UNIVERSITY REGULATION
PART X – ACADEMIC POLICY
Chapter 10.04 - Academic Programs

R10.04.020. Degree and Certificate Program Approval.

All degree and certificate programs must be approved by the Board of Regents prior to their being offered with the exception of Occupational Endorsements, Workforce Credentials, and Graduate Certificates. The president delegates approval authority for Occupational Endorsements, Workforce Credentials, and Graduate Certificates to the chancellor.

Guidelines for the presentation of proposals to the Board of Regents to add, delete, or make major revisions in degree and certificate programs or to offer existing programs outside the State of Alaska are as follows.

1. Proposals will be submitted to Statewide Office of Academic Affairs at least 60 days prior to a scheduled Academic and Student Affairs Committee meeting in order to allow for statewide review and lead time for distribution in the committee meeting agenda. Review of program proposals will focus on Alaska's need for the program, effective use of resources, and consistency with institutional mission and program priorities. The nature and extent of program duplication and coordination of delivery among the universities and community colleges will also be evaluated.
2. All approved occupational endorsements and workforce credentials will be reported to the VPAA at least annually.
3. New degree or certificate program proposals must address the following points:
   1. degree or certificate title, university or community college unit responsible for program (e.g. Bachelor of Arts in English, UAA); 
   2. catalog descriptions of the program and of new or modified courses that constitute the major field of study; 
   3. rationale for the new program and educational objectives, student learning outcomes and plan for assessment; 
   4. relevance to the university or community college mission, goals, and objectives; 
   5. collaboration with other universities and community colleges; 
   6. demand for program (citing manpower studies or similar statistics), relation to state of Alaska long-range development, relation to other programs in the University of Alaska that may depend on or interact with the proposed program; 
   7. effects of program on other academic units (e.g. GER course requirements)
   8. availability of appropriate student services for program participants. 
   9. opportunities for research and community engagement for admitted graduate and undergraduate students; 
   10. outline of schedule for implementation of the program; 
   11. projection of enrollments (FTE (full-time equivalent) and headcount) and graduates over next five years; 
   12. availability and quality and/or requirement for new faculty and/or staff to support the program; 
   13. library, equipment, and similar resource requirement, availability, appropriateness, and quality; 
   14. new facility or renovated space requirements; 
   15. projected cost of all required resources, revenue from all sources and a budgetary plan for implementing and sustaining the program;
   16. other special needs or conditions that were considered in the program’s development (e.g. delivery mode, special faculty appointments, shared facilities, collaboration with other institutions); 
   17. consultant reviews, reports from visitations to other institutions, or names and opinions of personnel consulted in preparing the proposal; 
   18. concurrence of appropriate advisory councils; and 
   19. A Program Approval Summary of two pages in a form acceptable to AC
4. Program deletion proposals address the following points:
   1. degree or certificate title, university or community college unit responsible for program; 
   2. rationale for deleting the program (lack of relevance, drop in enrollment, loss of quality, cost containment, etc., as determined through program review); and 
   3. concurrence of appropriate advisory councils.
5. Major revisions of program proposals must address the following points:
   
   This applies to revision of degree or certificate programs that substantially alter the purpose of the program. It does not mean changes, additions, or deletion of a major or minor.
   
   1. degree or certificate title, university or community college unit responsible for program;  
   2. rationale for revision (change in focus, demand, budget, etc. as determined through program review); 
   3. justification if the revision results in duplication of a program at another University of Alaska unit, and description of collaboration with other university and community colleges within the University of Alaska; 
   4. impact the revision will have on other programs within the University of Alaska (enhance, interact, result in deletion, etc.); 
   5. requirements the revision will have for addition of new faculty and staff, new library, equipment or related resources, or new or altered space; 
   6. budgetary impacts resulting from the revision; 
   7. concurrence of appropriate advisory councils; and 
   8. an executive summary of about one page.
6. For offering existing programs outside the state of Alaska, proposals must address the following points:
   1. degree level, program, university or community college unit responsible for program; 
   2. educational objectives and rational for offering program outside of Alaska; 
   3. relevance of offering to university or community college mission, goals, and objectives; 
   4. outline of schedule for implementation of program; 
   5. projection of enrollments (FTE and headcount) and graduates over next several years; 
   6. faculty availability and quality and/or requirement for new faculty and/or staff to support the proposed program; 
   7. projection of costs and revenues and analyze the fiscal implications for the university unit and the campus program;
   8. . provisions for student services, physical facilities, equipment, library, and learning resources;
   9. authorizations from governmental or other agencies (e.g. Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, state higher education commissions) which will be needed to operate and grant degrees; and 
   10. an executive summary of about one page.

(08-10-19)

R10.04.030. Credit Hour Requirements for Degree and Certificate Programs.

Unless otherwise specified in regulation or by the appropriate academic unit, a course may be used more than once for fulfilling degree, certificate, major, and minor requirements. Credit hours for such courses count only once toward total credits required for the degree or certificate.

(08-19-14)

R10.04.035. Credit Hour Definition.

A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or 
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

(01-11-17)

R10.04.040. General Education Requirements.

1. Categories for the Common Core of General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees
   1. Oral Communication
      
      Skills Courses that fulfill this requirement provide guided practice in using oral communication as a tool for communicating ideas and responding to diverse and changing audiences. 
   2. Written Communication Skills
      
      Courses that fulfill this requirement provide guided practice in using writing as a tool for communicating ideas and responding to diverse and changing audiences
   3. Mathematics
      
      Courses that fulfill this requirement expose students to the theory, methods, and practice of mathematics in an intellectual discipline.
   4.  Natural Sciences
      
      Courses that fulfill this requirement introduce students to the theory, methods, and practice of the natural sciences, integrating basic knowledge and disciplinary methodologies.
   5.  Arts
      
      Courses that fulfill this requirement introduce students to the methods and context of the arts as academic disciplines.
   6.  Humanities
      
      Courses that fulfill this requirement introduce students to the theory, methods, and practice of the humanities, integrating basic knowledge and disciplinary methodologies.
   7.  Social Sciences
      
      Courses that fulfill this requirement introduce students to the theory, methods, and practice of the social sciences, integrating basic knowledge and disciplinary methodologies.
2. Minimum Credit Distribution for General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees
   
   

   Written Communication Skills	6 credits
   Oral Communication Skills	3 credits
   Humanities	3 credits
   Arts	3 credits
   Social Sciences	3 credits
   Mathematics	3 credits
   Natural Sciences, including a laboratory	4 credits
   In addition, students must take: At least 6 more credits from among arts, humanities, and social sciences At least 3 more credits from among natural sciences and mathematics
   Total general education credits:	34 credits

    

3. Assumptions Regarding General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees
   1. All credits must be at 100 level or above. 
   2. Requirements should be fulfilled at the 100 or 200 level. In some cases, upper division courses may meet the criteria. 
   3. A student shall not use a single course to meet more than one general education category. However, general education courses may also satisfy degree or major requirements. 
   4. General education requirements may extend beyond the 34 credit minimum described by the common core outlined in this regulation.

(10-08-18)

R10.04.060. Transfer of Credit.

In accepting credits from regionally accredited colleges and universities in the United States, maximum recognition of courses satisfactorily completed will be granted to transfer students toward satisfying requirements at the receiving institution. Coursework must be at the 100 level or above to transfer and, from institutions outside the University of Alaska, must be completed with a grade of C- or better. A student's entire transcript from any university within the University of Alaska system will be transferred to another university within the system, subject to applicability toward degree requirements and measures of academic performance as established elsewhere in Regents' Policy, University Regulation, and the rules and procedures of the university from which the student is to receive a degree or certificate.

In accordance with Policy 2.5, Transfer and Award of Academic Credit, of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the accrediting commission for University of Alaska, MAUs will institute special steps for review of transfer credits from non-regionally accredited higher education institutions in the United States. While procedures differ somewhat among MAUs, the special steps will be designed to ensure that the accepted courses are equivalent in content, delivery and outcomes to the courses offered at that MAU. These procedures will be applied on a case-by-case basis on the request of a student who has applied and been admitted to the MAU. If the student transfers within the UA system these credits would be subject to review by each MAU based on existing transfer credit standards. As such, the course may or may not apply to discipline specific degree requirements in the same manner across the UA system.

(10-10-14)

R10.04.090. Evaluation of Student Performance and Course Level Definitions.

1. Grading System
   
   This regulation establishes the common grading system applicable across the University of Alaska. All course grades will be letter grades. While an MAU need not adopt for itsuse all the elements of the common grading system, only the elements included in the common grading system may be used for the evaluation of students.
   
   The method of grading will be considered an integral part of the course structure and will be applied uniformly to all students in a course according to student status as credit or audit. Instructors will inform students of the grading mode(s) used in each course in a written course syllabus provided at the beginning of the course.
2. Grading Modes
   1. Academic letter grades: A, B, C, D, F, including + and –
      
      These letter grades will carry grade points and will be used to calculate grade point averages (GPAs).
   2. Non-academic grades CR, NB, NC, DF, I, P, NP
      
      These grades will not carry grade points and will not be used to calculate GPAs.
      These grades may be used to indicate academic progress.
      
      1. Credit/No-Credit (Student Option)
         
         A student-initiated grading option that encourages students to explore areas of interest not related to their academic major (i.e., undesignated electives). The instructor is not aware that this option has been selected by the student and grades the student using the grade mode approved for that course (A-F, P/NP, or P/F).
         
         If the final grade is “P” or “C” or higher, a grade of “CR” is entered in the student’s transcript. If performance falls below that level (“D”, “F”, “NP”), neither the grade “NC” nor the course is recorded on the student’s transcript.
         
         The student may elect the CR/NC option for one undesignated elective each semester during the first two weeks of the semester, with a maximum of 15 credits earned by this option applied to an Associate or Baccalaureate degree. Courses in a student’s major or minor, GER/core, or specific degree requirements are not allowed under this option. If a student later changes a major or minor and the course becomes a requirement, the course may be accepted in the new major or minor at the discretion of the new department. The CR/NC option is not available for graduate courses, nor can this option be used on courses repeated for GPA improvement. A student may either elect credit/no-credit status or change from it during the first two weeks of any regular semester for a prorated length of time in a compressed course period (e.g., the summer session or in any fall- or spring-semester course completed in less than the full duration of the semester by filing the appropriate forms.
      2. Pass/No-Pass and Pass/Fail Grade Modes.
         
         These grade modes are established at the time the course is approved and must apply to the class as a whole; it is not a student option. When a course is graded Pass/No-Pass or Pass/Fail, the faculty member must clearly explain this fact to the students at the beginning of the class. For performance comparison only, a grade of “P” (Pass) is considered equivalent to a grade of “C” or higher in undergraduate courses and a grade of “B” or higher in graduate courses. Pass/No-Pass and Pass/Fail grades are used to determine satisfactory academic progress and may be used to meet degree requirements. In the Pass/Fail grade mode, a "P" or “F” is recorded on the student’s transcript. A recorded “F” is used in computing the GPA.
   3. Registration status: AU, W
      
      These grades do not carry grade points, are not used to calculate GPAs, and do not indicate academic progress.
3. Grades Definitions
   1. A, including + and –
      
      A grade of “A” indicates a thorough mastery of course content and outstanding performance in completion of all course requirements.
   2. B, including + and -
      
      A grade of “B” indicates a high level of acquired knowledge and performance in completion of course requirements.
   3. C, including + and -
      
      A grade of “C” indicates a satisfactory level of acquired knowledge and performance in completion of course requirements.
   4. D, including + and -
      
      A grade of “D”, the lowest passing grade, indicates a minimal level of acquired knowledge and minimal performance in completion of course requirements. It is generally not accepted to satisfy requirements in certain majors and in graduate programs.
   5. F
      
      A grade of “F” indicates failure to meet a minimal level of understanding of course content and/or performance in completion of course requirements.
   6. CR, or Credit
      
      A grade of “CR” indicates that course credit was awarded under the credit/nocredit option and the student’s knowledge and performance was equivalent to a grade of “C” or higher.
   7. P, or Pass
      
      A grade of “P” indicates the satisfactory completion of course requirements under either the pass/fail or the pass/no-pass grade mode. For performance comparison only, a grade of “P” (pass) is considered equivalent to a grade of “C” or higher in undergraduate courses and a grade of “B” or higher in graduate courses.
   8.  NP, or No Pass
      
      A grade of “NP” indicates failure to meet a minimal level of understanding of course content and/or performance in completion of course requirements.
   9.  DF, or Deferred
      
      A grade of “DF” indicates that the course requirements may extend beyond the end of the course: e.g., thesis, project, research courses, internships, etc. A final grade and credit will be withheld without penalty until the course requirements are met within an approved time.
   10.  NB, or No-Basis
       
       A grade of “NB” indicates that a student has not completed the coursework by the end of the semester. No credit is given nor is NB calculated in the GPA. This is a permanent grade and may not be used to substitute for an Incomplete.
   11.  I, or Incomplete
       
       A grade of “I” indicates that a student has not completed the coursework by the end of the course. A final grade and credit will be withheld without penalty until the course requirements are met within an approved time, not to exceed one year.
       After one year, the “I” becomes a permanent grade.
   12.  AU, or Audit
       
       Audit is a registration status indicating that the student has enrolled for informational instruction only. No course credit is granted. The student may receive a “W” if he or she does not meet agreed-upon terms or attend the course being audited.
   13. W, or Withrawal
       
       Withdrawal is a registration status that indicates withdrawal from a course after the official course drop date.
4. Computation of Grade Point Average (GPA)
   1. Definition and application
      
      The grade point average (GPA) is a weighted numerical average of the grades earned in courses at the undergraduate or graduate level at an MAU within the University of Alaska.
      
      Once a student completes a bachelor’s degree, the student’s GPA in future work is calculated only on the credits and grades earned since the baccalaureate was awarded. An exception is made if the student is officially admitted to a second bachelor’s degree program. Undergraduate courses taken while in a graduate degree program, however, are calculated in the student’s graduate GPA only if they directly apply to the graduate degree.
   2. GPA Computation
      
      1. Grade points for each course are computed by multiplying the numerical value of the academic grade awarded, according to the chart below, by the number of credits attempted for the course.
         
         Numerical Equivalencies for Grades
         
         

         A+ = 4.0	A = 4.0	A- = 3.7
         B+ = 3.3	B = 3.0	B- = 2.7
         C+ = 2.3	C = 2.0	C- = 1.7
         D+ = 1.3	D = 1.0	D- = 0.7
         F = 0.0

          

      2. The cumulative GPA for each level (undergraduate or graduate) is calculated by dividing the number of grade points earned at that level by the total number of credits at that level for which an academic letter grade was awarded. Credits accepted in transfer from any institution outside the MAU are not used to calculate the student’s cumulative GPA.
      3. Grades of AU, CR, DF, P, NP, I and W do not carry grade points and therefore are excluded from GPA calculations. Grades received for noncredit courses, 500 level courses, continuing education units (CEUs) and credit-by-examination are also excluded from GPA calculations.
      4. Although all grades (original and repeats) for a repeated course are included in the student’s academic record, only the last grade earned for a course is used in the GPA computation, unless the course is one that may be repeated for credit.
   3. Honors
      1. Graduation with Honors: Each MAU shall establish the criteria by which graduation with honors is determined, and may elect the method by which transfer credits from other institutions are used in this determination.
      2. Semester Honors: Each MAU shall determine the criteria by which semester honors (Dean’s List, Chancellor’s List, etc.) are determined, but a student’s semester GPA for this determination shall include all letter grades awarded by any unit of the University of Alaska.
5. Course Definitions
   1. Course identification system
      
      Each course offered by the university will be identified by designators for MAU and department of origin and a three-digit number indicating the course level as defined in section B. below.
6. Course numbering system
   
   Courses offered by the University of Alaska will be numbered as follows
   
   1. Non-degree, preparatory and developmental courses.
      
      001-049: Courses with these numbers are career development courses or community interest courses and are not applicable toward any degree or certificate program, even by petition.
      
      Continuing education units may be awarded for completion of these courses. The number of CEUs awarded is related to the amount of time required to master the material presented, with one CEU typically awarded for 10 hours of active participation in a directed learning environment with an instructor available, or for 20 hours of laboratory or experiential learning where the student’s investigation and discovery are largely independent. The number of CEUs awarded is determined by the chief academic officer (dean or director) of the offering unit. Fractional CEUs may be awarded.
      
      050-099: Courses with these numbers are defined as developmental education and are designed to help underprepared students acquire the skills and knowledge needed by providing basic or supplemental preparation for introductory college courses. They may be applicable to some department awarded certificates of completion in accordance with program requirements, but they are not applicable to transcripted certificates or to associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees, even by petition.
      
      The student’s effort is indicated by credit hours (as defined in section 2. below), which are not transcripted as academic credit unless the course includes a component for evaluation of student performance.
   2. Academic Credit Courses
      
      Academic credit courses offered are expected to comply with applicable federal policy and regulations and relevant accreditation expectations and definitions relating to the definition and assignment of credit hours. Academic units will employ a regular institutional review process to assure consistency and accuracy of credit hour assignments in all courses and programs.
      
      Courses with these numbers count toward undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, and occupational endorsements as described below. Each course includes expected student learning outcomes and a component for evaluation of student performance. Student effort is indicated by credit hours.
      
      A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than: 1) one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or 2) at least an equivalent amount of work for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. Equivalencies to this standard may be approved by the chief academic officer of the university or community college.
      
      The course numbering sequence below signifies increasing sophistication in a student’s ability to extract, summarize, evaluate and apply relevant class material. Students are expected to demonstrate learning skills commensurate with the appropriate course level, and to meet, prior to registration, prerequisites for all courses as listed with the course descriptions.
      
      Academic credit courses are numbered as follows:
      
      1. Lower division courses usually taken by freshmen and sophomores
         
         100-199: Courses with these numbers introduce a field of knowledge and/or develop basic skills and concepts, usually as foundation or survey courses. They are applicable to occupational endorsements, certificates, and associate and baccalaureate degrees, in accordance with certificate/degree requirements.
         
         200-299: Courses with these numbers provide more depth than 100-level courses and/or build upon 100-level courses. These courses may connect foundation or survey courses with advanced work in a given field, require previous college experience, or develop advanced skills. They are applicable to certificates, and associate and baccalaureate degrees, in accordance with certificate/degree requirements.
      2. Upper division courses usually taken by juniors and seniors
         
         300-399: Courses with these numbers build upon previous course work and require familiarity with the concepts, methods, and vocabulary of a discipline. They are applicable to baccalaureate degrees and may be applicable to associate degrees, in accordance with degree requirements. These courses are not applicable to graduate degree requirements.
         
         400-499: Courses with these numbers require the ability to analyze, synthesize, compare and contrast, research, create, innovate, develop, elaborate, transform, and/or apply course material to solving complex problems, and generally require a substantial background of study in lower-level courses. These courses are applicable to baccalaureate degrees, in accordance with degree requirements. These courses may be applied to graduate requirements for some master’s degrees with prior approval of the student’s graduate study committee. However, except as approved for an accelerated master’s degree, a student may not apply a course to both a baccalaureate and a master’s degree. Accelerated master’s degrees may use up to twelve credits of 400-level and/or 600-level coursework to double count toward the baccalaureate and master’s degrees.
      3. Graduate level courses
         
         600-699: Courses with these numbers demand rigorous analysis, synthesis, and research skills. These courses are applicable to masters and doctoral degrees and to graduate and professional certificates, in accordance with degree requirements. With prior approval of the major department they may be used to meet degree or graduation requirements for some baccalaureate degrees, but, except as approved for an accelerated master’s degree, a student may not apply a course to both a baccalaureate and a graduate degree. Accelerated master’s degrees may use up to twelve credits of 400-level and/or 600-level coursework to double count toward the baccalaureate and master’s degrees.
         
         700-799: Courses with these numbers are primarily intended for students in doctoral-level programs and demand a level of analysis, synthesis, research or professional knowledge and skills beyond those required for 600-level courses. 700-level courses are applicable to masters and doctoral degrees and to graduate and professional certificates, in accordance with their requirements.
   3. Professional Development Courses
      
      500-599: Courses with these numbers are designed to provide continuing education for professionals at a post-baccalaureate level. These courses are not applicable to university degree or certificate program requirements, are not interchangeable with credit courses, even by petition, and may not be delivered simultaneously (stacked) with credit courses of similar content.
      
      Courses may be graded Pass/No pass or, if the course includes an evaluation component, by letter grading. The measurement of student effort is indicated by professional development credits. Each professional development credit awarded requires at least 12.5 hours of student engagement in a directed learning environment under the supervision of a qualified instructor. These courses are provided on a self-support basis.

(02-23-21)