Credit Hour/Unit Policy
Courses numbered 1–85 are those in the first-year component of the Core program. 100-level courses are introductory, open to first-year students. 200-level courses are designed primarily for second-year students and are considered lower division courses. 300-level courses are intended primarily for juniors and seniors and 400-level courses are advanced courses and therefore are not open to frosh without permission. Courses numbered 300-499 are considered upper division courses. 500-level courses are intended for graduate students.
Courses numbered 500 and above are ordinarily limited to graduate students. However, advanced and specially qualified undergraduates may be permitted to enroll in such courses by approval of a petition for special consideration supported by the instructor, the department chair, and the coordinator of Graduate Studies and approved by the Student Progress Committee. In special circumstances, by additional petition to the director of Graduate Studies, credit toward the Master of Arts degree may also be granted provided the course is not required to fulfill a bachelor’s degree.
Any undergraduate course in which fewer than 10 students are enrolled at the beginning of a semester may be cancelled.
Periodic Review and Policy Application
The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs (ADFA) conducts a compliance review prior to each term as course schedules are input in the student information system. In addition, the ADFA performs periodic audits of course meeting times in conjunction with the Dean’s Office to ensure the minimum requirements are met.
Syllabi are reviewed by the academic department chairs on a periodic basis to ensure all syllabi include information such as; course meeting times, course descriptions, course learning outcomes, relevant course policies, grading, assignments, and articulation of class time and out of class time.
In addition, the amount of out of class work in each major is reviewed periodically as a part of the program review process. New course proposals and curriculum change proposals also include a review of the course descriptions, student workload, learning goals, and links to departmental learning goals to ensure they meet academic policies and standards as a part of the approval process.
In the case of courses with variable schedules and/or not all directed instruction time is recorded in the student information system, the course syllabus clearly articulates the student work equivalencies indicated in the Credit Hour/Unit policy.