Purpose: To provide clarity for the determination of appropriate contact hours per credit hour based on Colorado Commission on Higher Education recommendation.
Federal Credit Hour Definition
Morgan Community College (MCC) shall follow the Federal Credit Hour Definition: A credit hour is the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
- 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
- at least an equivalent amount of work as required for other activities including lab work, internships, practical, studio work or other academic work leading towards the award of credit Higher Learning Commission
Base Contact Hour
Base Contact Hour: The base contact hour consists of the number of scheduled minutes of instructional activity involving direct contact of faculty with students in a given term utilizing a particular method of instruction.
One base contact hour is equivalent to a minimum of 750 minutes, in a general education course, which equates to a minimum of fifteen 50-minute hours per semester. This represents a 1:1 ratio, where 1 credit hour equals 750 minutes of instruction. The base contact hour does not include the time students are expected to spend studying and preparing for class.
The ratio shall be adjusted based on the instructional activity. These definitions are derived from CDHE.
Lecture is a 1:1 ratio, whereas lab ratios vary depending on the type as described below:
| Instructional Activity | Definition of Instructional Activity | Base Contact hours for 1 credit hour | Ratio of Base Contact Hours to Credit Hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | Formal presentation/communication by faculty | 15 | 1:1 |
| Laboratory: Academic/Clinical | Instructional activities conducted by faculty requiring student participation, experimentation, observation, or practice. An academic lab or clinical experience is a hands-on educational exercise that reinforces and deepens the content in a subject of study. Faculty must have direct oversight with this instructional activity, the faculty member is present at all times and engaged in assessing the work done by the student. | 30 | 1:2 |
| Laboratory: Vocational/Technical | Instructional activities involving training for employment in a work-like environment with an active faculty teaching role. A vocational or technical lab delivers specific skills as part of workforce training in an instructor-led environment. | 22.5 | 1:1.5 |
| Practicum | Credit hours for placement in business and industry environments that offer students seeking a certificate or degree, professional-level experience, and responsibility. College faculty are actively involved and present in the field. The faculty member will also collect artifacts and assess achievement of the learning objectives. | 45 | 1:3 |
| Internship | Credit hours for placement in business and industry environments that offer students seeking a certificate or degree, professional-level experience, and responsibility. The internship is to be supervised and carefully structured, based on learning objectives that are related to the student’s academic discipline. The objectives are to be established in cooperation with the student, employer, and faculty. The immediate oversight and feedback provided is primarily by the business or industry employer, with occasional oversight by the faculty member. | 45 | 1:3 |
| Music: Studio | Bands, ensembles, music labs and the like conducted by faculty. | 37.5 | 1:2.5 |
| Physical Education/Recreation | Physical education and recreation activities conducted by faculty designed for the development of skill proficiencies. | 30 | 1:2 |
| Art Studio | Painting, sculpture, and other lab type activities conducted by the faculty. | 30 | 1:2 |
It is to be noted the above table refers to instructional contact hours and may not be directly correlated to faculty workload.
Scheduling Information
“Instructional Type” and “Schedule Type” are separate concepts. Instructional type refers to the above descriptions for various activities used to delivery content/experience. Schedule type refers to the designation in Banner for each course that aligns with the instructional type. Banner includes the expected contact hours per credit hours (based on instructional type) for the course whereas the schedule refers to actual hours based on the Carnegie unit of 750 minutes per credit.
| Instructional Activity | Ratio | Actual Contact Hours per Credit Hour (in Banner) | Banner Schedule Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 1:1 | 12.5 (15) | LEC |
| Laboratory: Academic/Clinical | 1:2 | 25 (30) | Lab CLI |
| Lecture + Laboratory: Vocational/Technical (CTE) | 1:1.5 | 18.75 (22.5) | LLB |
| Lecture and Academic or Clinical Combination | Lecture 1:1 Laboratory 1:2 |
Lecture 12.5 (15) Lab 25 (30) |
LEL |
| Practicum | 1:3 | 37.5 (45) | PRA |
| Internships | 1:3 | 37.5 (45) | INT |
| Music Studio | 1:2.5 | 31.25 (37.5) | SMU |
| Physical Education | 1:2 | 25 (30) | LAB |