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Once a student fails a course, it may not be possible for him/her to graduate on time (within 100% of the program length).
CREDIT HOUR DEFINITION
DEC awards semester credit hours. A credit hour is defined as an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement for academic activities as established by the institution comprised of the following units: didactic learning environment; supervised laboratory setting of instruction; externship; and out-of-class work/preparation. Per ACCSC formula, the following are the measures of these units for establishing credit hour awards: Credit Hour:
One semester credit hour equals 45 units comprised of the following academic activities:
 One clock hour in a didactic learning environment = 2 units
 One clock hour in a supervised laboratory setting of instruction = 1.5 units
 One hour of externship = 1 unit
 One hour of out-of-class work and/or preparation for the didactic learning environment or supervised laboratory setting of instruction that are designed to measure the student’s achieved competency relative to the required subject matter objectives = 0.5 unit
Definitions of academic activities:
 A didactic learning environment is one which is led by a qualified faculty member for the intention of teaching and learning and can be in a classroom or laboratory setting of instruction.
 A supervised laboratory setting of instruction is one where students engage in discussion and/or the practical application of information presented in the didactic portion of the program or discovered through out-of-class work/preparation (e.g., practical application settings, clinical settings, etc.) under the supervision of a qualified school faculty member.
 Out-of-class work/preparation is that which students engage in as a means to prepare for the didactic learning environment or supervised laboratory setting of instruction and must be articulated through a course syllabus. An institution must be able to justify the number of hours estimated for that outside-of-class work. The student’s work outside of class must be consistent with course educational goals and objectives; documented, assessed/graded; and serve as an integral part of the structured, sequenced educational program as described in the syllabus.
FEDERAL STUDENT AID CREDIT HOUR DEFINITIONS
In addition to the academic credit conversion formulas listed above, for certain programs of study, DEC must calculate the number of credits used for Federal Student Aid purposes using a clock to credit hour conversion formula that is different than the clock to credit hour conversion formula used for academic credits above.
Associate in Specialized Business Degree Programs
For Federal Student Aid purposes, a semester credit is
• One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class work each week for
approximately 15 weeks or at least the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
• At least an equivalent amount of work for other academic activities as established by the institution including
laboratory work, internships, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. Certificate/Diploma Programs without Homework
For Federal Student Aid purposes, a semester hour must include at least 37.5 clock hours of classroom or direct faculty instruction. No outside hours are used in the clock to credit hour conversion, but students may still be assigned homework.
Certificate/Diploma Programs with Homework
For Federal Student Aid purposes, the school’s student work outside of class combined with the clock hours of classroom or direct faculty instruction meet or exceed the numeric requirement of 37.5 clock hours to equal one semester credit; and a semester hour must include at least 30 clock hours of instruction.
STUDENT RECORDS
Student records for current students are maintained on the school premises. Students may examine their records upon request. Records for students who are not currently enrolled are stored at a climate controlled, fireproof, off-site facility maintained by DEC and may be accessed upon request.
ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPTS
Official transcripts bear a school official’s signature and the school seal; DEC releases only official transcripts.
All transcript requests should be addressed to the Education Department. The transcript request form is available at www.dec.edu/transcriptrequest. Allow 2 – 4 weeks for processing.
All outstanding school balances must be paid in full prior to the release of a transcript.
Page 48 of 88 Catalog Volume 62 -Version 3 Effective June 5, 2020