- Truman operates on a semester calendar. Instruction is scheduled during 15 week fall and spring semesters; and summer sessions and interims of varying lengths. Truman also offers courses during fall and spring semesters in sessions shorter than the full semester. The schedule of classes can be viewed at www.truman.edu/majors-programs/academic-resources/schedule-of-classes-fees/.
- Truman assigns semester credit hours to all forms of instruction, at both the undergraduate and the graduate level. In accepting transfer credit from other institutions, Truman converts quarter hours to semester credits.
- Assignment of credit hours for courses will occur during the course approval process and be monitored through Faculty Senate, Undergraduate Council (undergraduate courses), Graduate Council (graduate courses), and the Institute for Academic Outreach Intake Committee (professional development courses).
- Review of credit hour assignments will be included as part of regular program reviews. In the event of an audit, either by Truman or by an external agency, the Provost (or designee) must be able to provide appropriate documentation as evidence of such reviews.
- Regardless of the mode of instruction, all sections of a given course will be mutually consistent in terms of purpose, scope, quality, assessment, and expected learning outcomes according to the Truman credit hour definition.
- The syllabus for a course, each time it is offered, will provide information on the minimum investment of time by the average student necessary to achieve the learning goals of the course. Such information will be tailored to the length of the session and the format of the course.
- For purposes of the application of this policy and in accordance with federal regulations, state guidelines, and the Higher Learning Commission standards, a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is the equivalent of:a. Not less than one hour (50 minutes) of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work each week for fifteen weeks for one semester, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, or
b. At least an equivalent amount of work as outlined in item a. above for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
c. The minimum requirements identified in item 7a and 7b represent average time per week for an average student over the course of fifteen weeks. It is understood that some weekly variations may occur.
d. Points 7a and 7b should not be construed to suggest that any course at the undergraduate or graduate levels could not exceed these minimums. Likewise these points should not be construed to suggest that an instructor cannot shift the time commitment between in-class and out-of-class time, where the sum total of work performed remains the same as the total of those elements as described above.
- Classes that do not have the required face-to-face contact time specified under 7 a (for example, hybrid or online courses) will meet the credit hour standard under 7 b if they meet one of the following criteria. The course covers the same material in the same depth as a face-to-face version of the same course. In the absence of a comparable face-to-face class, the course has been evaluated by the department and school for content and rigor, and the department and school have approved and documented the credit hours awarded.
- For Independent Study or Directed Readings courses, credit hours awarded must be comparable to those for courses administered in other formats based on scope, content, rigor, and student study time. Faculty must produce a syllabus for all such courses that appropriately documents the activities that warrant the credit hours awarded.
- The reasoning for this policy is to ensure that the number of credits awarded for completion of each Truman course reflects the requirements set forth for awarding academic credit for Title IV institutions eligible for financial aid, which were outlined in 34 CFR 600.2 US Department of Education.
- Under policy no 3.10(a), the HLC will review an institution’s assignment of credit hours in the following context:The Institution’s assignment of credit hours shall conform to commonly accepted practices in higher education. Those institutions seeking, or participating in, Title IV federal financial aid, shall demonstrate that they have policy determining the credit hours awarded to courses and programs in keeping with commonly-accepted practices and with the federal definition of the credit hour, as reproduced herein for reference only, and that institutions also have procedures that result in an appropriate awarding of institutional credit in conformity with the policies established by the institution.)
SB8617 Revised November 2017