Trinity Valley Community College
Title: Definition of Credit Hours
Effective Date: June 1, 2012
Last Revision: Initial
Policy Statement
Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC) has adopted a measure of academic credit known as the credit hour. This unit is the primary academic measure by which progress toward a degree, diploma or certificate is gauged. In accordance with federal regulations, TVCC's process for assigning credit hours to courses is based upon minimum academic activity for students to achieve intended learning outcomes as verified by evidence of student achievement.
Purpose
The purpose of TVCC's Definition of Credit Hours policy is to ensure accurate academic measurement, comparability across programs and institutions, and to comply with federal requirements. In its implementation, this policy helps to guide the relationship between contact hours, outcome achievement, and credit hours.
Definition
Credit hour- normally granted for satisfactory completion of one hour of classroom instruction per week for a semester of not less that fifteen weeks and a minimum of two hours "out of class" academic activity each week.
General Policy
At TVCC, each credit hour of instruction consists of approximately one hour of classroom or directed faculty instruction. In addition, students are expected to complete a minimum of two hours of "out of class" academic activity each week for each credit hour of instruction, or the equivalent amount of academic activity over a different amount of time for sessions of other durations and/or classes offered in other formats leading to the award of academic credit. A credit hour is granted for approximately two hours of laboratory instruction and approximately three hours of work-based experiential learning (e.g. supervised internship).