ELECTIVE COURSE GUIDELINES

AY 2013-2014

The following guidelines will help faculty in the development of Elective course offerings for students. If you have additional questions, please contact: Tracy Lower, MD or Chris Reavis, MS.

1. Elective courses may be offered as full-time (all day), half-time (mornings only or afternoons only), or in extended blocks (Thursday afternoons for 5-week time periods).  Minimum course length is one week for full- or half-time electives and one block for extended electives.  Courses usually range in length from one to four weeks, although they can be longer.
   
   
2. Credit hours are determined by the length of the course.  One credit hour (1.0) is awarded for each week of full-time approved academic activity.  One-half credit hour (0.5) is awarded for each week of half-time approved academic activity and for each block (5 weeks) of extended elective time.
   
   
3. You may limit the number of times you will offer a course as well as the number of students you will take at one time.  A schedule will be sent to you in February on which you will be asked to indicate when you will offer the course.
   
   
4. Please indicate in the Notification Requirement Section of the Course Application how far in advance of the course start date students should contact you.
   
   
5. It is important that you clearly state your expectations of students in your Course Description, Prerequisites, and Course Evaluation Section(s).
   
   
6. Students in or near Springfield are to be released from all regular electives on Thursday afternoons to enable them to participate in extended electives.  No activities should be scheduled for this time.  If your course cannot accommodate students to be off on Thursday afternoon, please state this specifically in your course description.
   
   
7. Elective courses begin on Mondays and end on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays, at the discretion of the faculty.  Holiday time falling during elective courses is also granted at the discretion of the faculty.
   
   
8. Students are expected to attend all scheduled course activities unless specifically excused by course faculty.  It is up to the individual faculty whether or not to grant or excuse absences.  You may require students to make up any time missed &/or you may deny or reduce course credit due to excessive absences.
   
   
9. The primary course faculty will receive the course rosters for each section of the course at the beginning of the elective year.  It is the responsibility of this faculty to share the rosters with co-faculty or staff that need the information.  Updated rosters are available at: Student Schedules (password required: use your email name and password to access schedules).
   
   
10. Faculty are expected to evaluate the performance of each student enrolled in their elective course(s) in a timely fashion.  Students are graded “Pass, Fail, or Incomplete”.  You will be sent an evaluation form for each student during the last week of the course.  This form should be completed and returned to Cherie Forsyth, Y3/4 Registrar, within six (6) weeks after the end of the elective.
    
    
11. Electives should be designed to enable students to complete all coursework by the end of the course period (or the Monday immediately following).  Any elective that is started must be completed.  You may grant an “Incomplete” in order to give a student additional time to complete required course work, however, any elective not completed by the student’s date of graduation will be recorded on the final transcript as “Unsatisfactory,” and will remain on the student’s permanent transcript.
    
    
12. Students are required to submit course evaluation forms for each elective course they take. This feedback is compiled anonymously in the Office of Education and Curriculum (OEC) and returned each year to faculty, Elective Coordinators, and Department Chairs for use in program evaluation and improvement. A compilation of the feedback from all elective courses is on reserve at the Circulation Desk in the Library, and is posted on the OEC website for use by students and advisors in planning an individualized elective program.

Revised: 11/15/2011