Academic Support Services

Academic Achievement Centers

The Academic Achievement Centers located on each campus are available to you if you are:

  1. A full or part-time student seeking assistance with college course work in the areas of math, science, English, reading, and st​udy strategies. Other subjects may be available depending on the DMACC location.
  2. An adult working toward high school completion (HISET or adult high school diploma).
  3. A student pursuing academic support for academic upgrading or to address prerequisites.

Instructors will support academic needs, discuss study strategies, and assist in the learning process.

Preadmission Courses

The Academic Achievement Center offers two pre-enrollment courses: Biology and Chemistry. Although the courses are independent study, help from the instructors is available during the hours they are on duty in the center. The curriculum is similar to a typical high school course without a lab component. Credits are not assig​ned to these courses nor do they count towards the GPA. The course will not necessarily transfer to meet prerequisite requirements at other colleges. If you want to enroll in the biology or chemistry course, contact Stacy Vaughn on the Ankeny Campus at slvaughn@dmacc.edu

Pre-admissions Biology Course Description

Structure and Function of the Body is a noncredit, independent study course. It is designed for students with little or no high school biology background who are planning to enter a health science or science career.

The full course is divided into two parts: Biology I and Biology II. Biology I is equivalent to the first semester of a high school biology course. Biology II is equivalent to the second semester of a high school biology course. Each part contains seven chapters, with a test after each chapter. All seven test scores are averaged together and a minimum 70% average must be obtained. ​

While the course concentrates upon the structures and functions of the human body, it also provides many clinical applications of the biological information.

The course content includes studies of cells, mitosis, tissues and each of the systems of the human body. Two major unifying themes are stressed. First, structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) complement one another. Second, the structures and functions of the human body can be explained as working to keep the internal environment in a relatively constant, but dynamic, condition, known as homeostasis. ​

Pre-admissions Chemistry Course Description

The pre-enrollment chemistry course is in two parts. Each part contains six chapters, with a test after each chapter. All six test scores are averaged together and a minimum 70% average must be obtained.

Major topics covered:

Chemistry I:
  • Systems of Measurement
  • Significant Figures
  • Scientific Notation 
  • Matter and Energy
  • Atoms and Molecules
  • Atomic Theory 
  • The Periodic Table 
  • Bonds
Chemistry II:
  • Chemical Nomenclature
  • Balancing Chemical Equations
  • Stoichiometry  
  • Solutions 
  • Molarity
  • Molality​
  • Acids, Bases, and Salts

Preadmission Course Policies​

Fees

The pre-admission Biology and Chemistry courses are divided into Biology I and Biology II and Chemistry I and Chemistry II. ​The fee for each part of each course is $30. The student has four months from the date of enrollment to complete the course. A one-time extension for another four months may be granted for medical or other emergencies. This extension requires an additional payment of $30.

If the course has not been completed within 8 months, including the 4-month extension, the student will be required to repeat the entire course by reenrolling and repeating the exams. There are no course refunds.

Tests​

An average of 70% on all tests is required for successful completion. Sixty percent is the minimum acceptable score on any one test in a course. A student who scores less than 60% must retake that exam. A minimum waiting period of at least 24 hours is required before retaking the test. The score on the first test will be averaged with the score on the retake.

Locations & Contacts

*Summer hours may vary

Ankeny AAC:
515-965-7004
1-800-362-2127 ext.7004
Bldg. 6

Hours:
Mon-Thu: 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Fri: 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Boone AAC:
515-433-5096
1-800-362-2127
Room 102

Carroll AAC:
712-792-8333
1-800-362-2127

Urban AAC:
515-248-7204
1-800-362-2127

Newton AAC:
641-791-3622
1-800-362-2127
Room 107

W​est AAC:
515-633-2472
1-800-362-2127

Current Student Resources