ASSIGNMENTOFCREDITHOURPOLICY
October2016
Inaccordancewithfederalregulation34CFR602.24(f),theregionalaccreditingagencies(i.e.,MiddleStatesCommissiononHigherEducation)havebeen
chargedwithreviewinganinstitution’spoliciesandproceduresfordeterminingthecredithoursawardedaswellastheapplicationoftheinstitution’spolicies
andprocedurestoitsprogramsandcoursework,andmakea“reasonabledeterminationofwhethertheinstitution’sassignmentofcredithoursconformsto
commonlyacceptedpracticeinhighereducation.”
Theuniversityhasestablishedthefollowingprocedurestoensurethattheamountofcontacttimeandindependentworkexpectedofstudentsisbeingmet:
1.
Facultymustincludeastatementabouttheexpectedhoursofworkontheirsyllabibeginninginthespring2017semester.
2.
Departmentchairsanddeansareresponsibleforreviewingsyllabitomakesurethattherequisitenumberofhoursisbeingmet.
3.
Collegecurriculumcommitteesandtheacademiceditorwillalsoreviewthestatedhoursonthesyllabuswhenapprovingnewcourses.
Theattacheddocumentexplainstofacultymembers,chairs,anddeanswhata“credithour”meansandprovidessuggestionsforhowfacultymightcreate
appropriatestatementsfortheirsyllabi.
1
CREDITHOURPOLICY
Whatarethetimerequirementsforaone-semestercredithour?1
37.5hoursofworkpersemesterisrequiredforonecredithour.Thesehourswillconsistof50minutesofdirectorguidedinteractionplus100minutesof
independentlearningperweekduringthecourseofanormal15-weeksemester,whichincludesoneweekforexams.Othercombinationsoftimearepossible,
whereappropriate(suchasahigherproportionofinstructional/interactionaltimeforalaboratoryoralowerproportionofinstructional/interactionaltimefor
independentresearch).Classandstudytimemayexceedtheseminimumstoensurestudentsmeetcourselearninggoals.
GUIDELINES
Whatconstitutesdirectinstruction?
Directinstructionorguidedinteractionistheamountoftimeastudentisexpectedtobeengagedindirectorguidedinteractionwithaninstructor.Examples
include,butarenotlimitedto,inpersonoronlinelectures,seminars,discussions,artanddesignstudios,supervisedgroupwork,andexaminations.
Whatconstitutesindependentlearning?
Independent,outofclass,learningistheamountoftimestudentsspendoutsideofscheduledordirectinstructionorcontacthourswithinstructortofulfill
courseobjectives.Examplesinclude,butarenotlimitedto,readingassignments,workingoutproblems,preparingforexams,onlineandface-to-facegroup
work,writingpapers,andworkingonaproject.
Howdofacultycommunicatethattheircoursesmeetstherequisitenumberofhoursforthecreditsassignedtotheirclasses?
Theamountofworkrequiredinaclassiscommunicatedbyfacultymembersandlistedonthesyllabi.Whilethereisnospecificspacewherethisstatement
mustgo,facultymightconsiderlocatingtheirstatementsnearthebeginningoftheirsyllabi,wheretheirlearninggoalsarearticulated.Asampletemplatefora
syllabusisavailableforfacultytoconsult.Possiblemodelsforstatementsonsyllabiwillvarybycoursebutcouldinclude:
1
TheU.S.DepartmentofEducationdefines“credithour”as:“anamountofworkrepresentedinintendedlearningoutcomesandverifiedbyevidenceofstudentachievementthatisan
institutionallyestablishedequivalencythatreasonablyapproximatesnotlessthan:
(1) Onehourofclassroomordirectfacultyinstructionandaminimumoftwohoursout-of-classstudentworkforapproximately15weeksforonesemester,or…theequivalentamountof
workoveradifferentamountoftime;or,
(2) Atleastanequivalentamountofworkasrequiredinparagraph(1)ofthisdefinitionforotheracademicactivitiesasestablishedbytheinstitution,includinglaboratorywork,internships,
practica,studiowork,andotheracademicworkleadingtotheawardofcredithours.”
Federalregulationsassumethatacredithourequals50minutesofrealtime.Acommitteerepresentingassociatedeansinallschoolsmetoverthesummerandagreedtothecredithourpolicyand
implementationprocessbelow.
2
•
•
•
•
•
Sample1:Fall/Spring:3-creditlecture-basedcoursewithdiscussionsections
Over15weeks,studentswillspend2hours(100minutes)perweekinlecture,and1hour(50minutes)perweekindiscussionsection(37.5hoursforthe
semester).Homeworkandotherout-of-classworkisestimatedataround300minutesperweek(75hoursforthesemester)andincludesa3-hourfinal
examforwhichapproximately10hoursofreviewisassumed.
Sample2:Fall/Spring:3-creditgraduateseminar
Over15weeks,studentswillspend2hours(100minutes)perweekinclass.Requiredreadingfortheseminarmeetingsandwrittenresponsepapersor
projectsareexpectedtotakeup,onaverage,7hours(350minutes)perweek.Overthecourseofthesemester,studentswillspend25hoursininstructional
timeand87.5hourspreparingforclass.
Sample3:Summer3-credit,6-weeklecture-basedcourse
Summercoursesaretwiceasintensiveasthoseheldduringtheacademicyear.Over6weeks,studentswillspend7.5hours(375minutes)perweekinclass
or37.5hoursand12.5hours(625minutes)perweek,or75hoursoverthesummersessionengagedinout-of-classwork.Instructionaltimeincludesa3hourfinalexam.
Sample4:1-creditskillscourse
Over6weeks,studentswillspend12.5hours(750minutes)inclassand25hours(1500minutes)outsideofclassdevelopingskills.Thisamountstoalittle
over2hoursofinstructionaltimeand4+hoursdevelopingskillsperweek.
Sample5:3-creditindependentstudyorindependentresearchcourse
Over15weeks,thestudentwillmeetwiththeinstructorfor7.5hours(375minutes)andwillbeexpectedtospendanaverageof7hours(350minutes)per
weekor105hourspersemesterresearchingandproducingasubstantialpaperorproject,orengagedinaninternshipandwritingapaperabouttheir
experience.
Sample6:Fall/Spring3-creditartordesigncourse
Artanddesignstudiocoursesareexpectedtomeetaminimumof1.5hours(75minutes)ofinstructionaltimepercredithourand1.5hours(75minutes)of
outofclasstimeforeachcreditearned(NASADStandard).
Over15weeks,this3-creditstudiocoursewillmeetfor4.5hours(225minutes)forstudioinstructionperweek,andstudentswillbeexpectedtospendan
additional4.5hour(225minutes)perweekworkingontheirartworkandpreparingforclass.
3
Facultymembersmaydevisealternatestatementsthatbetterexplainthecircumstancesoftheirclassesandtheirexpectationsofstudents.Thechartbelow
isincludedtohelpfacultymembersincalculatingtimeassociatedwiththecredithoursoftheirclasses.
4
TableforCalculatingDirectInstructionandIndependentLearningperCreditHour
Courseformat
Lecture/Seminar
Laboratory/discussion
Credit
unit
1
1.5
2
3
4
1
Traditional,Online,Hybrid,andAcceleratedCourses
Directinstruction Independentlearning
Total
minutes/week
50minutes
75minutes
100minutes
150minutes
200minutes
150minutesof
instructor/TAtime
300minutes
75minutes
150minutes
225minutes
300minutes
Variable
100minutes
150minutes
200minutes
300minutes
400minutes
Limited/variable
150minutes
225minutes
300minutes
450minutes
600minutes
Limited/variable
Total
hours/week
2.5hours
3.75hours
5hours
7.5hours
10hours
2.5hours
Limited/variable
75minutes
150minutes
225minutes
300minutes
150minutes
Limited/variable
150minutes
300minutes
450minutes
600minutes
150minutes
2.5hours
2.5hours
6hours
7.5hours
10hours
2.5hours
75hours
37.5hours
90hours
112.5hours
150hours
37.5hours
Variable
300minutes
300minutes
5hours
37.5hours
56.25hours
75hours
112.5hours
150hours
37.5hours
Studio
Internships,field/clinical
experience
2
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Variable
Variable
450minutes
600minutes
450minutes
600minutes
7.5hours
10hours
75hours
112.5hours
150hours
OnlineorHybrid
8weeksonlineorhybrid
10weekonlineorhybrid
1
2
3
4
3
3
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
Variable
150minutes
300minutes
450minutes
600minutes
1125minutes
1125minutes
2.5hours
6hours
7.5hours
10hours
14hours
18.75hours
37.5hours
90minutes
112.5hours
150hours
112.5hoursover8weeks
112.5hoursover10weeks
5
Totalsemesterhours
(15weeksemester)
TableforCalculatingDirectInstructionandIndependentLearningperCreditHourforSummerCourses
Courseformat
Credit
unit
3
Directinstruction
Independentlearning
Total
minutes/week
6750minutes
1week(5days/weekfor8
2400minutes
4350minutes
hours/day)
(40hours)
(72.5hours)
4weeks(2days/weekfor3
3
460minutes
1260minutes
1687.5minutes
hours50minutes)
(7.67hours)
(20.46hours)
6weeks(4days/weekfor
3
360minutes
765minutes
1125minutes
1.5hours/day)
(6hours)
(12.75hours)
6weeks(4days/weekfor2
3
480minutes
645minutes
1125minutes
hours/day)
(8hours)
(10.75hours)
6weeks(2days/weekfor2
3
240minutes
885minutes
1125minutes
hours/day)
(4hours)
(14.75hours)
6weeks(2days/weekfor2
3
260minutes
865minutes
1125minutes
hours10minutes/day)
(4.3hours)
(14.4hours)
6weeks(2days/weekfor2
3
270minutes
855minutes
1125minutes
hours15minutes/day
(4.5hours)
(14.25hours)
6weeks(2days/weekfor2
3
280minutes
845minutes
1125minutes
hours20minutes/day)
(4.67hours)
(14.1hours)
6weeks(2days/weekfor3
3
360minutes
765minutes
1125minutes
hours/day)
(6hours)
12.75hours)
6weeks(4days/weekfor2
4
480minutes
1020minutes
1500minutes
hours/day)
(8hours)
(17hours)
8weeks(2days/weekfor2
3
320minutes
520minutes
840minutes
hours40minutes/day)
(5.33hours)
(8.66hours)
8weeks(2days/weekfor2
3
300minutes
540minutes
840minutes
hours30minutes/day)
(5hours)
(9hours)
8weeks(2days/weekfor2
4
300minutes
825minutes
1125minutes
hours30minutes/day)
(5hours)
(13.75hours)
10weeks(1day/weekfor3
3
195minutes
480minutes
675minutes
hours15minutes/day)
(3.25hours)
(8hours)
10weeks(1day/weekfor2
3
155minutes
520minutes
675minutes
hours35minutes/day)
(2.58hours)
(8.67hours)
PrecollegeCoursesforHighSchoolStudents
3weeks(5days/weekfor
5.5hours/day)
3
1650minutes
(27.5hours)
600minutes
(10hours)
2250minutes
6
Total
hours/week
112.5hours
Totalsummerhours
112.5hours
28.125hours
112.5hours
18.75hours
112.5hours
18.75hours
112.5hours
18.75hours
112.5hours
18.75hours
112.5hours
18.75hours
112.5hours
18.75hours
112.5hours
18.75hours
112.5hours
25hours
150hours
14hours
112.5hours
14hours
112.5hours
18.75hours
150hours
11.25hours
112.5hours
11.25hours
112.5hours
37.5hours
112.5hours