Davis College generally follows a semester system with fall and spring semesters consisting of a minimum of 15 weeks, which includes one week for exams. Summer terms are typically less than 15 weeks but adhere to the policy in terms of meeting time and the amount of work required. Terms for certain academic programs (for example, compressed schedules) have been adjusted, but nonetheless adhere to the policy in terms of the amount of work required. The faculty and program administrators are responsible for developing, maintaining, and evaluating the curriculum within an academic program. Assignment of credit hours for courses is determined within the program based on faculty expertise and course learning objectives. Existing courses will be evaluated for adherence to the federal credit hour regulation using an annual audit. New courses will, upon review and approval at the program level, be reviewed by the Curriculum Committee and recommended for approval or denial.
The Curriculum Committee is charged with following the policy on credit hours in their review and approval of all courses and curricula and for certifying that the expected student learning for the course meets the credit hour standard.
Approved courses are sent to the registrar’s office for inclusion in the College Catalog. The office of the vice president for academic affairs reviews the class schedules prior to the start of each semester to ensure that all classes are scheduled for the minimum number of minutes corresponding to the credits assigned, or otherwise notes when course schedules do not match assigned credit hours. Any discrepancies are brought to the attention of the appropriate department for correction or explanation. The following provides general guidance on the how the credit hour translates to the instruction method. Note, however, that the credit hour definition does not dictate amounts of classroom time versus out-of-class student work – the information below serves as general guidance only.
LECTURE AND SEMINAR: Courses with multiple students which meet to engage in various forms of group instruction under the direct supervision of a faculty member.
Lectures and Seminars: Classroom/Faculty Instruction and Outside Student Work Credits awarded Minimum contact time per week Minimum Minimum out of class student
Minimum out of class student work per week
Total of instructional contact time and out of class student work 2250 minutes (37.5 hours) 6750 minutes (112.5 hours)
instructional time total for 15 weeks (Contact time X weeks)
work total for 15 weeks (outside week X) 1500 minutes
1
50 contact minutes 150 contact minutes
750 contact minutes 2250 contact minutes
100 minutes
3
300 minutes
4500 minutes
DIRECTED STUDY: Courses of study designed in instances where enrollment has fallen below established standards but under conditions where a student or students require that course be offered in order to progress academically (such as the need for a particular course in order to graduate). In such instances, the faculty member will work with the student(s) to arrange meeting times which may or may not match the normal course schedule. In all such instances, such courses must match the minimum instructional time and minimum out of class student work per week using the examples listed above, and the faculty member is required to keep records of the meeting times and length so that contact hours can be calculated. INDEPENDENT STUDY: Courses of study outside normal course offerings in which a faculty member regularly interacts and directs student outcomes with periodic contact in order to allow students to pursue particular areas of interest. Minimum credit hours are determined based on faculty instructional contact minutes and student outside work time. In
39
ACADEMICS AT DAVIS
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker