Credit Hour
A credit hour is the amount of work required to earn a course credit and is based on a 50-minute hour of active learning. Trident courses require active engagement among students, learning materials and faculty. The goal of this active engagement is to achieve the stated learning outcomes that is verifiable by evidence of learning.
Active student engagement means that learners are interacting with faculty members and their peers and course information and background materials in many different ways. Faculty and student are engaged with, reading materials, videos, software, databases, live sessions, and other interactive exercises. These interactions support learning, researching and preparation of assignments. The student experience is monitored and guided through various interactions that may include online discussion forums, email exchanges, and grading and feedback.
Degree Program Courses
Active engagement requires student to achieve learning outcomes based on evidence. As an example, an 8-week session requires 18.75 hours of coursework per week to meet the 150 hours requirements for a 4-credit hour course. This includes time required for research, completion, and submission of all assignments. Students are expected to access and participate in each module of every course on a weekly basis. Students are also required to adhere to the university policy on Academic Participation and Substantive Interaction as published in this policy handbook.
Additional or Reduced Units
Additional or reduced units for any course varying from the 4-credit hour format must be justified if the course requires changes to student learning outcomes. This would include changes in reading, writing, discussions, or lab time requirements. Course proposals must be approved by the respective Trident Committees and Office of Compliance.
Trident Responsibilities
Trident’s Credit Hour policy re-enforces adherence and progress using established tools to measure the “accuracy and reliability” of credit hour results for all academic programs and new course development instructional formats. Trident will periodically evaluate and report on the compliance and enforcement of this policy to ensure that it meets the requirements of federal regulations and “commonly accepted practice in higher education.” The University collects and analyzes evidence of meeting the credit hour requirements.