3.2 COURSES
3.2.1 DEFINITION OF "COURSE"
A course is a unit of educational content with paced delivery to enrolled learners. It includes required interactions with the supervising credentialed instructor within a fixed timeframe and concludes with the instructor’s assessment of the learner’s attainment of specific learning outcomes. Courses may be credit-bearing or non-credit bearing.
An activity will be considered an academic college course when it substantially exhibits the following features:
- Contains educational content
- Follows a paced delivery
- Is delivered to learners
- Enrolls learners in the activity
- Requires interactions with an instructor
- The instructor has the necessary credentials
- Occurs within a defined timeframe
- Specifies learning outcomes, requirements, or the equivalents
- Involves assessment of learning by the instructor
3.2.1.1 CREDIT-BEARING COURSES IN ACADEMIC COLLEGES
Credit-bearing courses in academic colleges are recorded on an academic transcript.
3.2.1.2 NON-CREDIT-BEARING COURSES IN ACADEMIC COLLEGES
Non-credit bearing courses in academic colleges are not recorded on an academic transcript.
When overseen by the College Faculty of an educational unit, non-credit bearing courses in academic colleges do not require approval beyond the educational unit, notwithstanding any other college- or department-level rule requirements.
3.2.2 COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM
3.2.2.1 STANDARD NUMBERING SYSTEM
The number system reflects the level of course material and associated rigor. With the exception of upper graduate level and professional courses, any prerequisite restrictions limiting the level of a student accepted into a course shall be specified in a course’s prerequisites. Courses shall be numbered as follows:
001-099 No credit, non-degree and/or developmental courses
100-199 First year undergraduate-level course; undergraduate credit only
200-299 Sophomore-level course; undergraduate credit only
300-399 Junior-level course; undergraduate credit only
400-499 Advanced junior- and senior-level course; undergraduate credit only
400G-499G Senior and first-year graduate-level course; graduate credit for non-majors only
500-599 First-year graduate-level course; undergraduate and graduate credit
600-799 Upper graduate-level course; open only to graduate students
800-999 Professional programs course; open only to students enrolled in professional degree programs
3.2.2.2 Exceptions
Exceptions to course admissions requirements may be granted as follows:
Seniors demonstrating exceptional ability or preparation may be admitted to courses numbered between 600 and 799. Admissions is contingent upon approval of the instructor, the dean of the student's college and the Dean of the Graduate School.
3.2.2.3 BLOCKS OF NUMBERS FOR CERTAIN COURSES
The following blocks of numbers are set aside by the Office of the University Registrar for use of specific courses as indicated:
3.2.2.3.1 395 INDEPENDENT WORK OR INDEPENDENT STUDY
If a department offers more than one such course, numbers lower than 395 shall be used.
3.2.2.3.2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OTHER EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING COURSES
3.2.2.3.2.1 DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of experiential learning activities created and delivered from a unit faculty, any experiential learning activity that is required for a certificate, degree or academic honor recorded on the transcript must be tracked by a numbered course for zero (0) or more credit hours.
Community engagement describes the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.
3.2.2.3.2.1.1 COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Community-based learning experiences are credit-bearing in which students apply, and thereby achieve greater mastery of, theoretical knowledge in real-world settings under the supervision of a faculty member.
3.2.2.3.2.1.2 SERVICE-LEARNING
Service-learning is an integrative experience through which learners engage in thoughtfully organized actions in response to community identified assets and needs. Service-learning experiences are designed to be reciprocal exchanges of knowledge and resources accomplished through service and reflection. Learning outcomes promote academic and civic engagement and are focused on an equal balance between holistic learner development and community well-being. Service-learning can be credit-bearing or non-credit bearing.
3.2.2.3.2.1.3 OUTREACH
Outreach is a focus on the application and provision of institutional resources for community use. Outreach can be formal or informal educational approaches to deliver University (research-based) information to people and communities.
3.2.2.3.2.1.4 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Civic engagement is working to make a difference in the civic life (both political and non-political processes) of communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference.
3.2.2.3.2.2 RESERVED NUMBERS FOR COURSES
3.2.2.3.2.2.1 396 UNIVERSITY EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION
3.2.2.3.2.2.2 399 DEPARTMENTAL FIELD BASED EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION
Departmental field based experiential education may be repeated to a total of 30 hours and shall provide students the opportunity to earn credit for work-study experience, with the approval of a faculty member and the department chair or their designee. A student must work with a faculty member to describe the nature of the experience, the work to be performed, any accompanying learning experiences, appropriate course credit for the work and criteria by which the student's work may be evaluated. This information must be written and filed in the departmental office and with the Stuckert Career Center prior to the student's registration for the course. Catalog descriptions of these courses must explicitly state the requirement for completing learning contract.
3.2.2.3.3 CONS 599
CONS 599 is reserved for enrollment of consortium agreement students to assign and track financial aid awards and full-time/part-time status.
3.2.2.3.4 748 MASTER'S THESIS RESEARCH
748 Master’s Thesis Research may be repeated three (3) calendar years (0 credits).
3.2.2.3.5 749 DISSERTATION RESEARCH
749 Dissertation Research may be repeated three (3) calendar years (0 credits).
3.2.2.3.6 767 DISSERTATION RESIDENCY CREDIT
767 Dissertation Residency Credit is residency credit for dissertation research after the QE. Students may register for this course in the semester of the QE. A minimum of two (2) semesters are required, as well as continuous enrollment (Fall and Spring) until the dissertation is completed and defended (2 credit hours).
* When a new graduate degree program is approved, the establishment of the 767 course is automatic and does not need to be submitted as such through the course approval process.
3.2.2.3.7 768 RESIDENCE CREDIT FOR MASTER’S DEGREE
768 Residence Credit for Master’s Degree may be repeated once (1-6 credits equivalence).
3.2.2.3.8 769 RESIDENCE CREDIT FOR DOCTORAL DEGREE
769 Residence Credit for Doctoral Degree may be repeated indefinitely (0-12 credits equivalence).
3.2.2.3.9 770–779 SEMINAR COURSES
3.2.2.3.10 790–799 RESEARCH COURSES
3.2.2.3.11 880–889 SEMINAR COURSES IN PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
3.2.2.3.12 895–899 INDEPENDENT WORK IN PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
3.2.2.3.13 RESERVED FOR THE COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
The following are reserved for enrollments to report numbers in these categories to the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE):
3.2.2.3.13.1 PD 099
PD 099 is reserved for enrollment of Postdoctoral Scholars and Postdoctoral Fellows.
3.2.2.3.13.2 MC 800
MC 800 is reserved for enrollment of Residents and Clinical Fellows in the health care professional programs.
3.2.2.4 REMEDIAL COURSES
All remedial courses shall be designated with the letter “R” following the course designation and number. No course designated with an “R” shall count for credit toward a degree at the University.
3.2.2.5 EXPECTATIONS IN 400G AND 500-LEVEL COURSES
Combined instruction of graduate and undergraduate students in 400G and 500-level courses must be structured to ensure appropriate attention to both groups of students and include a corresponding distinction in expectations. This differentiation is to be accomplished by (a) the completion of additional or distinct assignments by the enrolled graduate students consistent with graduate-level scholarship, and/or (b) the establishment of different grading criteria in the course for graduate versus undergraduate students, reflecting a higher standard for graduate students. The grading scale for both graduate and undergraduate students must be clearly stated in the syllabus.
3.2.3 PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING COURSES AND CHANGES IN COURSES
Applications for new courses, changes in existing courses or deleting courses must be processed as provided in this rule.
This rule also applies to new or existing courses that bear the imprimatur of UK as an educational institution, are taught by UK faculty and are offered to the public. This rule applies regardless of whether the course is recorded on an academic transcript and whether the course is eligible toward a certificate or degree. This rule does not apply to individual activities of a faculty member or other UK employee in which they may use the UK logo simply to indicate their status as UK employees.
* This rule includes continuing education programs.
3.2.3.1 DEFINITIONS
If changes to a course are being proposed as a part of a new academic program or change to an academic program, those course changes shall be incorporated into the proposal for academic program change that is processed.
* The above rule will take effect when technologically feasible.
A change in course content that does not affect (a) use of the course to satisfy program requirements, (b) course number, (c) course credit hours or (d) course title, is not considered a change to an academic program and shall be processed.
In the course change procedures, the “Dean” of courses homed outside of a college is an officer appointed by the Office of the Provost to act in the prescribed manner.
3.2.3.2 PROCEDURES TO BE USED
If a proposed course cannot be used toward a credit-bearing program in an academic college, final approval of the course is conducted pursuant to the Rules of the College of the originating educational unit and does not require approval above the level of the college. The College Rules may further delegate responsibility to department or program faculties. If the originating educational unit is not administratively housed in a college, then the department chair or director shall forward the proposal to the Office of the Provost (including administrative and operational proposals/business plans).
3.2.3.2.1 APPROVAL BY THE FACULTY OF RECORD
3.2.3.2.1.1 INITIAL ACTION
The Faculty of Record of the originating educational unit decides whether to approve proposals for new courses or changes to courses (including changes to courses in the educational unit’s dual degree programs).
Proposals shall include identification of the educational unit/graduate program faculty serving as the Faculty of Record for the program, or its delegated Faculty of Record.
For programs housed outside of a college, the new program proposal shall include the form proposing the composition of the body that will serve as an educational unit’s Faculty of Record.
The respective department chair/director must send the proposal to the College Faculty in accordance with the College Faculty Rules. By doing so, they confirm that the proposal has been approved in accordance with the Rules of the Faculty of the originating unit. The department chair/director may include a separate opinion on the academic merits or on the administrative feasibility of the proposal.
* For the purposes of this rule and graduate courses, “The faculty of the originating educational unit” means the members of the Graduate Faculty of the program.
* Courses for dual degree programs are simultaneously considered for approval by the respective unit faculties pursuant to the above procedures. One of the chairs/directors shall send the approved proposal to the College Faculty, or, in the case of dual degree programs that cross colleges, to each College Faculty.
3.2.3.2.2 CROSS-LISTING
If an educational unit faculty wishes to cross-list an existing course, then it shall first seek the approval of the faculty of the educational unit that currently offers the course. If each faculty of the two units approves the cross-listing (which shall be attested to by each unit chair/director in the proposal documentation), then the requesting educational unit shall submit a form for a minor course change of the existing course. If the units are in different colleges, both deans must signify approval in the similar respective capacities as described above for the two-unit chair(s)/director(s). Cross-listing shall not be used as justification for duplication of teaching effort. The chair of the home educational unit of the course must agree on the time, place and instructor(s) in scheduling of the cross-listed course.
3.2.3.2.3 REPLACED COURSES
If a new course is created through substitution, replacement, consolidation or combination of one (1) or more courses, a form for dropping the eliminated course must be processed in the prescribed manner.
3.2.3.2.4 EXCEPTION FOR MINOR CHANGES
3.2.3.2.4.1 DEFINITION
A request may be considered a minor change if it meets one (1) of the following criteria:
1. A change in number within the same hundred series (excluding 400G to 499G, which is considered a major change). For this rule, courses numbered 600 to 799, and 800 to 999, are respectively considered to be in the same hundred series.
2. An editorial change in the course title or description that does not imply change in content or emphasis.
* If a change in course prefix is required due to prior approval of a name change of the associated academic program or educational unit, the change to a completely new course prefix may be considered minor under the following standards: (a) there is no change in course content or emphasis, (b) there is no change in the hundred series of the course number and (c) there is no change of the educational unit responsible for the course.
3. A change in prerequisite(s), which does not imply a change in course content or emphasis, or which is made necessary by the elimination or significant alteration of the prerequisite(s).
4. A new cross listing or a change in the cross-listing status of a course, as described above.
5. Correction of typographical errors.
3.2.3.3 AUTOMATIC DELETION OF COURSES FROM SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
If any course has not been taught within a four-year period, the Office of the University Registrar shall remove the description of the course from the Schedule of Classes. A course removed from the Schedule of Classes shall remain in the Office of the University Registrar’s inventory of courses for an additional four (4) years (unless the respective college submits a form requesting course deletion to the Office of the University Registrar). During the additional four-year period, the college may offer the course and, if it is taught, the Office of the University Registrar shall restore its description to the Schedule of Classes. If it is not taught within the four-year period, the course shall be removed from the Office of the University Registrar’s inventory of courses.
A course that has been removed from the Schedule of Classes but remains in the University course file may be changed following the normal change procedures. However, the change does not affect its status, and it cannot be restored to the Schedule of Classes until it is taught.
A cross-listed course which has had no subscribers in one (1) department for the past four (4) years shall continue to be listed in the Schedule of Classes if it has been taught by the other department in that time. A cross-listed course which has had no subscribers in one (1) department for eight (8) years is automatically removed from the Schedule of Classes as one of that department's courses (i.e., it is no longer a cross-listed course).