Credit Hour Policy (Interim for AY 2012-13)

A credit hour unit (a 50-minute period) is defined as the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is not less than and does not significantly exceed:

1. 50 minutes of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of 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 in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. The type and amount of activities may vary among individual programs.

3. In courses, such as those offered online, in which “seat time” does not apply, a credit hour shall be measured by an equivalent amount of work by the students as defined by the e-learning policy PM95-01 at http://www.csus.edu/umanual/AcadAff/FSD00010.htm.

Monitoring of the Credit Hour Definition

Initial review of compliance with the interim credit hour definition will be part of the regular course review done by the Curriculum Subcommittee to confirm via departmental self-report in course or program proposals that workload is appropriate for the credit hours.

During this interim policy the CPC will work with OIR to survey students and instructors in a sampling of courses across colleges to investigate credit hour workloads in order to gather initial data to inform our discussion of a policy for monitoring credit hour.