Academic Guidelines - Vincennes University - Acalog ACMS™
http://catalog.vinu.edu/content.php?catoid=36&navoid=2871[5/18/2020 3:24:37 PM]
credit hour is earned for fifteen, 50-minute sessions of direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of student
preparation time outside of class per 50-minute session throughout the semester. A typical three-credit hour course meets for
three, 50-minute sessions or two, 75-minute sessions per week for fifteen weeks. Most lecture and seminar courses are
awarded 3 credit hours.
Accelerated/Compressed: Courses offered in less time than the standard 15-week semester in which the credit hours
offered are the same amount of time as standard semester courses. The content and substantive learning outcomes are the
same. These courses must meet the definition of standard lecture contact time within the time frame the accelerated version is
offered (750 minutes per credit).
Laboratory: Practical application courses with a “hands-on,” experiential focus intended to enhance student learning (may
include use of equipment, activities, tools, and other procedures found in program areas such as technology, science, and
healthcare). Each “laboratory” credit represents a minimum of 1 to 4 hours of scheduled supervised or independent laboratory
work.
Special Instruction: VU offers two types of Special Instruction: (1) an Independent Study that allows a student to complete
a special project designed to be an in-depth investigation of a topic of interest. The student and faculty agree on the course of
study and the meeting times needed, depending on the amount of credit to be awarded. Faculty offer guidance during the
course in order to help the student meet desired goals, and the student will demonstrate competency through the completion of
a set of evaluated activities such as a paper, presentation, portfolio, or other agreed-upon projects. Credit hours for the course
must meet the credit hour definition above, based on the work completed by the student and the amount of supervision offered
by the instructor. (2) Course Pilots are a form of special instruction that allow faculty the opportunity to gauge student interest
in new courses. Pilots are typically lecture or lecture/lab courses that must meet the credit hour expectations identified for
these courses as described above.
Internships/Practicum/Student Teaching: Courses developed for independent learning focusing on the development
and application of job-related or practical skills in a particular discipline. These courses allow for observation, participation,
and field work, and are generally offered off campus. Internship/Practicum/Student Teaching time includes a combination of
supervised time, by approved experts outside the university, student assignments, and/or time supervised by a university
instructor or professor. Students will complete a minimum of 45 hours throughout the semester per credit hour.
Work-Based Learning:
Employer supervised on-the-job learning experiences where students are afforded the opportunity
to develop and apply technical skills in the workplace. Students receive 1 hour of credit for 160-250 hours of on-the-job
experience or some combination of employer-supplied classroom/lab instruction and field experience. Credit requires
employer-supplied evidence of supervised hours.
Arranged Instruction: VU offers two forms of Arranged Instruction: (1) courses that are currently part of the curriculum
and regularly offered, but are offered to students who cannot participate in regularly scheduled offerings, or (2) scheduled
courses that must be run on a per-student basis due to low enrollment. Both versions offer the same scope of instruction,
assignments, and course requirements as the regularly scheduled sections of the course with the same title, course code, and
credits. Students will meet with faculty on a regular basis, at least once a week, and faculty are available to students
synchronouly and asynchronously for the same number of minutes as required for regularly scheduled courses. For example,
16 week semester = 15 meetings (1 meeting per week for a 15 week course).
Hybrid: A course composed of both online and face-to-face instruction, where the features of both environments are used to
meet the learning objectives of the course. The majority of the course should be scheduled in the face-to-face format (no less
than 51%), which is then supplemented by online instruction (no more than 49%) to satisfy the remainder of the course. For a
three credit hour course, there should be a total of 150 minutes of instruction per week, of which no less than 77 minutes per
week must be scheduled in the face-to face format.
Online (Asynchronous and Synchronous): A course administered by online instruction where the student and
instructor do not meet in a physical location. The course has ‘asynchronous’ elements in that the student is not required to be
online at a specific time of day to complete the course work. The course also has some ‘synchronous’ elements in that the
student is required to be online at a specific time of day to complete the course work. Faculty engage students through various
methods, such as but not limited to interactive tutorials, group discussions, projects, discussion boards, chat rooms, etc. These
methods help ensure that this mode of instruction is consistent in terms of quality, assessment, learning outcomes,
requirements, etc. when compared to its face-to-face counterparts. Online courses have the same credit hour requirements,
department prefixes, and course numbers and titles as their on-campus
counterpart.
Private Lessons and Recitals:
Courses taught as applied study on a private or semi-private basis.
Students receive
anywhere from 1-2 credit hours for instruction ranging from 30-60 minutes with independent practice as prescribed by the
instructor.
Music Group/Ensembles: Courses taught as applied group music activity. Students receive 1 credit hour for 2-4