Federal Compliance Document

Transcription

1 Federal Compliance Document March 205

2 Federal Compliance Filing by Institutions Effective September, 204 August 3, 205 This document outlines the information institutions should provide in a separate federal compliance section of its comprehensive PEAQ self-study report or AQIP Quality Check Up. Institutions must address the federal requirements in the information they submit to the Commission before the visit and additional supporting information on federal compliance in the Resource Room during the visit. Institutions should address these requirements with brief narrative responses and provide supporting documentation, where necessary. (Institutions participating in the Standard or Open Pathway will provide all of their information through the Assurance System.) The information requested in this document should be provided in the separate federal compliance document before the visit unless otherwise noted. The institution should refer to the Federal Compliance Guide for Institutions and Evaluation Teams in completing this template. The Guide identifies applicable Commission policies and an explanation of each requirement. Note that some federal requirements are related to the Commission s Criteria for Accreditation or Assumed Practices. This document identifies those related Criteria and Assumed Practices so that the institution may cross-reference any material it prepares to address those Criteria and Assumed Practices. Institution under review: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Assignment of Credits, Program Length, and Tuition. Complete the Worksheet for Use by Institutions on the Assignment of Credit Hours and on Clock Hours attached to this document, and submit the worksheet and the attachments listed in it. Provide information about the length of the institution s degree programs and identify and justify any difference in tuition for specific programs. The credit requirements of UWM s degree programs follow the general higher education standards. All bachelor s degree programs require a minimum of 20 semester credits. All master s level degree programs require a minimum of 30 semester credits. The professional doctorate programs (DNP and DPT) meet specialized accreditation requirements. PhD programs are research-intensive and the requirements are within the parameters of programs offered by research-intensive universities. Graduate students pursing a MS in Communication Sciences & Disorders and a MS in Occupational Therapy in the of Health Sciences are assessed tuition/fees based on a separate structure from other graduate students to help defray the high costs of those expensive programs Graduate students pursuing a MS degree in the Lubar School of Business are assessed tuition/fees based on a separate structure from other graduate students to contribute to funding intended to improve the quality of those programs. Institutional Records of Student Complaints. Explain the process for handling student complaints. Form Higher Learning Commission Contact: Published: August 204 Page

3 UWM s complaint process is seamlessly integrated into campus processes. Because complaints are housed in the Dean of Students Office where a number of advocacy functions take place, each complaint is personally addressed. Dean of Students Office works to try to empower students to resolve issues if possible. Dean of Students Office examines all cases through a lens of minimizing harm to students to determine the best outcome. The level of harm caused to the student dictates the level of intervention. Often student complaints are coupled with specific incidents for which students can go through an appeal or grievance process. Complaints that do not fall under a process are thoroughly looked into by the Dean of Students Office. Complaints are forwarded to the department head or supervisor for the unit that the complaint pertains. All cases are addressed and responded to so that students feel that their voice is heard and so that necessary changes can be made. Information for students is provided through Student complaints are coordinated within the Dean of Students Office under the Ombuds/Support umbrella. a. Overview i. Students are made aware of ombuds support via New Student Orientation, the Panther Academic Planner, campus welcome letters and s, the Dean of Students Office website, and through referral. ii. The ombuds function includes: helping resolve complaints related to tuition/financial concerns, responding to general university complaints, navigating University processes/policies, supporting students in understanding and navigating policies/processes. iii. The ombuds function is broken down into 5 areas:. Student complaint or grievance Student in need of support/resource/consultation Faculty/Staff in need of support/resources/consultation to help a student. Tuition and Fee appeal Medical Tuition Credit (to support students who have to suddenly withdraw for medical reasons) iv. For the purposes of this document, only complaints being reported. b. Process i. Students bring complaints to the Dean of Students Office via office website form, , phone, or by walking in. Faculty and staff may also forward a student complaint to the Dean of Students Office. ii. Complaints and non-financial matters are recorded in Maxient database housed in the Dean of Students Office. Matters related to tuition and fees are recorded in a separate financial database. iii. iv. Complaints are responded to within 2 business days. After consulting with the student, the Dean of Students Office staff member will determine the most appropriate way to move forward. This may include:. Advising a student through a department grievance or appeal process. Intervening on behalf of student to resolve a matter. Forwarding complaint on behalf of student (to maintain anonymity). Investigate and found no wrongdoing. Share information with a student to increase their understanding Make recommendations to change a process, policy, or communication. Keeping record of the complaint Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 2

4 v. All complaints are monitored and tracked until they reach a resolution or conclusion. Summarize the number and type of complaints and track their resolutions since the last comprehensive evaluation by the Commission. Student Complaints or Grievances Complaint Advised through Grievance/ Appeal Process Intervened on behalf of student Forwarded Complaint to Supervisor/ Dept Head Investigated and found no wrongdoing Shared policy information or advice with student Made Recommend ation to change process/ policy Recorded Complaint Academic Year 204/205 Tuition and Fees Transportation 0 Staff Issue Policy Complaint 0 Faculty Complaint Dept Complaint 3 Accommodations 0 Advising 0 Campus Employer Climate Complaint 2 2 General 2 TOTALS Academic Year 203/204 Tuition and Fees 0 Transportation 2 3 Staff Issue 3 3 Policy Complaint 3 5 Faculty Complaint Dept Complaint 3 Accommodations 0 Advising 2 4 Campus Employer 2 2 Climate Complaint 2 5 General 2 TOTALS Academic Year 202/203 Tuition and Fees 2 Transportation 0 Staff Issue 0 Policy Complaint Faculty Complaint 2 Dept Complaint 0 Accommodations Advising Campus Employer 0 Climate Complaint 0 General TOTALS TOTAL Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 3

5 In addition to the formal process housed in the Dean of Students Office, complaints may be received by individual department/unit within campus and are dealt with locally in a distributed manner. The schools/colleges/departments generally have an open door policy to allow students to discuss issues with the head of the department/unit. The data presented above do not include those that are resolved in this way. Explain how the institution integrates what it has learned from the complaint process into improvements in services or in teaching and learning. The complaint process is structured so that student s immediate concern is heard and remedied if possible. Furthermore, trends and systemic issues are examined and addressed to improve processes, change policies, provide clearer information, address staff issues, and offer greater service. In reviewing complaints, UWM improved many processes for students including: Help all schools and colleges formalize their grievance and appeal processes. Create a complaint/appeal/grievance website for students to more easily have their concerns addressed. Improved tracking of complaints, grievances, and appeals by transitioning to Maxient Database. Publish drop/withdrawal fees and deadlines more visibly. Addressed staff issues through grievance processes. Specific outcomes from complaints include: Recognized vegetarianism and veganism an acceptable reason for religious accommodation. Modified the hanging of the US flag in respect of other flags. Improve sidewalk accessibility for students who have wheelchairs. Improved accessible entrances to campus buildings. Worked with BOSS director to incorporate feedback to improved wait time and customer service from shuttle transportation LGBT Resource Center increased inclusivity training for faculty and staff. Publication of Transfer Policies. Demonstrate that transfer policies are disclosed in the institution s catalog, on the web site, or in other appropriate publications. Undergraduate transfer policies are disclosed via the UWM website at Reference is also made to transfer credit policies in admission publications, as evidenced by the UWM website at Master s degree transfer credit policy: Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 4

6 Transfer Credit form: Demonstrate that articulation agreements, at both the institutional level and the program level, are disclosed to students. Ensure that the disclosures clearly identify whether the institution under review: ) accepts credit from the other institution(s) in the articulation agreement; 2) sends credits to the other institution(s) in the articulation agreement that it accepts; or 3) both offers and accepts credits with the institution(s) in the articulation agreement. Articulation agreements are disclosed to students via the UWM website at and via the UW System website at Demonstrate that the disclosed transfer policies align with the criteria and procedures actually used by the institution in making transfer decisions. The Registrar s Office has a procedure for awarding transfer credit that strictly adheres to the policies stated on our website and in the UW System Undergraduate Transfer Policy (ACIS 0), located on the web at Transcripts are received from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for admitted students, and credit is posted based on published transfer equivalencies ( and or equivalency evaluations by specially trained staff in consultation with academic departments on campus. Practices for Verification of Student Identity. Identify whether students are enrolled in distance or correspondence courses. UWM s online distance education courses are offered through the University s Desire2Learn course management system, which uses unique student IDs and passwords, security mechanisms that protect both the integrity of student work and student privacy. In its faculty development programs, UWM s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning emphasizes the use of frequent formative assessment strategies that enable instructors to get to know students and the nature of their work. Demonstrate that the institution verifies the identity of students enrolled in these courses, that any additional costs to the student because of this method are disclosed to students prior to enrollment, and that the method of verification makes reasonable efforts to protect student privacy. There are no additional costs to students related to the security mechanisms outlined above. Title IV Program Responsibilities This requirement has several components the institution must address. The institution staff compiling this information should work with the financial aid office and the chief financial officer or comptroller. Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 5

7 . General Program Responsibilities a. Provide information regarding the status of the institution s Title IV program; in particular, submit information about recent findings from Title IV program reviews, inspections, or audits. There has been no finding from a Title IV program review, inspections, or audits. b. Disclose any limitation, suspension, or termination actions that the U.S. Department of Education has undertaken and the reasons for those actions. There has been no limitations, suspensions, or termination actions from the U.S. Department of Education. c. Disclose any fines, letters of credit, or heightened monitoring arising from the Department of Education. Explain the consequences of these challenges for the institution s short- and long-term financial health. There has been no fines, letters of credit, or heightened monitoring from the U.S. Department of Education. d. Discuss the institution s response and corrective actions to these challenges. There has been no issues, so there has been no responses or corrective actions. e. Provide information about findings from the A-33 portion of the institution s audited financial statements that identify any material weaknesses in the processing of financial aid. Finding WI-3-2 from our A-33 (FY 203) is attached. The University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee has returned $0 in Pell grants and has followed the corrective action plans discussed in the finding. Financial Responsibility Requirements. Provide information about the Department of Education s review of the institution s composite ratios and financial audits. The Commission also annually analyzes each institution s financial ratios to determine whether there might be financial concerns. The team will check with the institution and with Commission staff regarding whether the Commission or the Department has previously raised concerns about an institution s finances based on these ratios. If so, the institution should have addressed in its documents the actions it has taken and plans to take in response to these concerns. Related Commission Requirements: Core Component A, B; Assumed Practice D.. There has been no concern or contact from the Department of Education requesting a follow-up on composite ratios and financial audits. Default Rates Note for 202 and thereafter institutions and teams should be using the three-year default rate based on revised default rate data published by the Department in September 20 The institution should take steps to avoid excessive loan default rates. a. Disclose student loan default rates as provided by the Department for the three years leading up to the visit. Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 6

8 The default rates for the three most recent years published by the Department of Education are: FY 20 FY FY b. If the default rates are higher for the institution than its peer institutions, if rates are rising, or if rates have exceeded Departmental thresholds or triggered a Department review, then the institution should address the actions it has taken in response and submit to the team any corrective plan filed with the Department. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee s default rates have followed national trends and patterns and are not higher than peer institutions. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is committed to assist students to be successful at repaying loans and not entering default. The Financial Aid Department provides student-requested budget counseling, answers questions regarding repayment options, assists in Federal Exit Counseling and counsels students in financial distress. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee offers also offers a Financial Literacy course (Econ 0) for academic credit. The course discusses the economics of personal financial management and the development of successful financial skills. c. Submit information about the institution s participation in private loan programs and any loan services that it provides to students directly or that a related corporation provides to its students. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee participates in the Direct Loan program and the Perkins loan program. The Bursar s Office contracts with ECSI as a billing servicer for the Perkins loan program. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee provides students an opportunity to review private loan programs in an easy-to-use, non-biased tool called FastChoice. The Financial Aid Department links to FastChoice on their webpage to a tutorial about private loans and at the end of the tutorial, the student will be given a list of options to compare and contrasts private loans programs. If the student would like to borrow from a lender that is not available via FastChoice, the student is encouraged to contact the private lender separately. Campus Crime Information, Athletic Participation and Financial Aid, and Related Disclosures. Title IV responsibilities include the legal obligation to disclose information to students and to the public about campus crime, athletic participation and other information. Identify any findings from the Department regarding these disclosures. Supporting information: Provide samples of those disclosures in the Resource Room. There have been no findings from the U.S. Department of Education regarding these disclosures. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee provides students and the public all disclosure requirements. Examples of disclosures: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: Report-as-of-0-.pdf Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 7

9 Athletic Participation: Click on EADA report Financial Aid Handbook: Student Right to Know. Title IV responsibilities require that institutions provide graduation/completion for the student body by gender, ethnicity, receipt of Pell grants, and other data as well as information about the process for withdrawing as a student, cost of attendance, refund and return of Title IV policies, current academic programs and faculty, names of applicable accrediting agencies, description of facilities for disabled students, and the institution s policy on enrollment in study abroad. In addition, certain institutions need to disclose their transfer-out rate. Supporting information: Identify any findings from the Department regarding these disclosures. Provide samples of these disclosures in the Resource Room. There have been no findings from the U.S. Department of Education regarding these disclosures. s that could be provided: Student Right to Know: Office Assessment/Research: Financial Aid Handbook: Handbook-Final pdf Process to Withdraw: Related Commission Requirements: Assumed Practice A. Satisfactory Academic Progress and Attendance Policies. The institution is required to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress policy and an attendance policy as part of the Title IV program. Document that these policies are readily available to students, satisfy state or federal requirements, and are being appropriately applied by the institution in individual student situations. (Note that the Commission does not necessarily require that the institution take attendance but does anticipate that institutional attendance policies will provide information to students about attendance at the institution.) The Satisfactory Academic Progress policies are readily available to all students. All Financial Aid recipients are required to read the annual Financial Aid Handbook. Access to the handbook can be done via the financial aid website and is also directly linked in a student s award notification. It discusses the policy and directs students to review the webpage regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress. In addition to the required reading, every student that is enrolled in a semester, receives an regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress. Satisfactory Academic Progress policies can be found here: Departments have the right to enforce class attendance policies, and may administratively drop students that do not meet these requirements. In particular, students that fail to attend a class during the first week (or in some cases the first two weeks) may be dropped so that another Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 8

10 student may be accommodated. Specific policies vary from department to department. This information is published in our "Registration Policies," which is linked off the online Schedule of Classes. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee s F Grade Policy, documenting last date of participation and possible unofficial withdrawals can be found here: Contractual Relationships. Disclose contracts with third-party entities not accredited by a federally recognized accrediting agency. (The institution should have previously disclosed to the Commission all existing contracts and received approval for those contracts. The Commission s substantive change policy requires that the institution notify the Commission of any new contracts for up to 25 percent of an academic program, that the institution obtain prior Commission approval before initiating any contract for 25 to 50 percent of a program, and that the Commission approve contracts for more than 50 percent of a program only in exceptional circumstances under strict scrutiny. The institution should review the document, Information on Contractual and Consortial Arrangements, for more information. Related Commission Requirements: Assumed Practice A.0.) UWM does NOT have a contractual relationship with any entity to provide up to or above 25% of an academic program. 8. Consortial Relationships. Disclose consortial relationships with other entities accredited by a federally recognized accrediting agency. (The institution should have previously disclosed all consortial relationships to the Commission. The Commission s substantive change policy requires that the institution notify the Commission of any new consortium for 25 to 50 percent of an academic program and that the institution obtains prior Commission approval for any consortium that offers 50 percent or more of an academic program. The institution should review the document, Information on Contractual and Consortial Arrangements, for more information. Related Commission Requirements: Assumed Practice A.0.) UWM does NOT have a consortial relationship with any entity to provide up to or above 25% of an academic program. Required Information for Students and the Public. Submit course catalogs and student handbooks to the team. UWM publishes only online catalogs. The undergraduate catalog can be found at and the graduate catalog can be found at The online undergraduate student handbook is at The information for graduate students can be found at Identify sections of the web site that include required disclosure information Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 9

11 Advertising and Recruitment Materials and Other Public Information. Demonstrate that advertisements and recruiting materials provides accurate, timely, and appropriately detailed information to current and prospective students and that information about the institution s accreditation status with the Commission and other accrediting agencies is clear and accurate. In addition to materials for prospective students on the website, UWM produces publications that are mailed to prospective and admitted students. These publications are produced by the University Communications department in collaboration with the Admissions Office, and academic departments. All publications are vetted through several offices on campus to verify that the information presented is accurate. A sampling of the recruitment materials can be seen at Demonstrate that the institution provides such information to current and prospective students about its programs, locations, and policies. UWM provides information to current and prospective students primarily through its website. The information for current students regarding programs and academic policies are located in the undergraduate and the graduate catalogs (URLs provided in the previous section). Information for prospective students can be found at Provide the team with a link to the Mark of Affiliation on the institution s web site. Review of Student Outcome Data. Demonstrate that the institution collects information about student outcomes. UWM is actively engaged in collecting student learning outcomes in its degree programs as well as collecting information on persistence and graduation rates of students. A summary of the learning outcomes information is attached to this document. The persistence and graduation rate data are compiled and reports on these released for campus constituencies by the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research. Provide evidence that information collected about student outcomes informs planning, program review, assessment, etc. UWM analyzes information gathered through the various assessment processes related to student learning, retention, persistence, and graduation. The information is used to guide programs to plan their strategies and resource allocations to improve the outcomes. Standing with State and Other Accrediting Agencies Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 0

12 . Disclose information about any relationship with a specialized, professional, or institutional accreditor and with all governing or coordinating bodies in states in which the institution has a presence. UWM, as an institution, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Additionally, programs offered by UWM are accredited by the following agencies: ABET, Inc. Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) American Library Association (ALA) American Psychological Association (APA), Committee on Accreditation Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Commission for Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Joint Review Commission on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) National Architectural Accrediting Board, Inc. (NAAB) National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) UWM is in good standing with each of the above accrediting agencies. Supporting information: Provide the team in the Resource Room with the most recent comprehensive evaluation report and action letter from each institutional or specialized accrediting agency as well as any interim monitoring prepared for that agency. Public Notification of Opportunity to Comment. Determine what constituencies should receive the notice of opportunity to comment. These groups should include students, parents, alumni, taxpayers, donors, community groups, local businesses. The constituencies that will receive the notice of opportunity to comment include students, alumni, general public in the southeast region of the state which includes parents, taxpayers, alumni, community groups, donors, and local businesses. Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page

13 Determine what media the institution will use to solicit comments. Local newspapers, institutional web sites, and alumni magazines are appropriate choices. The notices should reach all constituencies but should not unduly burden the institution. UWM has advertised the notice of opportunity to comment in the metro Milwaukee main newspaper, Journal-Sentinel to allow all constituencies in the region of the state have the opportunity to provide comments. Additionally, UWM has sent the notice to alumni via and has posted the notice in the online student newspaper. The notices should include: the purpose and dates of the visit, the institution s accreditation status with the Higher Learning Commission, an invitation to send written, signed comments directly to the Commission, and contact information for the Commission. The notices should specify that comments must be sent to the Commission no later than four weeks before the start of the visit. Publish the notices of the visit following the prescribed format; see the Procedure on Third Party Comments. The institution must send copies of its notices to the Commission in.pdf format to legalaffairs@hlcommission.org at least a month before the comprehensive evaluation visit. Commission staff will compile the comments and the notices and send them to the evaluation team and to the institution three weeks prior to the visit. The Commission will also review and forward comments received after the deadline lapses and even during the visit, as third party comments are an important part of the comprehensive evaluation visit process. In cases where comments are of a sensitive nature, the Commission staff will ensure that the commenter is aware that comments are typically forwarded to the institution and the evaluation team with identifying information intact. In some cases, Commission staff may redact the identifying information of the commenter or summarize the comment. Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 2

14 Worksheet for Use by Institutions on Assignment of Credit Hours and on Clock Hours Instructions This worksheet should be completed by the person(s) at the institution who know the most about the institution s calendar and credit hour assignments; at many institutions the registrar may be the appropriate person to complete this assignment. The person(s) completing the assignment should work closely with the institution s financial aid officer to ensure consistency between what is reported to the Commission on this form and what is reported to the U.S. Department of Education. Purpose of this form. This form provides the evaluation team with a single source of information about the institution s calendar, credit hour policies, and total credit hour generation related to the courses for which it provides instruction, and an overview of the institution s pattern of distribution of credit hour assignments. It is not an inventory of every course the institution offers. The institution should: report on academic terms and credit for courses that support the institution s certificate and degree programs; include notes or other brief explanation in this form where appropriate to explain the allocation of credit hours; estimate or round off where appropriate; not include prior learning, transfer, etc., wherein the institution awards credit but does not provide instruction associated with that credit. Appendix A. Credits and Program Length. All institutions must complete Appendix A. Institutions that use multiple calendars may need to complete more than one section of Part One. Appendix A includes these sections: Part One. Institutional Calendar, Term Length, and Type of Credit Part Two. Format of and Number of Credits Part Three. Policy on Credit Hours Part Four. Total Credit Hour Generation Part Five. Clock Hours Supporting Materials Appendix B. Clock Hour Worksheet. Institutions should complete Appendix B only if they offer clock-hour courses/programs or are required by the U.S. Department of Education to report certain courses/programs to the Department in clock-hours for Title IV purposes. Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 3

15 Appendix A: Assignment of Credit Hours Part One: Institutional Calendar, Term Length, and Type of Credit Institutions that use multiple calendars across the institution may need to complete more than one section below. For more information about the terminology and calendaring units referenced in this form, see Federal Student Aid Handbook, Volume 3, Chapter, Academic Calendar, Payment Periods and Disbursements. Definitions in this section are taken from that Handbook. Name of Institution: Terms Column Term Length: Number of weeks Column 2 Number of Starts Semester / Trimester Calendar Standard Format: 4-7 week term Compressed Formats: 4, 8 or other week terms within the semester calendar Summer Term Winter Term 6 week 2 week 3 week 4 week 5 week 6 week 7 week 8 week 9 week 0 week week 2 week 3 week 4 week week 2 week 3 week 4 week 5 week 6 week 7 week 8 week 9 week 0 week week 2 week 3 week 4 week week 2 week Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 4

16 Quarter Calendar Standard Format: 0-2 week term Compressed Formats: 2, 5, or other week terms within the quarter calendar Summer Term 3 week Non-Standard Terms (terms that are not semester, trimesters, or quarters. A non-standard term may have the following characteristics: courses do not begin and end within a set period of time; courses overlap terms, including self-paced and independent study courses or sequential courses that do not begin and end within a term; terms may be of equal or unequal length.) Term Non-Standard Term Calendar Flex Term (Subscription Period) Column Term Length: Number of weeks Column 2 Number of Starts Column 3 Type of Credit 3 week 2 Undergraduate Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 5

17 Part Two. Format of and Number of Credits Purpose of this section Guide to Completing this Section This section asks the institution to provide a broad overview of the pattern of instructional hours required for the credit hours it awards. The chart provides a suggested approach for conveying that information to the evaluation team. The institution should feel free to make modifications in the chart or add brief notes as appropriate to explain credit hour awards, particularly in non-standard or compressed format classes. If the institution offers multiple terms, such as a compressed format term and a regular semester term, it should separate that information, typically by providing a separate chart for each term, so that the team can understand how instructional time is related to credit hour awards in each term. It is important to emphasize that the information in this section need not be extensive as long as it explains credit hour awarding across various formats at the institution. The institution should not use this section to demonstrate that it assigns credit hours appropriately relative to non-contact hour requirements such as out-of-class group meetings or homework assignments. That issue may be addressed in the institution s credit hour policy, and the team may consider it in the sample of institutional programs it will examine more carefully during the evaluation visit. Period Reported An institution may use any recent term that provides a reasonable picture of their credit hour allocations as the basis for reporting in the and for. The institution should identify on the form what term is being reported. The institution should complete a separate form for each type of term identified in Part One. Key to Rows # of Count each course offered by the institution in the row corresponding to the number of credits awarded and the column or columns representing the format of delivery through which the course or a section of that course is offered. Do not count sections of the same course if the sections are offered in the same delivery format. # of Meetings Enter the total number of class meetings (or equivalent) provided in each course with that credit award during that term; if the number of class meetings varies, enter a range. For distance, correspondence or other formats report on instructional time. Do not include study or other time where students work independently or with other students even though such time may be provided to replace time with a faculty member. time need not be limited to time spent with all students in the class in a single format. Include lab or discussion in the number of meetings if they are a required element of the course, do not have a separate course number or credit hour allocation, and if the presence of a lab or discussion is considered significant when the institution assigns credit hours to the course. If lab or discussion does meet these considerations, it need not be reflected in this chart. Meeting Length Enter the range (shortest to longest) of meeting times in each category. (Note that one hour may be 50 minutes of actual instructional time.) Key to Columns Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 6

18 Column : For courses where instructors interact with students in the same physical space for approximately 75% or more of the instructional time. Column 2 Mixed : For courses where instructors interact with students in the same physical space for less than 75% of the instructional time with the remainder of the instructional time provided through distance or correspondence education. Note that the above explanations arise from the Commission s distance education protocol. Institutions may use other thresholds for and Mixed provided that they define them clearly and include the definition on this worksheet. Column 3 : For courses where instructors interact with students through one or more forms of distance delivery. Column 4 ondence: For courses where instructors interact with students through mail or electronic interface according to a typically self-paced schedule. Federal Definitions of /ondence Education: education/course means education that uses one or more of the {following} technologies (i) to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor: and (ii) to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor, synchronously or asynchronously. The technologies used may include: (i) the internet; (ii) one way and two way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices; (iii) audioconferencing; or (iv) videocassettes, DVDs, and CD-Roms, if the videocassettes, DVDs or CD-Roms are used in conjunction with any of the technologies listed in clauses (i) through (iii). ondence education/course means: () Education provided through one or more courses by an institution under which the institution provides instructional materials, by mail or electronic transmission, including examinations on the materials, to students who are separated from the instructor. (2) Interaction between the instructor and the student is not regular and substantive, and is primarily initiated by the student. (3) ondence courses are typically self-paced. (4) ondence education is not distance education. Column 5 : For courses where instructors interact with students through a flexible format. Column 6 : Some institutions may have an evening or weekend college that, while on the same calendar, may structure its courses and credit assignments differently than the same courses offered during the regular day; institutions that offer courses in the evening or on the weekend as another scheduling option for students, but the courses provide similar class meetings or instructional time as those courses offered by the institution during the regular day need not report evening or weekend courses in this category. Column 7 Internships/: Some institutions may provide internship or practica experiences for which credits are awarded by the institution. Institutions that have professional schools in medicine, law, nursing, physical therapy, etc. that often require internships or practica with high credit allocations should provide brief summative information about the internships but not need include them in the report form. Some Examples Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 7

19 If the institution offers Calculus 20, a three credit-hour course, in and distance formats as well as through the, the course should be reported in the row for 3 credits and once in each of those columns. If the institution offers that course in a full 4-7 week standard format as well as in a compressed format, the course should be reported on one form for the standard form and in a separate form for the compressed format. If in the format instructors meet with students two times per week for.5 hours per meeting for the 4 weeks of the term, report the # of meetings as 28 meetings, and the length of each meeting as.5 hours. Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 8

20 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, week (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses # of meetings 2 Meeting length 3 hrs. # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings Meeting length 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 9

21 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 2 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses 2 # of meetings 3 Meeting length 4 hrs. # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings Meeting length 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 20

22 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 3 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses # of meetings 8 Meeting length 5 hrs. # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings Meeting length 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 2

23 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 4 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses 2 4 # of meetings 4-8 Meeting length 2-4 hrs. # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings 8 Meeting length 5 hrs. 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 22

24 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 5 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses # of meetings 5-0 Meeting length -5 hrs. # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses 3 # of meetings 8-0 Meeting length 3-5 hrs. 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 23

25 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 6 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses 5 # of meetings 5-2 Meeting length 2 hrs. # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings Meeting length 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 24

26 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 7 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses 22 # of meetings 5-4 Meeting length -3 hrs. # of courses 4 2 Credits # of meetings 7-4 Meeting length -5 hrs. # of courses 2 3 # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. 8 hrs. 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 25

27 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 8 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses 7 # of meetings 8-6 Meeting length -3 hrs. # of courses 2 2 Credits # of meetings 8-6 Meeting length -2 hrs. # of courses 3 0 # of meetings Meeting length 2-5 hrs. 5 hrs. 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 26

28 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 9 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses # of meetings # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings Meeting length 4 Credits # of meetings # of courses 5 Credits # of meetings 35 Meeting length 3 hrs. Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 27

29 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 0 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses # of meetings # of courses 6 2 Credits # of meetings 9-0 Meeting length 5-3 hrs. # of courses # of meetings 2 Meeting length 8 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 28

30 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses 3 # of meetings # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings Meeting length 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 29

31 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 2 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses 3 # of meetings -2 Meeting length hr. # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings Meeting length 4 hrs. 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 30

32 and for Complete a separate form for each term length specified in Part One, Columns and 2 above. Term and Length: Fall 204, 3 weeks (e.g. Spring 20, 6 weeks OR Spring 20, 5 weeks). Mixed # of courses Row: # of meetings Meeting length -3 hrs. -2 hrs. hr. -2 hrs..5-3 hrs. 4 hrs. -4 hrs. Credit # of courses # of meetings 25 Meeting length hr. # of courses 2 Credits # of meetings Meeting length # of courses # of meetings 2 Meeting length 2 hrs. 4 Credits # of meetings 5 Credits # of meetings Higher Learning Commission Published: August 204 Page 3