Definition of a Credit Hour and Course Level Policy

Lander University Definition of a Credit Hour
Lander University adheres to the Federal definition of a credit hour for cumulative contact time per semester:
• One hour of classroom or direct faculty 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
• 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.
Lander University ensures a minimum of 700 minutes of instruction per credit hour (2,100 minutes of instruction for a standard, three-hour course), regardless of mode of delivery. The fall and spring semester standard meeting times for three-hour courses are a 50-minute Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule and a 75-minute Tuesday, Thursday schedule.
Summer session classes follow the same standard of 700 minutes of instruction per credit hour but because the summer sessions are shorter than a fall or spring semester, the summer terms standard meeting times are longer and more frequent.

Course Level Policy
Lander University identifies courses with numbering that labels undergraduate courses as 100s, 200s, 300s, and 400s. Lower division or introductory 100/200-level courses are typically taken during the freshman and sophomore year. Upper division 300/400-level undergraduate courses are more advanced and are typically taken during the sophomore, junior, and senior years. Graduate courses are numbered 500s – 800s. The course level for undergraduate and graduate courses indicates the level of content knowledge or skills expected for students entering the course and the level of knowledge and skills the course and its student learning outcomes are designed to produce.

Credits, Course Load, and Classification
A graduate enrolled for 6 or more credit hours during a 16-week term is classified as a full-time student.

Repetition of Coursework - A student is allowed to repeat any course, subject to the current prerequisites and the following stipulations:
1. A student can receive credit only once for any course, unless noted differently in the course description.
2. If a course is repeated once, the repeat grade will be recorded on the transcript and included in computing the cumulative grade point average. The first grade shall be recorded on the transcript but shall not be used in determining the cumulative grade point average. If a course is repeated more than once, all repeat grades will be recorded on the transcript and all repeat grades will be included in computing the cumulative grade point average.
3. Courses taken elsewhere to repeat Lander coursework may not be used to improve one’s grade point ratio average (GPA). A transfer course cannot be used to replace a Lander University course. If a student has earned a “D” or better for the same course at Lander, the transfer credit will be excluded from the student’s earned hours.
4. A student will not be allowed to repeat a course for a higher grade after a higher-level sequential course has been passed unless it is a specific graduation requirement.
The University is not obligated to continue to offer courses or programs in a prior year’s catalog that have been deleted officially from the curriculum.

Procedures regarding course substitutions, exceptions to requirements, and establishing transfer equivalencies
A course substitution means that a student may apply the credit earned in one course and substitute that credit in place of another course.
Exception to a requirement means that the student is given an exemption from completing the specific coursework necessary to satisfy a requirement. The student receives no credit for the exemption and must complete comparable elective hours. For example, a student granted an exemption to a specific requirement would have to complete another 3-hour course to make up the hours.
Transfer equivalency means a course taken at another institution covers the same set of topics and material as a course offered at Lander. If the transfer course has an accepted Lander equivalency, the student will receive credit for the corresponding Lander course. If the transfer course does not have a direct Lander equivalent, the student will receive elective credit for that transfer course. Transfer credit decisions are made by the relevant academic program coordinator and/or dean who communicates the decisions to the registrar’s office. The registrar’s office notifies the student.

Procedures for students seeking exemptions to requirements
A student seeking an exemption to a requirement established by a program must consult his or her academic advisor and fill out the Course Substitution Appeal form. The advisor will then forward the form to the Department Chair/Assistant Dean for their review, and they will then forward the form to the College/School Dean. When the review is completed and a decision is reached, the form will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar, and the Registrar will notify the student of the decision. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.