Chair agrees to the substitution, a Course Substitution form is completed and is routed to the appropriate Associate Vice President (AVP) over the program who may approve or deny the request. If the substitution request is for a general education core course, the Course Substitution form must also be sent to the appropriate Academic AVP in charge of the general education curriculum who may approve or deny the request.

These requests must be in writing to the appropriate Chair or Assistant Chair. They may be presented as a hard copy or email request sent from the student's Falcon Mail address. Course substitutions will be reviewed to determine if the request does not alter the core requirements of the occupational or academic program. The request will not be approved if it is determined that the substitution would substantially alter the program. For example, if math is a core requirement of a certain program, a course substitution for math will not be approved.

If denied, the student will be given a written notice of the denial.

The second type of request is one based on a documented disability. To be eligible for this type of substitution, the student must be registered with Student Disability Services and have a diagnosed disability on file with the Student Disability office that states specifically the subject affected by the disability.

Disability-based Course Substitution Requests

  1. The student must provide Student Disability Services a written diagnosis stating the disability and the specific subject affected by the disability.
  2. The student must submit a request for a course substitution. This request must include the following:
    1. Documentation of the his/her disability, which is the basis for the request
    2. Proof that his/her failure to meet a course requirement is caused by his/her disability
    3. A copy of his/her complete college transcript and current class schedule
    4. A list of the accommodations that he/she could use in lieu of a course substitution
    5. Documentation that he/she has identified his/her program of study, intended degree, and identified the transfer institution to which he/she plans to matriculate
    6. His/her completed, signed and dated Course Substitution Form
    7. A typed essay that conforms to the conventions of Standard English in which the student explains the following:
      1. That he/she understands that the course substitution, if granted, only applies to the program of study at Daytona State College indicated on the Course Substitution form;
      2. What his/her education plans are after receiving the degree for which they are applying to have the substitution and that he/she understands the future graduation requirements and how this substitution may impact on the future degree he/she may pursue.
      3. If the substitution is for a mathematics course or courses, the essay must state if the student will be expected to complete a course requiring a mathematics course as a pre-requisite or complete a specific mathematics course for the degree above the degree for which the substitution is being requested.
      4. If the student is not planning to continue their education beyond the degree for which the substitution is requested, that must be stated in the essay.
  3. When an SDS Advisor determines that the student’s course substitution request is accurate and complete, he/she will submit it to the SDS Director for review. If the application is complete, the SDS Director submits the application to the Academic Associate Vice President(AVP) for consideration
  4. The AVP may consult with the program chair(s) involved and may schedule an appointment to meet with the student. At this meeting, the student will state verbally and sign a document stating that he/she understands the limits of the course substitution. If the request is denied, the AVP will forward a written denial notice to the SDS Advisor. The SDS Advisor will notify the student of the denial. If the request is approved, the AVP will provide the student with a written notice the decision.

Appealing the Denial of a Substitution Based on Disability

Students may obtain appeals information from the Question & Answer Center on any DSC campus.

  1. The appropriate academic Associate Vice President shall administer the appeals involving denials of course substitutions, degree requirement substitutions, and graduation requirement substitutions. A student denied a substitution must file his/her written appeal to the appropriate Associate Vice President within thirty (30) days of receiving his/her written notification of denial. The Associate Vice President shall render his/her decision in writing to the student within thirty (30) days after receiving the appeal.
  2. The appropriate Associate Vice President of Enrollment shall administer the appeals involving denials of admission requirement substitutions. A student denied a substitution must file his/her written appeal to the Associate Vice President within thirty (30) days of receiving his/her written notification of denial. The Associate Vice President shall render his/her decision in writing to the student within thirty (30) days after receiving the appeal
  3. The decisions of the Associate Vice Presidents are final.

Disability Waiver for the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)

Daytona State College provides waivers to a students with disabilities as defined in Section 1004.02(7) of the Florida Statutes to meet the career basic skills grade levels required for completion of career programs as described in rule 6A-10.040 (2). Accordingly, any adult student of Daytona State College with a documented disability that is registered with Student Disability Services (SDS) and has completed his/her occupational program of study with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater may petition to receive a waiver for the TABE exit exam after attempting to pass it on at least two occasions.

Prerequisites for Requesting for an Exemption of the TABE Exit Requirement

  1. The student must have completed his/her occupational program of study with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater.
  2. He/she must have the recommendation of his/her occupational program manager.
  3. He/she must have documentation on file in Student Disabilities Services that shows his/her disability substantially interferes with his/her ability to pass the TABE exit requirements.
  4. He/she must have taken the TABE two times before petitioning for an exemption.

Process to Request for a TABE Exemption:

  1. Students will complete a TABE Waiver Request Form after meeting the requirements listed above. Forms are available in the College Assessment Center.
  2. The TABE Waiver committee may include the following college officials:
    • The Vice President or Dean of Occupational Programs
    • The program manager of the specific occupational program of study or his/her representative
    • The SDS Director or his/her representative
    • The Director of Assessment Services or his/her representative
  3. To deliberate the request for a TABE Waiver, the Committee may consider the following:
    • The student has a disability that substantially interferes with his/her ability to pass the TABE exit requirements and is registered with SDS
    • The student’s achievement in his/her occupational program of study
    • The student’s remediation effort to satisfy the TABE exit requirement
    • The student’s job opportunities and any other pertinent data.
  4. The Committee shall approve or disapprove the student’s request for a TABE Waiver based on a majority vote.
  5. Documentation of a student’s petition for TABE Waiver shall be maintained by Daytona State College for audit purposes. The student’s TABE Waiver Request Form will be posted in his/her SDS record. Daytona State College may report a student with a TABE Waiver as a program completer.
  6. Whenever the committee disapproves a student's petition for a waiver of the TABE exit requirement, he/she may appeal the Committee's decision to the appropriate Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Associate Vice President of Enrollment. The student must file his/her written appeal within thirty (30) days of receiving his/her written notification of disapproval. The Provost of Academic Affairs shall render their decision in writing to the student within thirty (30) days after receiving the appeal.
  7. Daytona State College's Assessment Services institutional policy is based upon the Basic Skills Exemption, Rule 6A-10.040 FAC.