CATALOG

COURSE SYLLABI

Faculty members prepare a course plan or syllabus for each course.  The syllabus is a guideline for the course and may be altered at the discretion of the instructor.  Changes in the course plan are communicated to the class; each student is responsible for the revisions communicated.

CREDIT HOUR AND SEMESTER DEFINITIONS

One semester credit hour represents fifteen contact hours of teaching with 30 hours of outside preparation implied.  One semester credit hour of laboratory-style courses represents 30-45 contact hours.  The academic year is two semesters of fifteen weeks each and a summer session of six or eight weeks.

CREDITS/COURSES AT HERITAGE UNIVERSITY

In addition to regular courses, several other means of obtaining academic credit are available if the student obtains approval from the academic advisor, the appropriate department chair and the Provost/AAVP.  (See also Special Department)

Credit by Examination

Selected courses may be challenged for academic credit.  Students contact the Registrar’s Office and complete the Credit by Examination Application according to the guidelines.  The examination must be completed within one year from the application date; registration for the course credits must be completed three weeks prior to the end of the semester.  Credits are indicated on the transcript as Credit by Examination with a P (Pass) if the course is successfully challenged.  No more than two courses per semester may be challenged unless approval is obtained from the Provost/AAVP.

DIFFERENTIAL SCHEDULING

With the approval of the Provost/AAVP, a regular catalog course may be offered out of sequence for an individual student through differential scheduling.  Differential scheduling is an exception and not the rule.   Differential scheduling may be considered in conjunction with other alternatives to meet degree requirements for a department. Courses in the major department  or in another department that can be substituted for degree requirements may be considered. Courses offered online by Heritage faculty or OCICU faculty may also be considered. 

Differentially scheduled courses must be considered only under the following circumstances:

• Student has achieved upper level (junior or senior level) classification;
• Only 300-400 level course may be offered on differential scheduling basis;
• Student has achieved cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better;
• Student is planning to graduate before the next time the course is offered;
• A faculty may teach no more than 3 differentially scheduled courses during a semester.
  

EDUCATION OUTCOME ASSESSMENT POLICY

Educational outcome assessment for an individual student is not a specific means of assessment, but a representative body of a student’s work. The student’s educational outcome assessment provides an ideal setting for conducting assessment of what students know and are able to do after completing a major course of study.

Heritage University educational outcome assessment policy requires that all seniors integrate specialized knowledge, theories, research methods, and technical skills they have learned over the course of their study in a particular major. Thus each graduating senior will provide evidence of accomplishing the educational outcomes of that particular major as a part of his/her graduation requirement. 

Heritage University education outcome assessment may include a senior research project, senior community project, senior thesis or materials developed in a Capstone course. In certain majors, seniors might be required to develop a portfolio of materials (e-portfolio or paper portfolio) from different courses and summarize the themes and experiences. Seniors may also be required to give an oral presentation of their project before a panel of faculty or external reviewers.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES

Independent study opportunities are available to students under the catalog headings of 390 Advanced Topic, 490 Internship, 495 Special Project and 497 Senior Thesis.  All independent studies must be approved by the Provost/AAVP.

REPEATING COURSES

A Heritage University course may be repeated.  The original and repeated course remains on the transcript but only the higher grade is computed in the grade point average and credit is awarded only once.

SPECIAL TOPICS, WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, INSTITUTES

Courses that are not listed in the catalog and that are designed to fit the needs of a particular group of students are designated as special topics and are taught as regularly scheduled courses in a given term.  The course number is a 103, 203, 303, 403, or 503 according to the level involved.

COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM

The following numbers are reserved in all departments for any level of course.  Courses with these numbers must have the approval of the Provost/AAVP and the Registrar.

COURSE SYMBOLS, PREFIXES, DESCRIPTIONS

Each course listing includes prefix, course number, course title, number of contact hours, course description and, when applicable, a prerequisite.

Symbols:

The following table identifies the course prefixes and the academic department responsible for administration of the courses at the time of this catalog printing.  Complete descriptions of the courses are given in the respective department sections of the catalog.

Prefixes: