By Kim Manahan Whetstone Staff Writer

Wesley has created a new class for struggling freshmen, and has eliminated Fastrack, a mentor program for developmental level students.

College faculty voted 43-8 to approve a new class that is meant to teach students how to manage time and conduct scholarly re- search.

The goal of the class is to help students make a successful transition to college, said Charlene Stephens, director of academic support, and one of the program’s creators.

The class, AS198, will be offered in the fall to freshmen who are enrolled in remedial math and English.

“It’s required for students taking two 099 classes,” she said. 099 classes are remedial 2-credit courses in Math and English Several faculty members voiced opposition.

“Making provisions and preparations for developmental students might encourage us to admit even more developmental level students,” one professor commented, according to the minutes of the March 21 meeting.

In 2009, Wesley College had an acceptance rate of 63 percent, described as less selective by US News and World Report.

The goal of the class is to help students make a successful transition to college and to have self-management for after college, Stephens said. “It is not a study skills course.”

This will replace Fast Track, which is being eliminated.

“Using previous statistics, if AS198 were to be offered to all students in an 099 course, 21 sections would be needed,” the minutes said, making the cost prohibitive. “If we restrict AS198 to students in 2 or more 099 courses, only seven sections would be necessary.”

Unlike the remedial classes, AS198 counts as three credits.