1981-1982 Senate Document #42 APC Document #35 Credit Hour Requirements 1) A major field of concentration leading to the B.A./B.S. Degree shall consist of not more than thirty-six semester hours, with a maximum of twenty-four semester hours of cognate courses, exclusive of any departmental foreign language requirements. Rationale: Most departments at UNCA have been observing this 36/24 limit already without detriment to their programs. Most peer institutions of UNCA impose similar limitations. UNCA students have gone on record as approving the limitation. The current catalogue statement on page 48 leaves room for abuse of the 60-hour limitation for major/cognate requirements by allowing departments to introduce a virtually unlimited number of required 100-level courses. Among other problems with such practice, it is questionable whether the required 100-level courses are in fact genuine introductory level courses. Therefore the phrase "above the introductory level" should be deleted from the current catalogue statement. 2) Cases may occur in which accepted national standards, professional organizations accreditation standards, and/or precedence from [similar programs at similar] institutions dictate adoption of requirements exceeding the limitations described in 1. In such cases, APC may approve the addition of a total of no more than six hours of requirements for a given program. These six hours may apply to major field and/or cognate requirements (e.g., 42/24 or 36/30 or 39/27 hours maximum, but in no circumstances shall major field and cognate requirements ever exceed 66 semester hours. Evidence to be considered in such cases shall consist of written documentation which establishes that the quality of that program would be substantially diminished in quality by strict adherence to the limitations described in 1. Rationale: The Department Chairpersons generally expressed the need for some flexibility in credit hour requirements in their responses to the questionnaire. Credit hour limitations are not useful in the unusual circumstance in which they substantially interfere with the quality of a program. The 66-hour limitation in extenuating circumstances is reasonable because: 1) exceeding this limit would infringe upon the quality of a liberal arts education by restricting the student's focus too severely, and 2) there is no precedent for programs which require more than 66 hours as peer institutions. 3) In all programs leading to the B.A. or B.S. Degree, the number of semester hours in general education courses (e.g., all-university requirements) plus the semester hours in elective courses shall total 60 semester hours. Rationale: This requirement will help ensure that UNCA students Page 2 will receive a liberal arts education by allowing students in any B.A./B.S. program to take several electives. This requirement may require students in certain major fields to complete more than 120 semester hours to graduate. This policy is more desirable than the current policy, which in effect reduces a student's exposure to liberal arts when major and cognate requirements exceed 60 hours. Fewer departments may attempt to "professionalize" their majors with excessive requirements when Department Chairpersons realize that increasing major requirements beyond the 36/24 hour limitation will not anymore mean that coursework in liberal arts will be reduced to compensate, but rather that more total coursework will be required of the student. Conceivably, a student whose major field requires up to 66 hours may have to complete a maximum of 126 semester hours to graduate. This 126 hours was in fact the graduation requirement at UNCA until recently. 4) The B.F.A. or similar degree should be given in Fine Arts-related major programs which do not conform to recommendations 1 or 2, and 3. Rationale: Because of students' need to learn both performance skills and academic content in certain Fine Arts-related programs, there is a precedent in peer institutions for allowing students to take over two-thirds of their coursework in the major. Such a concentration of coursework does not fall into the scope of a conventional B.A./B.S. degree program, and hence deserves special designation. The 45 hours of general education requirements would still apply to B.F.A. degree programs, ensuring Fine Arts Departments would be allowed the option of offering either the B.A. or B.F.A. degree, depending upon the needs of each particular program. Recommendation 4 also anticipates the possible establishment of a Music major and the development of a new track in Art in the future. 5) All existing degree programs shall be reviewed in light of recommendations 1-4. Rationale: This recommendation insures that the recommended policies be implemented. Ambiguity in the catalogue statement covering course hour limitations has led to inconsistency in application of current requirements. Resulting discrepancies need correction. 6) All departmental course hour requirements, prerequisites, etc., must be openly stated in the catalogue. Rationale: "Hidden" requirements have in the past been a source of great confusion for students, faculty, and administration alike.