Kingsborough Community College complies with New York State Department of Education, Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and U.S. Department of Education definitions and standards of credit hours assigned to instruction. The College assigns credits based on the hours and mode of instruction (whether instruction is delivered as a lecture, in a classroom, laboratory or studio setting, or through an out-of-classroom field or clinical experience). In all cases where the hours assigned per credit differ from the standards of practice, the hours exceed the number of credits, and are based on the practice of a particular discipline and subject matter at this college or are compliant with individual professional or accreditation standards.
The College utilizes the Carnegie Unit to define one semester credit. The Carnegie semester credit is equivalent to a minimum of one hour (defined as 50 minutes) of instructional work plus two hours (100 minutes) of individual work per week per semester. This is based on a 15-week semester. Based on its 12- week semester, Kingsborough Community College defines a credit hour as 60 minutes per week plus a session (typically two hours) for a final examination in the 13th week. In a 12-week semester out of class time is two hours and five minutes per credit per week. Thus, for example, a three credit course would require six hours and fifteen minutes of individual work per week.
Kingsborough Community College encourages experimentation and innovation in the delivery of instruction, which may result in occasional variations in credits assigned for instructional hours of a course. Additional instructional hours may be assigned in coursework identified to be critical for academic progress. The rationale for assigning credits for instructional hours for every course offered for college credit is reviewed and approved by College Council.
College Credits Assigned by Instructional Mode
Lecture Courses that meet to engage multiple students in various forms of direct faculty instruction. For example:
Credits Awarded 1 credit Minimum Instructional Time (60 minutes per week):
Per 12-Week Session 720 minutes Per Final 120 minutes Session Total (12 weeks + Final):
840 minutes Credits Awarded 3 credits Minimum Instructional Time (180 minutes per week):
Per 12-Week Session 2160 minutes Per Final 120 minutes Session Total (12 weeks + Final):
2280 minutes Laboratory Courses that focus primarily on experiential activities that support student learning and are under the direct supervision of a faculty member in a laboratory setting. Minimum contact time is based on two (2) times the amount of contact time of a lecture (2:1). For example:
Credits Awarded 1 credit Minimum Lab Instructional Time (120 minutes per week):
Per 12-Week Session 1440 minutes Per Final 120 minutes Session Total (12 weeks + Final): 1560 minutes Credits Awarded 4 credits Minimum Lab Instructional Time (480 minutes per week):
Per 12-Week Session 5760 minutes Per Final 120 minutes Session Total (12 weeks + Final): 5880 minutes Laboratory hours per credit in health care related disciplines are assigned according to the standards for these disciplines at this college or to comply with accreditation requirements.
Independent Study Courses that permit a student to study under an instructor's guidance a subject or topic in depth beyond the scope of a regular course. The instructor regularly interacts with the student and directs student outcomes with periodic and final evaluation by the instructor. Minimum credit hours (corresponding to one [1] to three [3] credits) are determined based on faculty instructional contact minutes and student outside work. Such courses match the amount of time and work using the examples above.
Studio Courses taught as applied study on a private or semi-private basis. In the visual arts, instructional hours in studio settings are assigned four (4) hours of work per week for three (3) credits in recognition of the experiential, creative, skills-building nature of the work. In performance disciplines, hours are assigned according to the demands of the specific work, such as work on theatre, video or digital productions.
Professional Field/Clinical Placement Courses developed for job related or practical skills in a particular discipline. These courses allow for observation, participation, and field work, and are generally offered off-campus at an approved site.
Components of this type of instruction include a combination of supervised time by approved experts outside the college, student assignments, and time supervised by a college instructor.
Where the work takes place in out-of-classroom professional field or clinical settings, credits are assigned to instructional hours in order to accommodate the requirements of each field. At least one (1) classroom hour per week is assigned to out-of-classroom courses for work with the course instructor.
Accelerated Courses Courses offered outside a standard 12-week session in which the credit hours offered are the same as the standard session courses. The content and substantive learning outcomes are the same as those in the standard session.
Accelerated courses must meet the total amount of instructional and student work time as the examples above even if delivered in an accelerated format.
Modes of Instruction
Kingsborough Community College offers a number of instructional modalities aimed at providing students with flexible scheduling options. The below table provides descriptions for the different modes of instruction. Please note, not all courses are offered in every modality.
Modality Description In-Person classes require all contact hours to take place on campus or a designated location during scheduled times . Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and/or student- instructor). Student complete readings, assignments, projects etc. outside of class time. An In-Person class where material is provided online, via a In-Person learning management system or website, does not displace any of the required contact hours that would normally occur in a scheduled In-Person class.
All class meeting days/times are listed in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment Online Asynchronous classes require all contact hours be held online asynchronously . Instruction takes place online asynchronously. The modality allows students to access materials and assignments on a flexible schedule in accordance with deadlines set by the professor. All required instructional hours are online. Contact includes instruction, learning Online activities, and interactions (both student-student and/or student-instructor).
Online Asynchronous All the class work, examinations, quizzes, writing assignments, lab work etc.
are fully online.
Assessment activities/exams can be conducted In-Person. This information is indicated in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment.
Online Synchronous courses resemble on-campus In-Person ones in that students must be (virtually) present at the same time.
All required instructional hours are online . Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and/or student-instructor).
All the class work, examinations, quizzes, writing assignments, lab work etc.
Online are fully online.
Synchronous All Synchronous class meeting days/times are listed in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment. Assessment activities/exams can be conducted In-Person. This information is indicated in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment.
Online Mix classes offer a combination of online synchronous meetings and asynchronous online work . It is recommended that at least 25% and at most 75% of classes in Online Mix courses are scheduled to meet at a set Online Mix time online. Students attend some classes on designated online synchronous days, with the remainder of the course being delivered via asynchronous, deadline-based instruction and assignments.
All required instructional Modality Description hours are online . Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and/or student-instructor). All the class work, examinations, quizzes, writing assignments, lab work etc. are fully online.
All Synchronous class meetings days/times are listed in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment. Assessment activities/exams can be conducted in-person. This information is indicated in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment.
Hybrid classes offer a combination of In-Person and online instruction/contact hours . Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and/or student-instructor). Exclusive of exams, it is recommended that at least 25% and at most 75% of classes in hybrid courses are scheduled to meet at a set time on campus, in-person and campuses may set their own meeting schedules and guidelines within these Hybrid Hybrid parameters.
Online portions of the course are offered Asynchronous asynchronously . Students participate in online portions of the course via asynchronous, deadline-based assignments.
All In-Person meeting days/times are listed in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment.
Hybrid classes offer a combination of In-Person and online instruction/contact hours. Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and/or student-instructor). Exclusive of exams, it is recommended that at least 25% and at most 75% of classes in hybrid courses are scheduled to meet at a set time on campus, in-person and campuses may set their own meeting schedules and guidelines within these Hybrid parameters.
Online portions of the course are offered synchronously .
Synchronous Students participate in online portions of the course via designated online synchronous days. Synchronous class sessions will take place at an assigned class time(s).
All In-Person Synchronous Online class meeting days/times are listed in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment.
HyField classes offer a combination of In-Person instruction hours that occur off campus doing field-based experiential learning (e.g., primary research, museum visits, local or international team-based projects for a nonprofit or company) during scheduled times and online instruction hours that may be asynchronous and/or synchronous.
HyField classes do not require HyField classroom access—all in-person instruction occurs off-campus . Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and/or student-instructor). Synchronous class sessions will always take place at the assigned class time(s).
Modality Description All class meeting days/times/locations are listed in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment.
A HyFlex course provides students multiple learning paths and is distinguished from other mixed modality courses by relying on individual student choice from session to session, rather than having the instructor determine the modality for any given lesson.
The number of formats available to students will vary from course to course .
HyFlex courses are In-Person with option of synchronous online, and/or asynchronous online HyFlex contact hours . Contact includes instruction, learning activities, and interactions (both student-student and/or student-instructor).
All class meeting days/times are listed in the schedule of classes for students at the time of enrollment.