McNeese State University uses the credit hour or its equivalency for academic scheduling and awarding of academic credit. This policy aligns with SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation Standard 10.7 (policies for awarding credit) as well as SACSCOC’s Credit Hours policy statement.
Credit hours are assigned to courses by the program, department, and college from which they originate in accordance with the academic work and student learning outcomes required. The credit hour assignment for each course is reviewed by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee or Graduate Council. The registrar reviews all curriculum changes and ensures adherence to this policy. The credit hour is defined in accordance with federal, University of Louisiana System, and Louisiana Board of Regents policies as follows:
*In accordance with commonly accepted practices in higher education, McNeese operates on a 50-minute class period for one hour of face-to-face instruction.
Credit hours awarded for courses delivered in non-traditional formats (e.g., condensed sessions, independent study courses, and other flexible course presentations) are based on documentation, such as the course syllabus, which provides evidence of the amount of work a typical student is expected to complete to achieve the student learning outcomes.
McNeese adheres to University of Louisiana System Board Rules Part Two, Chapter I, Section VII regarding minimum length for academic courses. For one hour of credit, a traditional lecture course shall strive to meet a minimum of 750 minutes, while a traditional lab course shall strive to meet a minimum of 1,500 minutes. Final exam periods may be counted as class time when computing required minutes. In general, at least one week of reflection is required for each credit hour earned.
Prior to each academic year, the executive director of enrollment management and the registrar develop a proposed academic calendar and a proposed schedule summary. The proposed academic calendar includes start and end dates for each academic term—regular and condensed—as well as important dates for registration, course withdrawal, mid-term and final exams, and other academic-related deadlines. The proposed schedule summary for each academic term provides the number of class meetings per month for three-credit hour courses which meet one, two, or three times a week as well as the total number of meetings for each term to ensure credit hour requirements are met. The Executive Leadership Team is responsible for the review and approval of the academic calendar and schedule.
This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.