Course Information

Academic Credit Policy

Overview

All credits at Wabash College are issued as course credits. Each course credit is equivalent to four (4) credit hours. Each one-half course credit is equivalent to two (2) credit hours. Credit values of courses are assigned on the basis of instructional time, which is a combination of direct instruction and out-of-class student work.  Direct instruction is defined in the “Forms of Instruction and Student Work” section below. Instructional time is measured on the basis of an academic hour, which is 50 minutes in length. A typical semester at Wabash College includes 14 instructional weeks plus one week of exams. Summer semesters may vary in length from the 14 weeks plus one exam week standard; however, summer courses adhere to the same standards for direct instructional and non-instructional time described in this policy. 

The credit value assigned to courses at Wabash College is in accordance with the definition of a credit hour from the Code of Federal Regulations (34 CFR 600.2), which states “a credit hour is 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—

  1. One hour of classroom or direct instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
  2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”

To meet this standard, Wabash College courses valued at one course credit must require a minimum of 60 academic hours of direct faculty instruction, which assumes an additional 120 hours of  student work apart from direct faculty instruction (i.e. “non-instructional” time) - thus a total of 180 hours of direct faculty instruction and non-instructional time. A course valued at one-half course credit (two credit hours) must require a total of 90 hours of direct faculty instruction and non-instructional time. This applies to all Wabash credit-bearing courses no matter the schedule, term length, or modality. Different course types have different combinations of direct instruction and non-instructional student work time. Students should consult their course syllabi for the instructional and non-instructional requirements for each course.

Wabash College Course Credit Standards

Minimum standard for a half-credit course: A half-credit course (two credit hours) requires six hours of work per week (the equivalent of two hours of classroom or direct instruction and four hours of out-of-class student work) over a period of 14 weeks of instruction plus one week of exams.  Half-credit courses that meet for half the length of the full semester are thus expected to require the equivalent of 12 hours of work per week (the equivalent of four hours of classroom or direct instruction and eight hours of out-of-class student work).

Minimum standard for a one credit course: A one credit course requires 12 hours of work per week (the equivalent of four hours of classroom or direct instruction and eight hours of out-of-class student work) over a semester of 14 weeks of instruction plus one week of exams. 

Minimum standard for courses over one credit. Courses offered for more than one credit, should Wabash ever elect to offer such courses, are multiples of the one credit standard.  A 1.5 credit course offering requires 18 hours of instructional time per week (the equivalent of six hours of classroom or direct instruction and 12 hours of out-of-class student work over the semester). A two-credit course offering requires 24 hours of work per week (the equivalent of eight hours of classroom or direct instruction and 16 hours of out-of-class student work) over the semester.

Capstone/Research/Independent Study/Internship courses. Capstones, directed/independent studies, research and similar courses may require students to invest a greater amount of time in work outside of class including additional reading, writing, and research activities.  These courses will frequently shift the distribution of the one-third/two-thirds ratio described in the minimum standards above. These shifts should be articulated in course syllabi or on the independent study/special registration application, as applicable. 

If in the future a course is ever offered for less than a half-credit, it should conform proportionally to the one-third/two-thirds ratio of classroom or direct instruction to out-of-class student work.

Many courses at Wabash will require students to invest more time than the required minimum to earn the credit awarded by the course. A student may not request or petition to be awarded additional academic credit for a course solely on the basis of the time beyond the minimum he invested in the course.

Forms of Instruction and Student Work

At Wabash College, classroom instruction is just one form of direct instruction. Direct instruction may occur in a variety of methods, including forms of instruction outside of regularly scheduled course hours. Instruction that defines the credit value of Wabash courses will have the characteristics of being:

  • determined by instructional faculty and made clear to students, typically via the course syllabus; 
  • organized by instructional faculty, even if someone other than the course’s faculty of record is delivering the instruction;
  • evaluated by instructional faculty, i.e. included in discussions, exams or other assignments so that students are responsible for the information.       

Direct instruction at Wabash may include the following approaches, among others:

  • Laboratory meetings that extend beyond the three regularly scheduled course hours (especially science and world language labs)
  • Required review sessions before or after scheduled examinations
  • Required library or discussion sessions outside of regular class time
  • Use of the discussion board in a learning management system (e.g. Canvas) when such assignments are determined, organized and evaluated by instructional faculty 
  • Required attendance at specific lectures by outside speakers, on or off campus
  • Required participation in community service activities
  • Required video or film viewing, music listening and engagement with other assigned media outside of class for instructional purposes
  • Faculty-recorded lectures or presentations assigned to students and evaluated by faculty
  • Concerts, museum visits, and associated field or immersion trips with required attendance
  • Required rehearsals, music lessons, or ensemble participation with faculty members
  • Required departmental or divisional colloquia
  • Visits to the Writing Center, Quantitative Skills Center, Supplemental Instruction, or similar academic support units if they are required of all students in the course and are part of the basis of a student’s evaluation in the course
  • Rehearsal, practice, and creative work when such assignments are presented as requirements for students in the course, and are determined, organized and evaluated by teaching faculty

Explanation of Credit Hour Options

Courses at Wabash College use one of these three options to demonstrate credit hour compliance. Note: An academic hour = 50 minutes. 

Option 1

For one credit courses that have four or more academic hours of direct (in-class) instruction officially scheduled in each class week during the Fall or Spring semester, or a total of 60 hours or more of direct instruction in the Summer semester. Courses valued at less than one credit require proportionately less direct instructional time.

Option 2

For courses with a fourth (or more) hour officially scheduled in a required laboratory or similar activity each week of the semester, in which students may not receive course credit without registering for this component.

Option 3

For courses meeting all of criteria a - g listed below:

a. The selected credit hour activities listed in the syllabus fall within the definitions of direct instruction listed in the College’s Academic Credit Policy from the Academic Bulletin. The Bulletin policy also provides examples of direct instructional activities to consider.

b. The activities are determined, meaning the instructor chose them, they are unambiguous, and they are explained clearly in the syllabus.

c. The activities are organized, meaning the teaching faculty member defined how these activities will be executed, even if he or she is not the person executing them.

d. The activities are evaluated, meaning the students are accountable for the information and/or skills presented as part of these activities, and their completion comprises a component of the student’s performance evaluation in the course.

e. The activities are required of all students enrolled in the course.

f. The activities complement the student learning outcomes of the course.

g. The aggregate time commitment for these activities, on average, adds up to at least one hour each week for the duration of the course. 

NOTE: Capstones or other advanced research courses may deviate from the typical ratio (4 hours of direct instruction / 8 hours out-of-class work per week per credit, on average) by offering less direct instruction and requiring more independent, out-of-class work. Such courses require the additional signature of a division chair.

Course Credits

All credits are issued as course credits. Each course credit is equivalent to four (4) semester hours. Each one-half course credit is equivalent to two (2) semester hours.

Course Numbers

Wabash courses are numbered according to the following scheme:

000 Courses not counting towards the major, minor, or distribution
100 Introductory Courses
200 Introductory and intermediate courses
300 Advanced courses
400 Departmental capstone courses

Schedule of Class Periods

Monday-Wednesday-Friday

7:45-8:50 a.m.
8:00-8:50 a.m.
9:00-9:50 a.m.
10:00-10:50 a.m.
11:00-11:50 a.m.
1:10-2:00 p.m.
2:10-3:00 p.m.
3:10-4:00 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday

7:45-9:25 a.m.
8:00-9:15 a.m.
9:45-11:00 a.m.
1:10-2:25 p.m.
2:40-3:55 p.m.

Normal Course Loads

The curriculum consists primarily of full-credit and half-credit courses. Certain fine arts practica and ensemble courses carry 0.25 credit. A typical course load is 4, 4.5, or 5 course credits per semester. First-year students are advised to enroll in no more than 4 course credits in the first semester.

Enrollment in 6 or more course credits in a semester requires approval by petition to the Curriculum Appeals Committee.

Full-time status requires enrollment in at least 3 course credits. Courses that do not apply toward the 34 credits required for graduation, including internships, and all no-credit courses do not count toward full-time status. Courses graded with the Conversion to Credit option (CC or NC grades), and Course Share courses graded on a credit/no-credit basis, do count toward full-time status.

First-year students who wish to reduce their course load to 3 course credits must obtain approval from their academic advisor and the Dean of Students. A student enrolled in fewer than 3 course credits is classified as part-time and may lose eligibility for financial aid, including Wabash, state, and federal aid, and for the Student Health Center Reimbursement Plan.

Internship Courses

Internships provide students with supervised learning opportunities in off-campus organizations. They may be used to explore career interests, develop or apply skills in a new setting, and engage new ideas, problems, and forms of service.

The internship course is a non-divisional course carrying 0.5 course credits. Internship credit does not apply toward the 34 credits required for graduation. The course is recorded on the transcript and graded Credit/No Credit.

To apply, the student must submit a proposal to the faculty member who will supervise the internship. The proposal requires approval by the supervising faculty member, that faculty member’s department or program chair, and the student’s academic advisor. Application forms are available from the Registrar’s Office. Registration in INT-298, INT-398, and INT-498 is processed through the Registrar’s Office.