A SSIGNMENT OF C REDIT H OURS
III.01; III.02
Policy Reference(s):
Provost
Responsible Department(s):
10/18/2017
Approval Date: Revision Date(s):
S TATEMENT O F C OMPLIANCE Calculation of credit hours for all credit–bearing degree and certificate programs at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) shall be consistent with definitions and requirements established by the United States and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Departments of Education. S TATEMENT OF CCAC P OLICY All semester/credit hours awarded by CCAC will conform to federal and state definitions. These guidelines are also in compliance with policies set forth by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). CCAC follows a semester system with fall and spring semesters consisting of a minimum of 15 weeks of instruction, plus one week for exams. Summer terms include sessions scheduled for less than 15 weeks but which adhere to the policy in terms of meeting time and the amount of student work required. Terms for certain academic programs have been adjusted but nonetheless adhere to the policy in terms of the amount of work required. While the faculty, and the academic deans in a supporting role, are responsible for developing, maintaining and evaluating the curriculum within an academic program, the College President retains final control and approval of the curriculum. Assignment of credit hours for courses are 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 during routine program evaluations. New courses will, upon review and approval at the program level, be reviewed by the Curriculum Subcommittee and recommended to the President for approval or denial by the College Council. The Curriculum Subcommittee 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. Once vetted by the Curriculum Committee, all new courses and curricula are presented to the College Council, for final review prior to being forwarded to the College President. College Council is comprised of faculty and college administration. Approved courses are sent to the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the College Catalog. The Registrar’s Office 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 College Provost, who will work with the necessary academic dean and faculty to provide correction or explanation. The college shall include descriptions of credit hour standards in the college catalog. Expectations for out-of-class work will be outlined for faculty and students in the Faculty and Student Handbooks respectively.
94|Page
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog