(1) Contact Type Definitions for PeopleSoft.
Listed below is the approved designation for contact hours by type.
ACT = Activity physical education activity courses.
PRA = Practicum. Learning by practical experience under direct supervision of faculty and student employer. The primary learning activity is by supervised “hands-on” experience. Including, cooperative education (-90) and internships.
DIS = Discussion - two way interaction between student and faculty.
EPA = End-of-Program Assessment. Courses in which the primary activities involve reviewing and assessing student work on their major program. Including portfolio assessment.
FLD = Field Experience
IND = Independent Study. Student works independently with the limited faculty direction. Used for (-96) and (-95) courses.
LAB = Laboratory. Instructing, preparing, and supervising student investigations and field studies. Used primarily for science based courses.
LEC = Lecture. Formal presentation, primarily one way communication. Use for Special Topic (-98) courses.
LEP = Lecture and Practice. Formal presentation of course content followed by practical application of material in a classroom or class lab setting.
PRL = Private Lesson. Students work one to one with instructor. Used primarily for private lessons in music.
SEM = Seminar. Students carry the major responsibility for course preparation, research and presentation of topics. Use for Seminar (-99) courses.
STU = Studio. Multi-level group instruction often used for music and art studio courses.
SUP = Supervision. Students engaged in supervised practical experience. Including student teaching.
THE = Thesis. Preparation of the master’s thesis (700) or undergraduate thesis.
WEB = Web. Courses designed to be taught strictly via the web.
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NOTE: This is not a complete statement of policies and procedures for the cooperative education program. That document is available in both career services and faculty senate offices.
(A) Introduction - Cooperative education (-90) is an individualized contracted field experience where the student is actively engaged in hands-on learning with business, industry, government, or social service agencies. This contractual arrangement involves a student learning plan, cooperating employer supervision, and faculty coordination.
(B) Minimum Requirements (departments may have additional requirements):
(C) Program Enrollment
(D) Awarding of Credits CWUP 5-0 Academic Affairs Page 2 of 8
(E) Student Supervision and Coordination
(3) Course numbering system:
Course numbers are usually 3 digits. However, when necessary for logical ordering, a fourth digit may be added.
Courses should be numbered according to common fields of interest - (e.g., literature, evolution, tests and measurements, etc.). Advanced courses should have the same last two numbers as beginning courses. Sequence courses covering allied subject matter should be numbered sequentially.
The initial digit should reflect the appropriate level of study.
| Year | Initial Digit |
| Freshman | 1 |
| Sophomore | 2 |
| Junior | 3 |
| Senior | 4 |
| Graduate | 5,6,7 |
The basic numbering system, both as it applies to the institution as a whole and to the grouping within subject fields, should be as follows:
| Second and Third Digit | Description |
| 01 to 09 | Introduction to Broad Areas |
| 10 to 89 | Regular Department Courses |
| 90 | Cooperative Education |
| 91 | Workshops. 1-6 credits. May be repeated if subject is different. |
| 92 to 95 | Professional Laboratory Experiences, Practica, and Field Experience |
| 96 | Individual Study. 1-6 credits. May be repeated if subject is different. |
| 97 | Honors. 1-12 credits. Prerequisite, admission to department honors program. |
| Enrichment courses using the prefix UNIV, (offered summer only) 1 credit. Graduate research courses: | |
| 98 | Special Topics. 1-6 credits. May be repeated if subject is different. |
| 99 | Seminar. 1-5 credits. May be repeated if subject is different. |
| 100 | Courses for which credit will not be counted toward degree requirements. |
| 500 | Professional Development. 1-5 credits, which will not be counted toward degree or certificate requirements. |
| 700 | Thesis, Project, and/or Examination. 1-6 credits |
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(4) Credit Allocation to Courses
The NWCCU Accreditation Handbook, 2003 edition, states "one unit for three hours of student work per week (e.g. one hour of lecture and two of study or three of laboratory) for ten weeks a quarter.......A full-time undergraduate student program is usually about 15 units but not less than 12...."
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Cross-listed courses are courses offered by two or more departments or by the same department. Any cross-listed courses offered by two or more departments must bear identical course descriptions, numbers, credits and titles, only the department prefix will be different. Cross-listed courses within the same department bear the identical course description, credit and title but may differ in prefix and number.
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(6) Graduate Courses (initial digits 5,6,7)
(A) Graduate Enrollment - Graduate courses numbered 501 and above are generally restricted to students who have a bachelor's degree and who have formally been admitted to a graduate program of the university. Competitive admission may be required for some programs. Students may be required to complete specific preparatory course work before acceptance into a graduate program, especially when the student's undergraduate degree was in a different field of study.
(B) Undergraduate Enrollment - Seniors may enroll in graduate courses with the permission of the instructor and the department chair. Credit earned by seniors may meet either undergraduate or graduate program requirements, but not both. If the credit earned by a senior is to be applied to a graduate program, approval must be obtained from the dean of graduate studies and research.
(C) Curricular Criteria - Graduate curricula are usually more specialized than undergraduate curricula, focusing on a few academic or applied areas. Introductory courses and courses that can be approached by a student without extensive preparation are not appropriate to the graduate level.
Graduate courses assume comfortable use of the terminology, knowledge-gathering methods, practical skills, and basic understanding of the discipline. Nearly all graduate students have a grade point average above 3.0 for their last two undergraduate years, and therefore, graduate courses should challenge the learning skills of these students. Graduate instruction places a greater burden on library, equipment, faculty, and administrative resources than undergraduate study. Curriculum proposals must recognize these special demands.
(D) Layered Courses - A layered course is one that has different number designations for undergraduate and graduate students who take the same course. For graduate studnets, the course will be taken at the 500 level or higher. Layered courses provide faculty the opportunity to augment course material with graduate-level content and expectations in a way that meets the intellectual rigor graduate students need and enhances the teaching of upper-division undergraduates. Distinctions expected between these corresponding levels typically focus on differences in content and assessment stemming from each graduate program's specific educational objectives. In general, these distinctions require a greater depth of study and increased demands on student intellectual or creative capacities that would be expected at an undergraduate level.
The distinctions must be clearly identified in the content and assessment methods outlined in each course syllabus, as well as new course proposal forms. Examples of potential content differences include, but are not limited to: additional readings or additional writing expectations, additional laboratory, field, performance or studio work. Examples of assessment distinctions include, but are not limited to: different grading scales and assessment of additional work.
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(A) Definition - Individual study courses (-96) are those that include study of specific topics that are not offered as existing courses. The individual study course may be repeated for credit.
(B) Process - Individual study courses are given only with the permission of the department chair. Student must secure a faculty member willing to supervise an individual study course. Faculty may agree to supervise individual study courses only in the subject area of their specialities. Faculty willing to supervise an individual study course and the student wishing to register for it should confer to determine the specific topic(s) to be studied, outline the study area, and develop specific student learning outcomes and an assessment plan. The student should complete the "Individual Study Permit" form and obtain the approval signatures of the faculty member supervising the study and the department chair. Faculty may either use letter grades or S/U depending on the nature of the study.
(C) Criteria - Faculty should approve individual study courses only if the student as demonstrated adequate background in the subject to be explored, sufficient scholastic ability to succeed in the task, and independent study skills sufficient to conduct the study.
(D) Restrictions - The individual study course is intended for individual students, not for groups of students. If the learning experience is intended for a group of students, it must be offered as a special topic course (-98) or a regular course. Examples of inappropriate use of individual study include: internships, seminars, instructional or
laboratory assistance, administrative assistance, tutoring, duplicating an existing course and groups of students doing identical individual studies.
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A) Purpose - The administration and faculty of Central Washington University are dedicated to offering broad academically sound opportunities for living and learning in
international/intercultural settings. Programs will be structured as an integral part of the academic program. Programs will be institution-wide in concept, objectives
and implementation.
(B) Responsibility - The executive director of international studies and program
s, in concert with the provost and the academic deans, is charged with coordinating and/or implementing all programs which involve either CWU students or CWU faculty. Cooperative, consortia or federated arrangements are encouraged among educational
institutions with similar aims and goals.
(C) Criteria - Recognizing the unique and diverse nature of international study, university-sponsored programs abroad will meet the same academic criteria as would be required of similar programs on the home campus.
1. When credit is granted, the student's admission status will conform to the specific requirements of the registrar’s office.
2. The teaching staff will consist of academic professionals who meet the
standards for similar programs on the campus.
3. The course offerings will meet equivalent standards and conditions as those offered on the campus.
4. Courses with INTL, FNST or MFST prefixes are not offered on campus and are available only in conjunction with international programs, foreign languages or music departments. Credit to be given depends upon the evaluation made by the office of international studies and programs.
5. Travel programs per se or commercially sponsored "Travel Study" programs will not be granted credit.
(D) Process - Approval of international studies courses.
1. A new course form will be submitted to the FSCC as a variable topic course with a specific subject title. The new course form is approved by the office of international studies and the registrar’s office before submission to the FSCC.
2. Each sub-title falling into that specific subject may change quarterly and the office of international studies notifies the registrar’s office of the course name.
3. The INTL courses will transfer into CWU as a general elective with the INTL prefix. To receive equivalency credit for an existing course, a student must petition a department for a substitution in their major.
4. International studies and programs courses that are approved CWU faculty-led courses may offer credit through individual academic departments and follow the same approval process as a special topic, seminar, or
workshop. These courses are pre-approved by the specific department. (See CWUP 5-50-020)
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(9) Lower and Upper-Division Courses (initial digit 1,2,3,4)
Lower-division courses are general introductions to a field of study. They are normally open to all students, not just those majoring in the field and are defined as 100 and 200 level.
Upper-division courses are more specific than lower-division courses and may require prerequisites. Both 300 and 400 level courses are defined as upper-division courses.
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(10) Master's Thesis, Project Study and/or Examination
(A) Master's thesis, project study and/or examination (700) course proposals will have the following catalog description:
DEPT 700: Master’s Thesis, Project Study and/or Examination (1-6). Prerequisite, permission of chair of student’s graduate faculty supervisory committee. Designed to credit and record supervised study for the master’s thesis, non-thesis project, studio project, public recital, and/or examination. Grade will be S/U. May be repeated for up to six credits.
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(11) Office of Continuing Education - Credit Offerings
(A) Authorization - The provost/senior vice president for academic affairs or designee, in keeping with HECB requirements, has authority to approve credit courses or programs offered through the office of continuing education. A degree program is defined by the HECB as a set of educational requirements, identified jointly by the department or other degree-granting unit and the college or university, which leads to a degree.
Certificate programs are courses of study that normally require less than one-quarter of the credits for a degree program at a similar level (see CWUP 5-50-010 for a complete description of certificate programs).
(B) Conditions - The following conditions must be met in order for a credit course or program to be offered through the office of continuing education:
1. The course/program must be one of the following:
a. A test of new and emerging markets which may involve
any or all of the following: A new academic course or program; A new location; A new audience of students; A new technology for delivery.
2. An offering which increases access and falls outside the limits of state supported university offerings for the main campus and university centers as determined each year by the provost/senior vice president for academic affairs.
3. A professional development (500) course as defined in CWUP 5-50-020.
a. The course/program must be taught by a member of the university faculty or a person approved by the appropriate department following the provisions of the faculty code for the appointment of faculty.
b. Students should have available the appropriate library materials, laboratories, special equipment and other facilities the course may require.
(C) Procedure - Each request for a new degree program must be submitted on a new degree program form and includes all information on the new degree program instructions form. The new degree program proposal must be approved through the CWU curriculum approval process. All new programs or existing programs to be offered in new locations must be approved by the HECB and NWCCU. Proposals for such programs must be submitted through the provost’s office in the format required by the HECB.
Certificate Program. Each request for a new certificate program must be submitted on a new minor/specialization/certificate form and must be approved through the CWU curriculum approval process.
New Course. Each request for a new course must be submitted on a new course form. Express approval of all such requests by the appropriate department chair and college dean is required.
Existing Course. Each request for an existing catalog course or previously approved special topics course, seminar, workshop or professional development course must be submitted using the continuing education course addition form (available through the office of continuing education).
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(12) Office of Continuing Education - Noncredit Offerings
(A) Purpose - As part of the continuing education of the general public, the university offers opportunities for learning which do not carry academic credit. Conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, symposia, short courses and similar learning activities are offered to individuals for professional development, learning new skills or general information.
(B) Criteria - The subject matter (content) of noncredit offerings must be consistent with the university mission and should reflect the general nature of the institution. They must not duplicate or compete for enrollment with credit bearing courses. With approval of the provost, noncredit courses may be offered out-of-state or out-of-country.
(C) Procedure - Prior to scheduling a noncredit offering, an appropriate academic department or faculty member will be consulted for input on appropriateness of the offering, credentials of instructor (if not CWU faculty), suggestions on evaluation and other recommendations to insure overall quality.
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(13) Prerequisites, co-requisites, other qualifications
(A) Prerequisites to a course are appropriate if:
1. Certain basic skills are needed for success in the course.
2. A course is one of a sequence.
3. A certain level of maturity and familiarity with the language of the discipline is necessary for success.
(B) Co-requisites may include:
1. Specific courses (or their equivalents) taken at the same time.
(C) Other qualifications may include but are not limited to:
1. Major status.
2. Specific minimum credits in the discipline.
3. Specific minimum college credits.
4. Permission of the instructor or department.
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(14) Professional Development Courses
(A) Definition - Professional Development (500) course proposals will have the following catalog description:
DEPT 500: Professional Development (1-5). Development topics and issues for in-service and continuing education of professionals. Not applicable to degrees nor institutional requirements for endorsements or teaching certificates offered through the
university. Usually graded S/U.
(B) Process - Departmental addition of a 500 catalog entry will follow the normal curriculum process for course additions. Specific 500 courses will be approved through the graduate office and at the individual college level.
(C) Restriction - Upon approval, the course may be offered for a period of five years. There is no limit on the number of times such a course may be offered during the five
year period. After the five year period, the course must be resubmitted. The office of continuing education will notify the appropriate department annually of expiring professional development courses.
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(A) Purpose - Courses/programs are put on reserve when they are not regularly scheduled course offerings. Reasons for placing courses on reserve could incl
ude temporary staffing changes, anticipated accreditation changes, etc.
(B) Time Restrictions - Courses or programs can remain on reserve for three years. After three years, they will be deleted automatically unless the department chair grants special permission to extend the reserve status.
Courses that have not been taught for three years and are not on the reserve list, will automatically be placed on reserve by the registrar’s office and will follow the policy for reserve courses or programs.
(C) Process - Courses or programs to be placed on or taken off reserve should be submitted using the course or program reserve form for approval by the appropriate individuals as identified on the form and are sent to the FSCC for review.
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(A) ADA. To be in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodative Policy, learning outcomes must be explicitly stated and must specify “essential elements” for ADA purposes and specific measures for assessment. The student learning outcomes specify a body of knowledge that the department wants taught each time a course is offered regardless of who the teacher may be. The educational processes that will be used in evaluating students, which may vary with different instructors, need to be separate from the essential elements. Such elements may be attendance, participation, quizzes, papers, presentations, and projects.
Here is an example of a statement that may be included on the syllabus that has been endorsed by the ADA officer:
ADA. Students who have documented disabilities that may affect their ability to access information and/or material presented in this course are encouraged to contact the Disability Support Services (DSS) office so that appropriate academic adjustments and accommodations can be provided. Students who have not documented their disabilities and wish to arrange for academic adjustments and accommodations, as well as students who require additional information should contact Disability
Support Services in Bouillon Hall, Room 205 or telephone
963-2171 (TDD 963-2143).
An ADA Form must be attached to new course forms, special topic, seminar and workshop forms, enrichment course forms, and course change forms.
(B) Appropriate Level for Enrollment. Students may elect courses with a number designated for the year beyond their actual class standing unless the course description specifies otherwise.
Departments may restrict students from enrolling in lower-level courses if they have completed work in the discipline at a higher level, or they show competence in the lower level course content.
(C) Credit Restrictions. Credit for a course may not be given more than once unless the catalog specifies otherwise.
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(17) Workshops, Special Topics, Seminars, Enrichment Courses
(A) Definitions
1. Workshops (-91) are non-lecture courses which require students to research, develop, present, and discuss projects and ideas. No more than eight credits can be applied to a master's program. Usually graded S/U.
2. Special Topics (-98) are courses offered on a trial basis and must meet standards applied to regular courses.
3. Seminars (-99) are courses in which students meet to report on and discuss research.
4. Enrichment courses (UNIV -97) are academic courses designed to provide students opportunities to explore, in a short course (1 quarter hour) format, topics of academic substance not otherwise offered in the extant curriculum. These courses cannot be substituted for general education, major or minor requirements. Individual course requirements, levels and prerequisites differ as needed to reflect the academic nature and purpose of courses. Upper division enrichment courses stipulating one or more prerequisites pursue depth or narrow concentration in topic. Lower division courses with no prerequisites are pursuing an introductory or breadth objective. Only eight enrichment course credits can be counted toward a student’s elective degree requirements. Enrichment courses are offered in summer session only. Graded S/U only.
(B) Process
1. Workshops should be submitted using the seminar, special topics, workshop form for approval by the appropriate individuals as identified on the form and will follow the normal curriculum process for course additions.
2. Special topics and seminars should be submitted using the seminar, special topics, workshop form for approval by the appropriate individuals as identified on the form
and will follow the normal curriculum process for course additions.
3. Enrichment courses should be submitted on the enrichment course form for approval by the appropriate individuals as identified on that form and will follow
the normal curriculum process for course additions.
(C) Time Restriction - Courses offered as (-91), (-98) and (-99) are temporary offerings. These numbers are used to describe courses offered on an experimental basis, for topical issues, and for niche markets. Upon approval, the course may be offered for a period of three years. Any subsequent offering must be as a regular course (numbered 10 to 89), submitted and approved through the established curriculum process. Courses offered as a UNIV -97, are also temporary offerings. These courses are offered for only one quarter and must be resubmitted if offered again. The provost’s office will notify all departments quarterly of expiring special topics, seminars, or
workshops.
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