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ROWAN UNIVERSITY POLICY
Title: Assignmen=
t of Semester Credit Hour
Subject: Ac=
ademic Affairs
Policy No: AA 2019:01
<=
strong>Applies: University-Wide
Issui=
ng Authority: Provost / Senior =
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Responsible O=
fficers: Deans, University Registrar, Global Learning &am=
p; Partnerships, Academic Scheduling,
Adopted:&nb=
sp;January 2019
Last Revision: January 16, 2019=
strong>
Last Reviewed: January 16, 2019
I. PURPOSE
- To ensure University compliance with Federal and State regulations rega=
rding the awarding of academic credit to students;
- To ensure that the semester credit hour is a valid unit of measure of s=
tudent learning;
- To establish authority for defining academic value commensurate with th=
e semester credit hour in terms of the instructional level, cognitive effor=
t, and/or time requirement associated with student work;
- To identify processes for assignment of the semester credit hour for al=
l types of courses, disciplines, programs, credential levels, and formats, =
regardless of modality;
- To describe procedures for course and term scheduling in accordance wit=
h the semester credit hour policy.
II. ACCOUNTABILITY
Under direction of the Provost/Senior Vic=
e President for Academic Affairs, the Office of the University Registrar, t=
he Division of Global Learning & Partnerships (Rowan Global), and the O=
ffice of Academic Scheduling shall implement the policy and Deans and Depar=
tment Chairs/Heads shall ensure compliance with the policy.
III. APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all academic progr=
ams offered by Rowan University, exclusive of the professional medical degr=
ee programs offered by the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and Ro=
wan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Although a related concept, =
faculty credit hours are assigned in compliance with the AFT master agreeme=
nt or other applicable contractual agreement.
IV. REFERENCES
- 34 CFR =C2=A7600.2 Definitions.
- N.J.A.C. 9A:1-1.2. Definitions.
- N.J.A.C. 9A:1-2. General Program S=
tandards.
- Federal Register Vol. 75, No. 209. October 29, 2010. Rules and Regulati=
ons. Department of Education. Definiti=
on of a Credit Hour (=C2=A7=C2=A7 600.2, 602.24, 603.24, and 668.8).=
li>
- Office of Postsecondary Education GEN-11-06 =E2=80=9CGuidance to Institutions and Accrediting Agencies Regard=
ing a Credit Hour as Defined in the Final Regulations Published on October =
29, 2010.=E2=80=9D
- University Senate Curriculum Process (Attachment 1)
- University Academic Calendar Policy (Attachment 2)
- Academic Scheduling Policies (Attachment 3)
- Rowan Global Course Schedules (Attachment 4)
V. DEFINITIONS
- Federal definition of =E2=80=
=9Ccredit hour=E2=80=9D: An amount of work represented in intended=
learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is =
an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not=
less than:
- One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of tw=
o hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen we=
eks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks fo=
r one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a diffe=
rent amount of time; or
- At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph 1. a. of=
this definition for other academic activities as established by the instit=
ution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and ot=
her academic work leading to the award of credit hours. (34 CFR =C2=A7600.2=
Definitions.)
- State definition of =E2=80=9Cs=
emester credit hour=E2=80=9D: 150 minutes of academic work each we=
ek for 15 weeks in one semester, which is typically accomplished by 50 minu=
tes of face-to-face class activity each week complemented by at least 100 m=
inutes each week of laboratory or outside assignments (or the equivalent th=
ereof for semesters of different length) but may also be accomplished throu=
gh an equivalent amount of academic work as established by an institution, =
which may include additional class time, laboratory work, internships, prac=
tical studio work, and other forms of academic work. (N.J.A.C. 9A:1-1.2. Definitions.)
- See also: N.J.A.C. 9A=
:1-2. General Program Standards; =
Federal Register Vol. 75, No. 209 Defi=
nition of a Credit Hour; Office of Postsecondary Education GEN-11-06 <=
em style=3D"letter-spacing: 0.0px;">General Guidance.
V. POLICY
- Requirements
- Semester credit hours shall be assigned to academic work and awarded to=
students for completion of academic work in compliance with Federal and St=
ate definitions of the credit hour and in accordance with commonly accepted=
practice in higher education.
- As appropriate and feasible, term and course scheduling of class time s=
hould align to the units of time referenced in Federal and State definition=
s as the approximate equivalent of the credit hour to facilitate compliance=
.
- Scheduling of class time for online courses shall be simulated through =
voice-over lectures, discussion activities, virtual office hours, and other=
tools commensurate with this approximate equivalent.
- Where alignment of term and course scheduling of class time to this app=
roximate equivalent is not appropriate or feasible, an institutionally esta=
blished equivalency for semester credit hours to be assigned and awarded sh=
all be determined based on a verifiable rationale and/or methodology.
- Responsibilities
- Semester credit hour assignment occurs through the curriculum process o=
verseen by the University Senate Curriculum Committee. New courses and asso=
ciated semester credit hour assignments as well as changes to existing cred=
it hour assignments are reviewed and approved by the appropriate College Cu=
rriculum Committee, Chair of the University Senate Curriculum Committee, an=
d the Office of the Provost.
- Semester credit hours assigned to courses are entered in the Banner sys=
tem by the University Registrar.
- Scheduling of all classes in the Banner system, including data entry, d=
ata validation, and auditing of data, is performed by the Office of Academi=
c Scheduling.
- Schedules for traditional full semester classes are provided by the aca=
demic departments using the Contact Hour Grid. The Contact Hour Grid confor=
ms to the provisions of the University Academic Calendar policy and to Stat=
e and Federal definitions of the credit hour with respect to instructi=
onal time.
- Schedules for online classes, winter session classes, summer session cl=
asses, and extension classes are provided by Rowan Global and are construct=
ed to ensure delivery of the same instructional hours per semester credit h=
our as a full semester class.
- For accelerated face-to-face courses, the equivalent amount of instruct=
ional time per credit is scheduled within the course duration.
- For online courses, the Rowan Online Instructional Designer facilitates=
the management and incorporation of simulated class time.
- In certain cases such as independent study, studio work, laborato=
ry and clinical practice, experiential learning, study abroad, and thesis/d=
issertation projects, assigned semester credit hours may not align to sched=
uled class time. These and other such variances shall be approved by =
the appropriate Dean and/or Department Chair/Head based on a verifiable rat=
ionale and/or methodology, which may include evaluation of course equivalen=
cy in accordance with the transfer credit policy; review and endorsement by=
a programmatic accreditor; use of a commonly accepted approximation; or de=
finition of a measure of student learning in terms of outcomes, products, p=
erformance or other means of verifying achievement of academic objectives r=
epresented by the semester credit hour.
VI. ATTACHMENTS
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