Applies to:	Original Policy Date:	Date of Last Review:	Approved by:
All Faculty; All Academic Programs	3.10.2024	3.10.2024	Dr. Hamid Rassoul, Interim Provost and Senior VPAA

Policy Owner: Office of the Provost

Policy Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish the conditions for which the inclusion of zero-credit courses as requirements for program completion are reasonable and appropriate.

Policy Scope

This policy applies to all programs at all levels, locations, and modalities.

Policy Statement

The inclusion of zero-credit courses as requirements for program completion shall be deemed reasonable and appropriate only if the following conditions are met:

• The program is not offered in an asynchronous online format.
• The course includes no more than 50 minutes of instructor contact time per week, for no more than 15 weeks in an academic term, or equivalent.
• The amount of in-class student work is minimal. (See Definition for “minimal.”)
• No student work is required outside of class time. Homework, projects, and related activities are not appropriate for zero-credit courses.
• Included zero-credit courses are graded on a S/U or P/F basis only.
• Minors, certificate programs, and associate programs may not include required zero-credit courses. Baccalaureate programs may include no more than two required zero-credit courses, and required repetition of zero-credit courses is not permitted.  Programs at all other levels may include no more than one zero-credit course, though repetition of the course each semester is permitted.
• Zero-credit course requirements apply to all students irrespective of student status (e.g., full-time or part-time) or location/modality of instruction. Waivers of requirements to complete zero-credit courses, when included as degree requirements, are not permitted.

Procedures/Guidelines

Academic units with programs that included zero-credit courses as degree requirements prior to the implementation of this policy must ensure that its programs are either in or brought into compliance with this policy within one academic year after the policy’s implementation.

All academic units either requiring changes to existing programs with zero-credit course requirements, requesting the addition of zero-credit courses as degree requirements, or proposing new programs that will include zero-credit course requirements must submit the proposed curricular changes for review and approval pursuant to the Academic Catalog Policy.

Exclusions

This policy does not apply to requirements to enroll in:

• Final Program Examination courses carrying zero credits.
• Zero-credit thesis/dissertation/capstone project/co-op education/internship experience courses for the purpose of defending a thesis, dissertation, or capstone project immediately preceding the start of a final semester or as part of a co-op/internship experience. (See Graduate Program Deadlines.)

Definitions

Zero-credit courses: These are courses listed in the university catalog that award no earned academic credit upon their successful completion.  The university catalog and a student transcript shall indicate that these courses carry and award zero academic credits.

Minimal: No more than 20 minutes of in-class work that does not require outside-of-class preparation.

Compliance Reference

SACSCOC policy on Credit Hours; SACSCOC Standards 9.7, 10.1, 10.7.

Enforcement

Programs deemed out of compliance with this policy by the Office of the Provost are subject to summary submission by the Office of the Provost for review and approval by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee or the Graduate Council, as appropriate, of any changes necessary to bring the program into compliance with this policy.