Credit Hour Policy
Federal Requirement: Definition of CreditHour
Alabama State University has credit hours’ definitions, policies and procedures that conform to commonly accepted practices in higher education.
The institution’s credit hour system complies with requirements of the U.S. Department of Education, Southern Association on College sand Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC),
and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). The institutional credit hour system is applicable to all modes of instructional deliver, including distance education.
Credit Hour Definition
A credit hour an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement.
The Alabama State University definition of one credit hours are based on the standard Carnegie unit of 50 minutes of class room or direct faculty instruction delivered over one (1) clock hour of contact, defined as on clock/contact hour, and is based on a 16-week academic semester. However, the clock/contact hour representing one semester credit hour may be prorated based on the length of the academic term in weeks (e.g., summer terms, mini terms, other) (see Intuitional Credit Hour Policy section below).
The credit hours is an institutionally established equivalency that approximates not less than: 1
1. A unit of measure representing the time and activity required for one hour of credit, and
2. At least an equivalent amount of work required and outlined in item 1 above for other academic activities as established by the institution including
laboratory work, internships, pratica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
Alabama State University operates on an academic calendar year divided into two equal 16- week semesters. Summer terms are operated on a ½ semester calendar (8weeks),and mini terms are operated on ¼ semester calendar (4weeksduring summer terms; 8 weeks during fall and spring semesters). Credit hours are formulated based on the semester term system; calculated of clock/contact hours for summer and mini terms is thus
a pro rata calculation of the 16-week semester term timeframe.
Institutional Credit Hour Policy
Each continuing and new course developed for instruction must comply with the following credit hour policy:
1. Alabama State University uses semester credit hours as the measure to represent evidence of satisfactory completion of student working a course.
2. Alabama State University uses the Carnegie unit to represent the credit hour as a unit of direct faculty instruction [50minutesofdirect classroom delivered over 1 clock hour of contact, or one clock/contact hour]. The Carnegie unit thus represents 1 contract/clock hour.
3. Alabama State University uses the 16-week semester as the basis for formulating semester credit hours for any term of instruction. Credit hour formulation for alternative instructional term formats (summer, mini terms, other)is a pro rata calculation of the 16-week semester (e.g.,8-week summer terms; 4-or 8-weekmini terms, other).
4. A minimum of 800 scheduled minutes of direct instruction is the basis foreach credit hour awarded during any academic term. Including summer and mini-terms (50minutesof class room or direct faculty instruction x16 weeks unless prorated over alternative time frame).
5. The standard expectation and common practice is that students will spend a minimum of 2 hours of preparation outside of the classroom in reading, study, research etc. for each Carnegie-based credit hour.
6. Each course is mandated to have a syllabus documenting the amount of in-class and out- of-classwork required to earn the credit hours of approved for the course.
Institutional Procedures for Determining Credit Hour
Using the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of the credit hour as a foundation, Alabama State University calculates the actual amount of academic work
that goes into a single semester credit hour based on the type of course as follows:
- Lectures and Seminars: One lecture (taught)or seminar (discussion) credit hour represent 1 clock/contact hour and 2 hours of student preparation time over the course of a16-week semester unless prorated over alternative term lengths (4-week summer mini terms; 8-week semester mini terms).
- Laboratory Courses: One laboratory credit hour represents 1 clock/contact hour per week of lecture or discussion time,1-3 clock/contact hours per week of scheduled supervised or independent laboratory work, 2 hours of student preparation time per week. Thus, for each laboratory credit hour, this calculation represents at least16 clock/contact hours of lecture or discussion time,16 –48 clock/contact hours of laboratory time, and 32 hours of student preparation per academic term unless prorated over alternative term lengths. Laboratory courses are constructed on this credit hour formula to award up to 4 semester credit hours. There is a small population of exceptions [e.g., STEM foundations laboratory courses, Collage of Health Sciences (COHS)laboratories]for which 1 credit hour represents32 clock/contact hours of laboratory time and 32 hours of student preparation per week.
- Practica: One practice credit hour (supervised clinical rounds, internships, visual or performing art studio, supervised student teaching, fieldwork, etc.)usually represents3-4 clock/contact hours of supervised and/or independent practice per week. Thus one practice credit hour represents between 48 and64 clock/contact hours of work per16-weeksemester unless prorated over alternative term length. Moststudio or practice courses are assigned 3semestercredit hours, thusrepresenting blocks of3 practice credit hours.
- Directed Independent Study: One directed independent study 9 thesis or dissertation research) credit hours is calculated similarly to practice credit hours
- Alternate Calculation of credit Hours: For degree programs accredited by various agencies, the core faculty of the various programs determine the amount of academic credit to be awarded for fieldwork, clinical ,internship, and other experiential courses in accord with agency requirements and based on commonly acted practices in higher education. In some health professions programs, the minimum amount of clinical time, rather than credits, is determined by the specialized accrediting agency. All pre-clinical coursework follows the policy as previously described. In studio courses representing the arts, design, and theatre, one credit hour is equivalent to 1.5 hours of guided instruction and three hours for studio class preparation eachweekfor15weeksas defined by the National Association of Schools of Art and National Association of Schools of Music.
The institutional credit hour system is applicable to all modes of instructional delivery, including online and distance education.
Guidance to Institutions and Accrediting Agencies Regarding a Credit Hour as Defined in the Final Regulations Published on October29, 2010,U.S. Department of Education