VCOM Institutional Policy and Procedure Manual

VCOM Policy and Procedure

Policy #S008

U.S. Department of Education guidance of Program Integrity regulations related to the credit hour also stipulate: • The credit-hour definition does not dictate particular amounts of classroom time versus out-of class student work. Further note that the definition provides that a credit hour may be for an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. There is no requirement that a 3 semester hour course meets 3 hours per week during a semester or a 3-quarter-hour course meets 3 hours per week during a quarter. The requirement is that the institution determine that there is an amount of student work for a credit hour that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of class and two hours of out-of-class student work per week over a semester for a semester hour or a quarter for a quarter hour. For example, an institution with a semester based calendar has a graduate seminar for which it awards 3 semester hours. The class meets only one hour per week over a 15-week semester with the students expected to perform a substantial amount of outside research that is the equivalent of 8 or more hours of student work each week of the semester. For purposes of the Federal definition, the institution would be able to award up to 3 semester hours for the course. • An example specific to medical school curriculum are with the case-based curriculum or flipped classroom curriculum, which require greater than 2 hours of out of class study and small group meetings prior to in-class sessions. Therefore, credit hours in such cases are dedicated to the total amount of time required for the student to complete the assigned study. VCOM follows a semester system with two quarters each semester and four quarters each academic year, consisting of 12 weeks each. 3. CREDIT HOUR DETERMINATION - PRE - CLINICAL CURRICULUM VCOM does not approve courses for less than 1 credit hour. VCOM approves courses for half credits that exceed 1 credit hour (i.e. 1.5 credit hours). To determine credit hours, contact hours are assigned to each hour of instruction. The contact hour per credit hour is based upon a 15 contact hours (+ or – 3) for 1 credit hour of study. Each contact hour is expected to be followed by two hours of outside study for lectures, small group learning activities, case-based instruction, SDL modules, PPC/OMM laboratories, and anatomy laboratories. Each contact hour is expected to be followed by one hour of outside study for biomedical laboratories, early clinical experiences, and clinical laboratories. Credits Awarded Minimum Student Work for Credits (includes contact hours and study time)

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36 - 54 hours 55 - 80 hours 81 – 99 hours 100 - 125 hours 126 - 144 hours 145 - 170 hours 171 - 189 hours 190 - 215 hours 216 - 234 hours

1.5

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2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

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VCOM Credit Hour Policy

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