Federal Requirement 4.9

Definition of Credit Hours

The institution has policies and procedures for determining the credit hours awarded for courses and programs that conform to commonly accepted practices in higher education and to Commission policy.

Judgment of Compliance: Compliance

Narrative/Justification for Judgment of Compliance:

Executive Summary

St. Petersburg College (SPC) has policies and procedures that conform to commonly accepted practices in higher education and to Florida Administrative Code, Federal Definition, SACS-COC policy, and SPC rules for determining the amount and level of credit awarded for courses, regardless of format or mode of delivery.

 

SPC Credit Hour Definition

For the purposes of the application of this definition, a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximate:

  1. The equivalent of fifteen (15) fifty-minute periods of classroom instruction plus the final exam.
  2. A 1 credit course equates to 17 contact hours (15 hours of classroom instruction plus a 2 hour final exam).
  3. Whether courses are scheduled to meet one or more times per week, in shortened sessions such as Express Session, or other modalities, such as online or blended courses, it is expected that at least 750 minutes of instruction (e.g., 50 minutes x 15 periods of instruction), exclusive of breaks, plus the final exam is the basis for each credit awarded.
  4. Common practice expects that students will devote 1 hour in class and 2 to 3 hours outside of class in reading, study, research, preparation of papers, etc. for a total of 3 or more hours per week for each credit in a lecture/discussion course.
  5. Laboratory courses, where all requirements are met in the laboratory should meet 2,250 minutes (3 credit hours X 50 minutes X 15 weeks) for each credit; those laboratory courses that require substantive work outside the laboratory should meet 1,500 minutes (2 credit hours x 50 minutes x 15 weeks).
  6. Combined lecture/laboratory courses should be designed in accordance with the guidelines outlined above, even if there is no discrete break between the lecture and laboratory components of the course. For example, a 3 credit combined course with 2 hours lecture would meet 4 hours per week if substantive out of laboratory work is required and 5 hours per week if the laboratory work is conducted entirely in class (a 3 credit hour combined lecture/laboratory course equals 2 hours lecture and 2 hours lab OR 2 hours lecture and 3 hours lab).
  7. SPC courses offered in the online or blended delivery mode (see FR 4.8.1, FR 4.8.2, FR 4.8.3) that do not meet the traditional contact hour requirements maintain the same outcomes, outline, and structure as their face-to-face counterparts. Courses converted from a face-to-face course into an alternative delivery mode by a faculty team are reviewed by an instructional design technologist to ensure equivalency. Prior to implementation, courses that are converted to an online or blended modality are reviewed and approved through a formal, institutional process to ensure that the content and learning outcomes are equivalent to their face-to-face counterparts. This process is conducted by a cross-discipline team at the program level.

 

Florida Administrative Code

Rule 6A-10.033 provides the following definitions applied to instruction in postsecondary career centers, community colleges, and universities:

 

The definitions herein apply to instruction in postsecondary career centers operated by school districts and Florida College System institutions.

(1) Credit. Credit is a unit of measure assigned to courses or course equivalent learning. Credit is awarded if the learning activity it represents is part of, or preparatory for, an organized and specified program leading to a postsecondary certificate or degree. Credit is a device which indicates to the learner, to educational institutions, to employers, and to others how much of the program the learner has completed. The credit awarded may be independent of where the learning occurs. If a learning activity does not meet these requirements, credit shall not be awarded. The only types of postsecondary credit authorized are:

(a) College credit. College credit is the type of credit assigned by Florida College System institutions to courses or course equivalent learning that is part of an organized and specified program leading to a baccalaureate, associate degree, certificate, or Applied Technology Diploma pursuant to the stipulations in subsections 6A-14.030(5)-(8), F.A.C. One (1) college credit is based on the learning expected from the equivalent of fifteen (15) fifty-minute periods of classroom instruction; with credits for such activities as laboratory instruction, internships, and clinical experience determined by the institution based on the proportion of direct instruction to the laboratory exercise, internship hours, or clinical practice hours.

1. Lower division college credit. Lower division college credit is assigned to college credit courses offered to freshmen and sophomores (1000 and 2000 level courses).

2. Upper division college credit. Upper division college credit is assigned to college credit courses offered to juniors and seniors (3000 and 4000 level courses).

 

This information is additionally codified at SPC in the Curriculum and Instruction manual:

 

 

This definition is further codified into SPC Board procedure Course Descriptions and College Programs P6Hx23-3.04.

 

Federal Definition of the Credit Hour

For purposes of the application of this policy and in accord with federal regulations, a credit hour is 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:

  1. Not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, or
  2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required outlined in item 1 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.

 

SPC Rules

SPC BOT Rule 6Hx23-3.04 and Procedure P6Hx23-3.04 stipulate that issues pertaining to course content, course length, and program length, including credit hour determination, are overseen by the Curriculum and Instruction Committee. Every credit course and/or program is developed by faculty and recommended through the curriculum process as defined in the Curriculum and Instruction Manual. The Curriculum and Instruction Committee is composed of representatives from the various disciplines and sites. Committee members are appointed on a two-year, rotating basis and are responsible to the College President and the Senior Vice President of Instruction and Academic Programs.

SPC BOT Rule 6Hx23-3.04 and Procedure P6Hx23-3.04XIII Classification of Instructional Programs and Courses address classification of academic programs and courses, including credit hour length and procedures for revising course length and content.

SPC practice is that one (1) college credit for lecture/discussion courses is awarded based on fifteen (15) fifty (50) minute periods (or equivalent) plus the final examination. Whether courses are scheduled to meet one or more times per week, in shortened sessions such as Express Session, or other modes, it is expected that at least 750 minutes of instruction, exclusive of breaks, plus the final examination is the basis for each credit awarded.

Courses proposed to the SPC Curriculum and Instruction Committee should be based on a minimum of 750 minutes of lecture/discussion plus the final exam for each credit. Laboratory courses where all requirements are met in the laboratory should meet 2,250 minutes (3 credit hours x 50 minutes x 15 weeks) for each credit and those requiring substantive work outside the laboratory should meet 1,500 minutes (2 credit hours x 50 minutes x 15 weeks).

 

Supporting Documentation

In order to preserve the integrity of the supporting documentation in case of updates occurring between the submission of this document and the review, the narrative above links to pdf versions, whereas live links are included below.