Credit Hour

1. To set forth policy that ensures UH West Oʻahu’s adherence to Board of Regents’ policies, WSCUC standards, and federal regulations with respect to the definition and implementation of an academic credit hour.
2. To establish a process to assure reliability and accuracy of assignment of credit hours across activities earning academic credit.

A semester credit hour represents the amount of work that is expected of a student to achieve intended learning outcomes. In a traditional face-to-face course, that approximates as not less than one hour of direct faculty instruction and a minimum two hours of student work outside of class per week through (approximately) one 15-week semester The clock-hour requirements apply uniformly to courses of varying credits, duration, modes of delivery, and types of academic activity.

1. The credit hour definition requires that:
   1. For courses with non-traditional, non-standard seat times (e.g. directed reading and research, senior capstone, laboratory, practicum, service learning, internship, study abroad) and courses with alternate modes of delivery (e.g. only, hybrid, HITS), that one credit hour represents an equivalent amount of work in the achievement of intended learning outcomes.
   2. For courses scheduled in a shortened format (e.g. weekends, fewer than 15 weeks), that the hours are prorated so that the classes have the same total number of hours as if they were scheduled for in a full 15-week semester and that one credit hour represents an equivalent amount of work in the achievement of intended learning outcomes.
   3. Regardless of types of activity, delivery mode or duration, courses with equivalent Division course numbers and titles will be consistent in learning outcomes, purpose, scope, and quality.
   4. A semester credit hour will be consistent throughout all courses and academic programs
   5. The course credit hour will be awarded only to students whose work demonstrates that they have satisfactorily achieved the intended learning outcomes.
2. The periodic compliance review of UHWO’s credit hour policy assures accurate, consistent, and reliable credit hour assignment in all courses and programs. The review process:
   1. Will be embedded in the 5-year Academic Program Review cycle (under the purview of Division chairs and designated faculty) where an audit of syllabi for courses within the program will be conducted. This may be satisfied with a representative sampling of course syllabi. The audit process will include reviewing of syllabi to ascertain the credit hour policy is addressed in the syllabi, courses meet the credit hour requirements, especially if they are non-standard (e.g. independent study, internships, online, etc.) and regardless of format, outcomes for courses are comparable.
   2. Will be part of the new course approval process that the Curriculum Committee oversees. The new course proposal form should be designed to clearly show why and how the proposed course satisfies the credit hour assignment (e.g. includes learning outcomes, type of course, class and homework assignments, etc.).
   3. One-time representative sampling audit of syllabi in which student expectations are recorded. This one-time audit of syllabi is designed to: a) get all faculty on the same page with respect to including a credit hour statement, and b) measure what percentage of syllabi reflect the credit hour language.
   4. Will include aggregate program data from course evaluations provided by the IRO to the Divisions and Curriculum and Assessment Committees.

The UH West Oʻahu Chancellor delegates to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs the responsibility of faithfully executing this policy.

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at (808) 689-2300 and uhwovcaa@hawaii.edu.

UH Executive Policy 5.228 Credit Hour

UH West Oʻahu Faculty Senate Resolution #2013-11, “Credit Hour Policy and Review Process”

None.