Policy: 4-1
Honest Credit Counting Protocols
• Effective: Fall 2013
• Approved: April 2013
1.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to establish credit counting procedures that must be used in calculating compliance of Fort Lewis College degree programs, the Liberal Arts Core, and majors with applicable minimum and maximum credit requirements in federal statute and policy, state statute and policy, Higher Learning Commission policy, program accreditors’ policy, and institutional academic policy.
2.0 COMMITMENT EXPRESSED THROUGH THIS POLICY
This policy expresses Fort Lewis College’s commitment to represent the length of degree programs honestly, forthrightly, and transparently to all stakeholders.
3.0 REQUIREMENTS
3.01 Credit Counting in Baccalaureate Degree Programs
Credit minimums and maximums for baccalaureate degree programs are specified in Fort Lewis College Academic Policy and Procedure – Section 4-2 Baccalaureate Degree Program Requirements.
3.02 Credit Counting in Liberal Arts Core
Credit minimums and maximums for the Liberal Arts Core are specified in Fort Lewis College Academic Policy and Procedure – Section 4-3 Liberal Arts Core Requirements.
3.03 Credit Counting in Majors
Credit minimums and maximums for the major are specified in Fort Lewis College Academic Policy and Procedure – Section 4-4 Major Requirements.
4.0 PROTOCOLS TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH A MINIMUM CREDIT REQUIREMENTS
Compliance with a minimum credit requirement will be determined by counting the minimum number of credits a student may be allowed to use to complete the requirements of a degree program, the Liberal Arts core, the major, or a subcomponent of the Liberal Arts Core or major.
5.0 PROTOCOLS TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH A MAXIMUM CREDIT REQUIREMENTS 2
Compliance with maximum credit requirements will be determined by counting the maximum number of credits a student may be required to use to complete the requirements of a degree program, the Liberal Arts core, the major, or a subcomponent of the Liberal Arts Core or major.
5.01 Maximum Credits in a Degree Program
5.01.01 Prerequisites
In calculating maximum credits for a degree program, the credits of all prerequisite courses in the Liberal Arts Core and major must be counted excepting:
• Required remedial courses
• Comp 126 or Comp 150
• Math 105, Math 110, Math 113
5.01.02 Double Dips Between Liberal Arts Core and Major
In calculating maximum credits for a degree program, the credits of the Liberal Arts Core must be counted at the maximum specified in Fort Lewis College Academic Policy and Procedure – Section 4-3 Liberal Arts Core Requirements Section 5.0 unless specific courses have been explicitly allowed to double dip through the documentation of honest credit counting process specified in Section 6.0 of this policy.
6.0 DOCUMENTATION OF HONEST CREDIT COUNTING PROCESS
6.01 Required Documentation
The required documentation for the honest credit counting process is the Documentation of Curriculum Compliance form, the Honest Credit Count spreadsheet, the four-year map to graduation for freshmen, and the two-year map to graduation for Colorado community college transfer students.
6.02 Start Date for Documentation
Submission of honest credit counting process documentation is required beginning with the 2013-14
Catalog of Courses.
Any curriculum changes in any subsequent catalog that affect the number of credits in a degree program, the Liberal Arts Core, the major, or any subcomponent of the Liberal Arts Core or major, require the preparation and submission of a revised documentation.
7.0 MAINTENANCE OF DOCUMENTATION
The Registrar’s Office is responsible for maintaining the historical record of documentation of the honest credit counting process as specified in Section 6.01 in this policy and providing copies of these forms in a timely manner in response to requests from college personnel or authorized external stakeholders.