OFFICIAL
| Policy and Procedure Statement 2.07 |
Short Courses |
| Revised: 10/88 |
(10 paragraphs) |
| Review Cycle: Jul. 1, E3Y |
|
| Review Date: 07/01/2010 |
|
| Reviewer: Registrar |
|
PURPOSE
1. This policy governs the provision and
administration of short courses, according to the rules established by the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), Chapter 4. Rules Applying to
All Public Institutions of Higher Education in Texas, Subchapter A. General Provisions,
Section 4.6.
POLICY
2. Short
courses shall adhere to the following guidelines set by the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board regarding Minimum Length of Courses and Limitation
of the Amount of Credit Earned in a Given Time Period:
a. Traditionally-delivered
three-semester-credit-hour courses should contain 15 weeks of instruction (45
contact hours) plus a week for final examinations so that such a course
contains 45 to 48 contact hours depending on whether there is a final exam.
b. Every college
course is assumed to involve a significant amount of non-contact hour time for
out-of-class student learning and reflection. To ensure the quality of student
learning, institutions should not allow students to carry more courses in any
term (that is, regular or shortened semester), which would allow them to earn
more than one semester credit hour per week over the course of the term. For
example, in a five and a half week summer term, students should not generally
be allowed to enroll for more than six semester credit hours.
c. Institutions
should have a formal written policy for addressing any exceptions to subsection
(b) of this section.
d. Courses
delivered in shortened semesters are expected to have the same number of
contact hours and the same requirement for out-of-class learning as courses
taught in a normal semester.
e. Institutions may
offer a course in a non-traditional way (for example, over the internet, or
through a shortened, intensive format) that does not meet these contact hour
requirements, if the course has been reviewed and approved through a formal,
institutional faculty review process that evaluates the course and its learning
outcomes and determines that the course does, in fact, have equivalent learning
outcomes to an equivalent, traditionally delivered course.
POLICY GUIDELINES FOR SHORT COURSES
3. The minimum number of class contact hours
is fifteen per semester credit hour.
4. The minimum duration of a class is one
week per semester credit hour.
5. Quality assurance procedures for short
courses are the same as for all other courses. Short courses are monitored and
evaluated the same as other courses. Also, short courses must be taught by
either full-time or part-time faculty who are reviewed by the appropriate
department and hired under normal university procedures.
6. A course is eligible for a shortened
format if it includes any of the following characteristics:
a. Subject matter
or special projects that require an intensive, concentrated delivery format.
b. Field trips or
internships.
c. Association or
affiliation with a workshop.
d. Necessity of accommodating work schedules of
special groups of students.
e. Availability of
special faculty.
f. Availability of
specialized facility.
7. Short course offerings must be approved
by the department chair, the school dean, and if graduate or post-graduate
short course offerings, by the graduate dean. The appropriate dean will send
written notification of the approval or disapproval of the short course in the
reverse order of the administrator listed for approval.
8. Short courses will be tracked via the
computerized Class History Section file.
9. Drop and withdrawal procedures for short
courses will be adjusted in proportion to the length of the course.
CERTIFICATION STATEMENT
10. This PPS has been approved by the
reviewer listed below and represents Texas
State's Division of
Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until
superseded.
Review Cycle:
_______________________ Review Date: __________________
Reviewer:
___________________________Date: ________________________
Approved:
___________________________Date: ________________________
Perry Moore
Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs
Texas State
University-San Marcos
Provost and
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Last
Updated: 8/7/2007
Send
comments and questions to: tg12@txstate.edu