R474-1 Purpose: To direct technical colleges and degree-granting institutions with a technical college role to transition technical education from clock-hours to credit-hours.
R-474-2 References
2.1 Utah Code Title 53B, Chapter 1, Section 402(K)
R474-3 Definitions
3.1 CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) means a set of standardized tests in various subjects, qualifying scores for which may be used to earn college credits.
3.2 Clock Hour means a period of 60 minutes with a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction.
3.3 Course means a series of lectures, laboratory and/or work-based activities that pertain to a particular subject and are typically required as part of a broader curriculum (a program, for example).
3.4 Delivery Method means the method by which an instructor conveys educational instruction and content to students. Delivery methods may include traditional in-person instruction, distance education, or a hybrid of both methods.
3.5 Distance Education Delivery Method means a program that makes available 50 percent or more of its required instructional hours via online or other remote delivery techniques.
3.6 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) means a unit of measurement used to define the amount of scheduled instruction that equates to one full-time student during one academic year. An FTE is defined as 30 semester credit-hours of scheduled instruction. The credit-hours used to calculate an institution’s FTE must reflect coursework in which a student has enrolled and matriculated. The FTE does not include credits transferred from other institutions or awarded as CLEP courses, alternate documentation, or competency-demonstration.
3.7 Hybrid Delivery Method means a program that makes available less than 50 percent of its required instructional hours via distance education and the remaining hours provided through traditional in-person instruction.
3.8 Laboratory Instruction means an applied instructional setting under the supervision of institutional faculty in which students apply theories and principles learned during lectures to acquire the proficiency and dexterity that is required in the occupation for which the student is being prepared.
3.9 Lecture Instruction by a qualified faculty member or other resource which imparts the acquisition of knowledge to students the concepts, principles, and theories of an academic or technical subject.
3.10 Traditional Delivery Method – A program that requires all instructional hours to be completed in-person.
3.11 Work-Based Activities – Structured learning activities conducted in supervised work settings external to the institution or a program, or in a setting that involves the public (for example: clients who are served by the institution in cosmetology clinical or automotive technology settings) that are components of educational programs (e.g., externships, internships, clinical experiences, industrial cooperative education, and similar activities).
3.11.1 Work-based activities may also include structured learning activities that occur outside of the classroom. These activities must be planned with at least two objectives:
3.11.1.1 Provide students with the opportunity to develop and apply a ‘real-world’ work experience using the knowledge and skills they attained in their program of study; and
3.11.1.2 Provide the institution with objective input from potential employers or customers of program graduates.
R474-4 Transition to Credit
4.1 Credit Transition Implementation: The Office of the Commissioner shall establish a credit transition implementation committee made up of the Commissioner’s staff and subject matter experts from institutions to guide the transition process.
4.2 Board Approval: Each program’s transition to a credit-based model—including the delivery format—must receive approval from the Utah Board of Higher Education.
4.3 Accrediting Body Approval: Institutions shall submit applications for accrediting body approval of clock-hour to credit-hour conversion through the Office of the Commissioner following a prescribed schedule.
4.4 Programs and Courses in Certificate Granting Institutions: Programs and courses in certificate-granting institutions will retain both clock-hours and credit-hours and must reference credit hours in publications.
4.5 Semester and Credit Hour Awarded: A technical education credit hour must include at minimum the following hours of instruction:
4.5.1 30 hours of lecture;
4.5.2 30 hours of laboratory instruction; or
4.5.3 45 hours of work-based activities
4.6 Courses and programs will be measured in whole numbers of credit-hours.
4.7 The conversion of clock-hours to credit-hours for individual courses will be rounded down to the nearest whole number.
4.8 A single course may include combined lecture and laboratory instruction.
4.9 Courses that include work-based activities will not include lecture or laboratory instruction.
4.10 FTE will be calculated using semester credit-hours, based on credits attempted.
4.11 Credit will be awarded when a student successfully completes a course.
4.12 Course curriculum will provide regular and substantive interaction between faculty and students in any instruction delivered in an asynchronous format.
R474-5 Implementation Timeline
5.1 Institutions shall obtain approvals from institutional accrediting bodies, program regulatory bodies, and the U.S. Department of Education.
5.2 Institutions shall fully transition to credit in compliance with this policy by the end of FY23.
Adopted July 16, 2021
