Compliance Status

Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.

Narrative

Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) uses the semester hour of credit as the unit by which course work is measured.  The university defines a semester credit hour as “an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates

not less than one hour (50 minutes) of lecture/classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out-of-class student work across 15 weeks for one semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time;

or at least an equivalent amount of work as required for other academic activities including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours”  [1] [2]. 

Most face-to-face lecture courses are for three semester credit hours and meet two or three times a week (Tuesday-Thursday or Monday-Wednesday-Friday) for the same amount of time. Online course credit is determined through equivalency of work (learning) relative to established face-to-face courses and defined at the stage in which the courses are considered by the Faculty Senate Courses and Curricula Committee (see below). More detailed information on the definition of a credit hour is found in Federal Requirement 4.9.

Academic Level

The university utilizes a course numbering convention to indicate the academic level of the course [3].  Courses at the 1000 level are generally introductory courses.  Courses numbered 2000 to 2999 are at the intermediate level.  Courses numbered 3000 to 3999 constitute the advanced portion of an undergraduate program leading to the bachelor’s degree.  Courses at these three levels are for undergraduate credit only.   Courses numbered 4000 to 4999 are for advanced undergraduates and students in graduate and professional programs.  Courses numbered 5000 to 5999 are for students in post-baccalaureate professional programs (architecture, law, and veterinary medicine).  Courses at the 6000 level are exclusively for teachers at the elementary, secondary, and junior college levels.  Courses numbered 7000 to 7999 are for students in the Graduate School and are available to undergraduate students under restricted conditions.  Courses at the 8000 and 9000 levels are research courses exclusively for graduate students working on masters or doctoral degrees, respectively.

Faculty Role in Establishing Credit Awarded

The university faculty set the amount and level of credit for courses through a procedure that begins at the unit offering the course, followed by review and approvals at the school or college level and by the Faculty Senate Courses and Curricula Committee. Courses that are available for graduate credit are also subject to approval by the dean of the Graduate School, who consults with the Graduate Council as appropriate.  The Courses and Curricula Committee is responsible for the final approval or disapproval, after review, of proposed additions, alterations, or eliminations of courses, curricula, and degree programs submitted by colleges and schools.  It consults, when deemed appropriate, with units that appear to be affected by changes in courses or curricula (Figure 1).  Eighty degree programs are accredited by twenty-four accrediting agencies, and these commonly influence the length and content of degree programs (e.g., the B.S. in Electrical Engineering) [4]. All offerings, regardless of instructional format, are reviewed for appropriate rigor and content and approved in the same way [5].

Non-lecture Courses and Course Credit

For courses other than lecture courses, the number of hours of work per week for one semester hour of credit can vary. A laboratory course requires at least two hours of work in the lab each week and an equivalent amount of work outside of the lab for one semester hour of credit [6].  Science lab courses typically meet for three hours for one hour of credit, whereas a design studio will meet for two hours for one hour of credit. Internships, practica, and directed or independent studies may be influenced by external accrediting board guidelines, but will generally require at least three hours of work associated with the course each week for one hour of credit.