Defining Credit Hours Awarded For Courses

Policy Description

FDTC adheres to the SACSCOC Policy Statement for Credit Hour revised by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees December 2023. (excerpt below)

Federal Definition of the Credit Hour

For purposes of the application of this policy and in accord with federal regulations, a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates

1. Not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours 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

2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required outlined in item 1 above for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practice, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

A credit hour at Florence Darlington Technical College (FDTC) is defined per South Carolina State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education Policy 3-2-201 Length of Semesters, which stipulates the following:

1. Definition of Semester Credit Hour:

a. The instructional hour will be identified as 50 minutes. One semester credit hour will be identified as 750 minutes of classroom instruction or
equivalent laboratory time.

b. Colleges have the flexibility to use alternate schedules within a term as long as each semester credit granted allows for a minimum of 750 minutes of classroom instruction or an equivalent ratio of laboratory time.

Colleges must adhere to the requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) concerning non-traditional formats. The institution must demonstrate that students in such courses have acquired competencies and levels of knowledge comparable to those which would be required of students taking similar courses in more traditional formats.

2. The Annual Semester Calendar will typically consist of:

a. Two semester terms (fall, spring).

b. A summer session or sessions structured according to local preference.

c. There will be no common system start and stop date for each term although the first semester must end before December 25.