HARTNELL COLLEGE

[Instruction 5]Per the CCCCO Program and Course Approval Handbook, p. 33, 55002.5, "one credit hour of community college work is approximately three hours of recitation, study, or laboratory work per week throughout a term of 16 weeks... This relationship applies to both degree-applicable credit and non-degree-credit courses... The essence of the relationship expressed in this section is that each unit of credit requires approximately 48 hours of student learning time. As a matter of standard higher education practice (but not as a matter of law), in traditional academic disciplines (such as English, history, mathematics, etc.), it is expected that one third of these hours will occur in the classroom ("recitation" or lecture), and two -thirds of them will occur outside the classroom ("study" or homework). Thus, for a one-unit academic course, the following hours would normally be expected: 16 hours of classroom time + 32 hours of homework = 48 hours total student learning time. Many traditional academic courses award three units. The number of hours expected for such a course would be: 48 hours of classroom time + 96 hours of homework = 144 hours total student learning time. Many other combinations and schedules are possible. For instance, suppose a college offers an accelerated course that meets for two hours of lecture per day over ten days. 20 hours of classroom time means 28 hours of homework must be assigned for 48 hours total student learning time for one unit. Or an intensive weekend seminar could be offered and generate one-half unit: 16 hours of classroom time (two 8 -hour days) means 8 hours of homework must be assigned for 24 hours total student learning time for one -half unit. It is not appropriate to offer accelerated courses that, by their design, would not permit the student to do the amount of out-of-class homework required to meet the hours-to-units relationship of Title 5. In laboratory or activity courses, it has not traditionally been expected that the student will study outside the classroom. Therefore, the number of units earned is generally based entirely on the number of hours of laboratory or activity work performed on campus under the immediate supervision and control of a qualified academic employee. For example, 48 hours of chemistry laboratory (three hours per week over 16 weeks) earns one semester unit of credit, whereas the same number of hours of chemistry lecture would earn three units. However, some community colleges have assigned a unit of credit for fewer than three hours a week of laboratory or activity, in certain courses where it is expected that students will do some homework, but not as much as in a traditional lecture course. For instance, in a computer applications course which is primarily laboratory, there may nonetheless be a certain amount of reading involved outside of class. The college might thus award one unit of credit for only two hours per week of hands-on computer instruction, as long as the instructor assigns one hour per week of out-of-class study. There is no prohibition against this practice. However, it must be used with caution, particularly in regard to transferable laboratory courses. In the natural sciences, it is standard university practice to base the number of units awarded only on the in-class hours. Any alteration of this relationship for such a course could jeopardize its acceptability for major or general education purposes at the four-year level. In the California Community College system, the number of hours per unit is often expressed as slightly higher than the figures cited in this section. That is because, although the controlling regulation describes a 16-week semester, our finance laws require that our semesters average 17.5 weeks rather than 16 (and that our quarters average 11 2/3 weeks rather than 10 2/3). Therefore, the number of hours of lecture instruction for a three-unit course, for instance, is often cited as 51 or 54 (three hours per week for 17 weeks or 18 weeks), rather than 48."

[Instruction 6]Use abbreviations.

Credit/No Credit = CR/NC

Letter Grade = GR

Grade or Credit = G/CR

[Instruction 7]Any entries here will need data justification submitted on a Prerequisite/ Corequisite/ Advisory form. For the criteria for justifying a prerequisite or corequisite, consult the Hartnell College District Policies on Prerequisites and Corequisites, or review the CCCCO Program and Course Approval Handbook.

[Instruction 8]For course/s that must be taken concurrently. Any entries here will need data justification submitted on a Prerequisite/ Corequisite/ Advisory form. The criteria for justifying a prerequisite or corequisite, consult the Hartnell College District Policies on Prerequisites and Corequisites, or review the CCCCO Program and Course Approval Handbook.

[Instruction 9]Recommended body of knowledge, skills, or helpful but not necessary for success in the course. Any entries here will need justification submitted on a Prerequisite/ Corequisite/ Advisory form.

[Instruction 10]The catalog and schedule descriptions can be the same, however, the catalog description should be a concise description of the body of knowledge covered in the course, whereas the schedule description can be written in more general terms. It is important to note that if the primary method of instruction (51%+) of the course is to be conducted as Distance Education, then a completed Distance Education form must accompany the course outline. Per Title 5

(a) Each section of a credit transferable course which is delivered as distance education shall include regular personal contact between instructor and students, through group or individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, or other in-person activities. Personal contact may be supplemented by telephone contact and correspondence.

(b) All other approved courses offered by distance education shall include regular contact between instructors and students consistent with guidelines issued by the Chancellor pursuant to Section 409 of the Procedures and Standing Orders of the Board of Governors."

[Instruction 11]Should begin with “The student will” followed by observable, measurable outcomes expected of students by the completion of the course. Each objective statement should begin with active and analytical verbs. The number of objectives should reflect the rigor of the course and the breadth of the content. See "Language Standards for Course Outlines" for a brief review, or see a generic example of a course outline via this link. For detailed information see "Components of a Model Course Outline and the CCCCO Programs and Course Approval Handbook for additional guidance.

[Instruction 12]The content, in outline form, should correlate to the objectives. It should lay out the major topics and subtopics covered by the course with sufficient detail so as to serve as a guide for new or substitute instructors. To see a generic example of a course outline click this link or review "Components of a Model Course Outline and the CCCCO Programs and Course Approval Handbook for additional guidance.

[Instruction 13]Check all means of instruction likely to be applied in the normal course of instruction. All methods checked must in some way reflect the course objectives.

[Instruction 14]Checking this methodology indicates that some form of distance education is to be used as part of the instruction. This does not require that a Distance Education form be completed and submitted, however, the type of activity must be described or identified in this section..

[Instruction 15]This must be checked for all courses. See the CCCCO Program and Course Approval Handbook, p.33. for the rationale.

[Instruction 16]All items checked in this section require a brief description of the means by which the activities or assignments are to be evaluated. For an example see "Example Course Outline (generic)" or review the "Components of a Model Course Outline of Record."

[Instruction 17]The required text/s or a statement indicating “Texts similar to” and brief list of the most recent editions. These should be written in MLA format with the title of the text italicized. For detailed examples, see the Hartnell College Library link to MLA citations.