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HTC Policies and Procedures

Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum Standards Review and Revision

Policy 01.02

POLICY STATEMENT

Purpose
Hennepin Technical College recognized the importance of keeping curriculum up to date and encourages curriculum review annually.

IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURE

Course Syllabi: The course title, course description, credit value, unit titles and course goals are subject to review annually.

Awards: The course requirements for diplomas, certificates, advanced technical specialties, and associate of applied science degrees are subject to review annually.

Quick Reference Chart

Course Syllabus Information - Attachment A
Diploma Information - Attachment D
AAS Degree Information - Attachment E
Certificate Information - Attachment F
Advanced Tech. Specialty Information - Attachment G
Timelines
Approval Proc./Courses & Awards
Responsibilities
Revision Request Form

Course Syllabus: Information and Approval Standards Checklist

CEU Course Definitions

CEU Definition: Continuing education unit. One CEU equals 10 hours of instruction.

Hour-Based (CEU) Course: Organized instruction that is not part of a major program of study.

Credit Course Definitions

Credit-Based Course: Organized instruction that is part of a major program of study.

Lecture Credit: One lecture credit equals 10-12 hours of instructional/class time plus appropriate and reasonable homework assignments not to exceed 24 hours.

Lab Credit: One lab credit equals 20-24 hours of instructional/class time plus appropriate and reasonable homework assignments not to exceed 12 hours.

On The Job Credit (OJT): One OJT credit equals 30 to 40 hours of supervised work experience (internships and clinicals).

Lecture Course: A lecture course has 0 credits of lab (no lab component). The material is knowledge based and does not have ties to a lab. Lecture courses require ten to twelve scheduled hours of instruction per credit.

Lecture/Lab Course: A lecture/lab course includes both lab-based activity and formal and impromptu lectures, demonstrations, and discussions. This type of course works well for students learning new skills. The time dedicated to lecture, demonstrations, and discussions is classified as lecture credit and involves ten to twelve scheduled hours of instruction per credit. The lab activity (student practice time, etc.) involves twenty to twenty-four scheduled hours of instruction per credit.

Lab Course: A lab course has 0 credits of lecture (no lecture component). This type of course works well for experienced students. These are production-type courses where students are practicing and improving skill levels. Because the amount of formal instructional activity is minimal, one instructor can manage a larger group of students taking this type of course. Lab courses require twenty to twenty-four scheduled hours of instruction per credit.

Technical Studies Course: Technical courses contain the knowledge and skill related to specific or similar major programs of study. The majority of the technical courses are laboratory oriented and are performance-based.

General Studies Course: General studies courses contain subject matter that is not clearly related to any specific occupational area, may apply to all defined disciplines, and is foundational in nature. General studies include developmental, applied, and general education courses in categories of communications, math, natural sciences, social science, humanities, and career literacy. All general studies courses are college level with the exception of developmental courses.

General Education Course: General education courses include instruction that impacts common knowledge, intellectual concepts and attitudes of the students who are enrolled in AAS Degree majors. General education courses contain college-level content in communications, mathematics, natural science, social science and humanities. These courses are taught by community college faculty and satisfy graduation requirements.

Course Syllabus Approval Standards Checklist

Course Number: To be assigned by the curriculum specialist.

Note: The course number on existing courses will only change if: (1) the total number of credits for the course changes, or (2) if program faculty requests a new number due to major modifications.

Course Title: The course title must represent the content of the course and capture the target audience.

Course Description: The course descriptions should be interesting to read and provide sufficient information about the course. For example, the first description below does not give the customer enough information to make a decision. The second description, on the other hand, does.

SAMPLE COURSE DESCRIPTION

Title: INTRODUCTION TO CNC PROGRAMMING AND OPERATION

Description I: This course will introduce the student to the basic concepts of numerical control It is of broad scope and generic in nature.

Description II: This course is for the person who wants to be able to edit and program, set up and run N/C machine tools. Some of the topics covered will be N/C programming formats, G and M codes, simple and intermediate manual programming in X and Y axis using linear and circular interpolation, feeds and speeds, also R-plan and Z-axis programming, cutting tools used on N/C equipment and sound tools and machining practices.

Credit/Lecture/Lab/OJT Breakdown: The amount of instructional time necessary to teach a course must be properly reflected in the credit/lecture/lab/OJT breakdown.

Course Prerequisites: Courses should be designed to keep course prerequisites to a minimum. Developmental or college level courses may be listed as course prerequisites.

Text and References: Use two categories: student purchased and instructor provided.

Student Purchased: List only the text or references that students purchase. If none are required, write “None” in this column.

Instructor Provided: List only the references supplied by the instructor.

Course Goals:

Each course goal must be written properly.
There shall be 9-14 course goals per credit or CEU.
Each course goal listed on the syllabus shall be delivered.

Credit Course Scheduling Statement: The statement listed below must be listed on each syllabus.

“The scheduled hours of instruction will include ten to twelve hours for each lecture credit, twenty to twenty-four hours for each lab credit, and thirty to forty hours for each on-the-job training (OJT) credit. Lecture credit may include formal and impromptu lectures, demonstrations, and discussions.”

CEU Course Scheduling Statement: The statement listed below must be used on each syllabus. “Ten hours of instruction will be scheduled for each CEU.”

(For additional course information refer to: Attachment “A” Instructions for Submitting Syllabi; Attachment “B” Credit Syllabus Format; Attachment “C” CEU Syllabus Format, and the current state policy on courses.)

Diploma Standards
(For additional diploma information, refer to attachment “D” Diploma Format and the current state policy on programs.)

Description
Each diploma shall have a description which explains its unique character and job opportunities.

Total Credits
Diplomas will reflect a credit total of 48 quarter credits, 64 quarter credits, 80 quarter credits or 96 quarter credits. (State policy does allow a maximum of 115 quarter credits for diplomas if there is rationale to do so.)

General Studies Requirement
The minimum number of general studies quarter credits is:

6 general studies credits for all 48 quarter credit diplomas;
8 general studies credits for all 64 quarter credit diplomas;
10 general studies credits for all 80 quarter credit diplomas; and
12 general studies credits for all 96 quarter credit diplomas.

Technical Studies Electives
The minimum number of technical elective credits for a diploma is:

4 elective quarter credits for all 48 quarter credit diplomas;
6 elective quarter credits for all 64 quarter credit diplomas;
8 elective quarter credits for all 80 quarter credit diplomas; and
10 elective quarter credits for all 96 quarter credit diplomas

AAS Degree/Standards
(For additional degree information, refer to attachment “E” AAS degree format and the current state policy on programs)

Description
Each AAS degree shall have a description which explains its unique character and job opportunities.

Total Credits
AAS degrees have a credit range from 96-115 quarter credits.

General Education Credits
AAS degrees required a minimum of 30 quarter general education credits. There is not maximum limit.

General Studies Credits
General studies credits are optional for AAS Degrees.

Technical Studies Electives
AAS degrees require a minimum of 10 quarter technical studies elective credits.

Certificate Standards
(For additional information refer to attachment “F” certificate format and the current state policy on programs.)

Description
Each certificate shall have a description which explains its unique character. The description must clearly state its purpose as either a job entry certificate or a job retention/enhancement/advancement certificate.

Definition: Job Entry Certificate
The primary purpose of a job entry certificate is to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain entry level employment. (Assumes no prior knowledge or skill in the field.)

Definition: Job Retention/Enhancement/Advancement Certificate
The primary purpose of a retention/enhancement/advancement certificate is to provide for those who are presently working in a career or have the skills to work a career. These certificates will have pre-requisites to enroll.

Total Credits
Certificates have a credit range of 15-44 quarter credits.

General Studies
General studies credits are optional for certificates. Job entry certificates, however, should include appropriate general studies courses i.e., job seeking skills, basic mathematics, etc.

Technical Studies Electives
Certificates are not required to have technical studies electives, but these electives provide additional learning opportunities which can be valuable to students.

Advanced Technical Specialty Standards
(For additional information, refer to attachment “G” advanced technical specialty format and the current state policy on programs.)

Description
Each advanced technical specialty shall have a description which explains its unique character and advanced job opportunities.

Total Credits
Advanced technical specialties have a credit range from 15-44 quarter credits.

Technical Electives
Advanced technical specialties are not required to have technical studies electives.

Timelines for Course and Award Revisions

Annual Revision Timeline for Careers Catalog:

Activity	Dates
General Studies Courses
Program Meeting Recommendation	Late Spring/September
Dean Approval Recommendation	Prior to October 1
Received by Curriculum Specialist	On or before October 5
Curriculum Committee Recommendation	October
Administrative Approval	Prior to first quarter break
Technical Courses, Diplomas, Certificates, AAS Degrees, Advanced Technical Specialties
Program Meeting Recommendation	Late Spring/November
Advisory Committee Review	September - December 10
Received by Dean	On or before December 10
Dean Approval Recommendation	Prior to December 22
Received by Curriculum Specialist	On or before December 22
Curriculum Committee Recommendation (if necessary)	Prior to January 30
Administrative Approval	Prior to February 1

Note: Deans can request an extension of time for programs doing major curriculum modifications.

Annual Course Substitutions

The curriculum specialist will provide registrars with a list of course substitutions due to diploma/course modifications in the spring of each year via the course revision descriptor.
If circumstances warrant, a memo will be provided by the curriculum specialist to the campus registrars explaining the impact of the curriculum changes on currently enrolled students.
The student advisor will update the training plan of each currently enrolled student affected by the curriculum modification.
In all cases, the integrity of the diploma will be maintained.

Other Timelines:

Adding Current Courses to Certificates/Diplomas/AAS Degrees as Electives

Appropriate courses listed in the current catalog may be added to the list of elective courses of a program’s current certificates, diplomas, AAS degrees or advanced technical specialty. All requests must be initiated at a program meeting and recommended for inclusion by an advisory committee. The curriculum revision request form must be signed by the dean.
All requests will be sent to the curriculum specialist for approval.
The curriculum specialist will add the approved courses to the list of elective courses for the affected awards and notify the campus registrars, program instructors, deans, and counselors of the approved changes.

Adding New Courses To Awards as Electives
Recognizing that there is at times an urgency to offer new courses to keep education offerings up to date with technology, new courses may be developed and submitted for approval as provided for in the guidelines below.

Each new course request must be initiated at a program meeting and recommended for inclusion into a current certificate, diploma, or AAS degree or advanced technical specialty by the advisory committee as an additional elective course. The curriculum revision request form must be signed by the dean.
All new course requests will be sent to the curriculum specialist. The curriculum specialist will review the proposed courses and make recommendations to administration. Note: Course requests that duplicate current course offerings will not be approved.
The curriculum specialist will add the approved courses to the list of elective courses for the affected awards.

Note: Courses submitted by the end of the third week of the quarter will be approved/disapproved by the end of the sixth week of the quarter. Approved courses may be offered during the next quarter. Campus registrars, deans, program instructors, and counselors will be notified of the new course offerings.

Approval Procedure for New and Revised Courses and Awards

Program meeting agreement/recommendation for the proposed revision is documented by the program meeting minutes.
Advisory Committee reviews and supports the proposed revisions. The Advisory Committee support must be documented by the Advisory Committee minutes.
The curriculum revisions request form (attached) is completed including reason/explanation for the revisions, supporting attachments and appropriate signatures, and is submitted to the curriculum specialist.
The curriculum revision request is reviewed by the curriculum specialist and recommended for approval or disapproval.
Unresolved requests are forwarded to the Curriculum Committee by the curriculum specialist. The committee discusses the merits of the proposed revisions and recommends approval or disapproval.
The curriculum revision requests which meet the guidelines as established by the Curriculum Committee are forwarded to administration for approval or disapproval.

Responsibilities

Lead Instructors Will:

Provide the dean with a copy of each new and revised syllabus with completed blue course master attached.

Provide the dean with a copy of each new or revised AAS degree, diploma, and certificate.

Note: See instructions on Attachment A.

Note: Course prerequisite numbers must be updated on each syllabus.

Deans Will:

Make sure the uniform procedures have been followed.

Obtain new and revised courses, AAS degrees, diplomas, and certificates from their respective programs.

Make sure that course numbers, titles, and credits on each syllabus match the information submitted on the degrees, diplomas, certificates, course revision descriptor, and the blue course master forms.

Send all approved curriculum revisions to the curriculum specialist.

Curriculum Specialist Will:

Review all curriculum revision requests and recommend approval or disapproval.

Submit unresolved requests to the Curriculum Committee for review.

Submit revisions recommended by the committee to administration for approval/disapproval.

Document all approved curriculum modifications.

Update syllabus inventory and catalog information.

Contact HTC at 952-995-1300 or info@hennepintech.edu