Policy Title: Academic Program Compliance
Policy Number: 4.1
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose: The Board of Trustees oversees the administration of degree and certificate programs for the College. The Board of Trustees has the authority to review, approve, temporarily suspend, and delete programs.
The Board mandates the College president maintains institutional accreditation and meet State and Federal reporting requirements. All programs shall be approved by the Curriculum and Learning Council, the President’s Cabinet, the Board of Trustees, the Wyoming Community College Commission, and appropriate accrediting bodies.
The College is authorized to offer the following degrees and certificates:
• Associate of Arts: A degree designed for students pursuing the arts, humanities, social sciences, and related disciplines. This degree prepares the student for transfer to a baccalaureate degree program and includes substantial coursework in the humanities, social sciences, and liberal arts and sciences.
• Associate of Science: A degree designed for students pursuing science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business, and related disciplines. This degree prepares the student for transfer to a baccalaureate degree program and includes substantial coursework in mathematics, natural & physical sciences, engineering, business and other related disciplines.
• Associate Degree in Nursing: This degree is primarily a technical degree that allows the graduate to apply to take the National Council Licensure examination for registered nursing (NCLEX-RN).
This degree also prepares the student for transfer to a baccalaureate degree program in nursing.
• Associate of Applied Science: A degree designed for students planning to enter the workforce upon degree completion. This degree has substantial applied coursework relevant to the specific field of study.
• Skills Proficiency Certificates: These certificates are awarded in various occupational areas and require completion of a defined group of courses.
The Board of Trustees supports a robust, rigorous, and diverse curriculum to ensure a broad education is available to the College’s students. This curriculum must be practical and relevant to the purpose of the degree and certificate programs offered by the College and shall be designed and structured in a way that supports student completion and success.
The College shall require a minimum of 60 credit hours for an Associate Degree; a minimum of 30 credit hours for one-year certificates; and a minimum of 16 credit hours for federal student aid eligible certificates. Students must complete all requirements of their program or approved substitutes as determined by the College prior to graduation.
The College Catalog shall be updated annually, adhering to the College’s standard approval process, and all degree and certificate requirements shall be approved by the Curriculum and Learning Council. As long as continuous enrollment has been maintained, students can choose between graduating under the most recent catalog requirements, or the catalog requirements they first enrolled in at the College.
Students who have not maintained continuous enrollment are required to graduate under the most recent catalog.
References: Federal 34 CFR 602.16(a)(1)(viii); Wyo. Stat. § 21-18-202(d)(i); Wyo. Stat. § 21-18-202(d)(ii); and Higher Learning Commission, Criteria for Accreditation
Original Adoption Date: 5/8/01
Revision Date (s): 11/8/05, 7/8/14, 3/10/20, 7/9/24
Date reviewed, no change:
Administrative Regulation Title: Faculty Handbook
Regulation Number: 4.1.1
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Faculty members are responsible for the following which are explained further in the Faculty Handbook.
Outcomes Assessment
• Annual Reporting
• Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
Programs & Curriculum
• Curriculum Changes
• Program Reviews
• Credit Hour Definition
• Course Scheduling Guidelines
Original Adoption Date: 5/8/01
Revision Date (s): 11/8/05, 7/8/14
Date reviewed, no change:
7
Policy Title: Academic Support
Policy Number: 4.2
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose:
EWC will provide support services appropriate for facilitating faculty teaching and student learning.
Explanations of the services provided may be found in the Faculty Handbook.
Original Adoption Date: 5/8/01
Revision Date(s): 11/8/05, 7/8/14, 3/10/20
Date(s) reviewed, no change:
Administrative Regulation Title: Faculty Handbook
Regulation Number: 4.2.1
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Support area guidelines, administrative procedures, and practices are found in the Faculty Handbook
which is updated annually.
Faculty Support Services
• EWC Bookstore
• EWC Library
− Reserve Materials
− Holdings
• Audio-Visual Equipment & Services
− Equipment Available
− Reserving AV Equipment
− Services Available
− Requesting AV Services
− AV Services in Fine Arts Auditorium
− Outreach Site AV
• Computer Services
• Instructional Technology
− iPad Cart
− Laptop Cart
− Online Course Support
• MyEWC for Faculty
1. Student Learning Resources
• Adult Basic Education
• Center for Tutoring and Learning
− Tutoring
− Smarthinking
− Adult Learning Center
• Computer Labs
• Testing Center and Career Services
8
• Counseling Services
• GEAR UP Program at EWC
• Community and Continuing Education
• Library, Media, and Computer Resource Area
Original Adoption Date: 5/8/01
Revision Date(s): 11/8/05, 7/8/14
Date(s) reviewed, no change:
9
Policy Title: Credit Hour
Policy Number: 4.3
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose:
The Eastern Wyoming College Board of Trustees has authority to establish how the student enrollment
base unit of a credit hour shall be reported through full-time equivalency (FTE) student enrollment to
the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) via the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS). The credit hour value shall be based on the typical relationship between base contact
hours, credit hours and types of instructional activity.
Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) awards credit on a semester system term. The EWC Board requires the
following information be adhered to when student contact hours are computed to ensure accurate
credit and student contact hour requirements in the published course and program requirements.
The standard measurement of class time is a “Base Contact Hour” which is equivalent to a minimum of
750 minutes. In online and hybrid courses, a portion of these contact hours may take place online as
indicated in the course syllabus. Contact hours for directed study and independent study classes
represent the expectation that the student will work the same number of hours on their own, with
faculty oversight. The “Base Contact Hour” does not include the time that students are expected to
spend studying and preparing for class (approximately two hours for every hour in class).
Definitions:
1. Credit hour: A unit of measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of
instruction per week over the entire term. This measurement unit is applied toward the total
number of credit hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma,
certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential. For most instructional types at Eastern
Wyoming College, fifty (50) minutes is considered an hour of “classroom or direct faculty
instruction.” For Internships, and Practicums, sixty (60) minutes is considered an hour.
2. Base Contact Hour: The Faculty Base Contact Hour represents a standard measurement of
consumption of faculty resources by students. It consists of the number of scheduled minutes of
instructional activity involving direct contact of faculty with students in a given term utilizing a
particular method of instruction.
3. Full-time Equivalency (FTE): A calculation that translates student credit hours into an equivalent
number of full-time, full-year students. The calculation varies depending on the level of student.
The full-time equivalent for an undergraduate student is 45 student credit hours, or 15 credits
for three terms.
4. Semester System Term: One Base Contact Hour = a minimum of 750 minutes. This translates to
a minimum of fifteen 50-minute hours per semester.
5. One credit hour = 50 minutes contact + 100 minutes outside work over 15 weeks for a total of
2,250 minutes of student effort.
FTE Report Review Process
EWC’s Board of Trustees understands and accepts its responsibility for the accuracy of the reported FTE
10
enrollments. The Board charges the college president with ensuring that record-keeping and reporting
responsibilities are viewed similarly to financial accounting in that the institution must be prepared to
validate reported enrollments with supporting documentation. Compliance with federal and state rules
and regulations is subject to annual audit by the Wyoming State Auditor’s Office. Eligibility deviations
will be reported to the Board of Trustees and the college president.
References: 34 CFR Parts 600, 602, 603, et al.; 34 CFR 668.41(d)(4) and 668.45; National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES)/Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS); and the Higher
Learning Commission.
Original Adoption Date: 9/12/23
Revision Date(s):
Date Reviewed but No Change:
11
Policy Title: Transfer Credit
Policy Number: 4.4
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose:
Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) shall provide a general education curriculum that ensures consistency,
continuity, and quality. This policy shall safeguard the transferability of credit earned from EWC to other
colleges or universities.
Definitions: Credit for Prior Learning/Prior Learning Assessment – Terms for various methods that
colleges, universities, and other education or training providers use to evaluate learning that has
occurred outside of the traditional academic environment.
The EWC general education curriculum shall be based on the following criteria. EWC shall develop
procedures that ensure compliance with these criteria.
• A philosophical rationale for each academic program offered by the institution, i.e.,
Associate of Arts, Associate of Nursing, Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied
Science.
• General education categories for the core curriculum; and
• Credit hour requirements for each category.
EWC shall evaluate all transfer of credit from colleges and universities to comply with the following
requirements.
• Validate that the coursework is similar and relevant to the coursework within the certificate
or degree that the student is applying for admittance to.
• Verify that all transfer credit is at a “C” or above.
• Ensure the recency of courses. Certain departments will only accept courses completed
within the last five years. Courses that exceed established timeframes may not be
transferable.
• Validate that the coursework was earned at a regionally accredited postsecondary
institution. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation shall be used to identify
appropriate accreditation. There are certain conditions under which international credit
may be accepted.
Alternative Options for Credit: The Board believes there is validity in life experience learning. EWC shall
implement procedures that allow for granting students credit for learning acquired from work or life
experience, participating in courses or training sponsored by professional associations, businesses,
industry, unions, the government, the military, or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or other
recognized testing entities.
No more than 75% of degree or certificate requirements may be completed using transfer credit. At
least 25% of degree or certificate requirements must be earned at EWC. The College President or their
designee shall maintain and publicize procedures to comply with this policy. Transfer information shall
be available to the public on the institution’s website.
12
References: Federal Requirement 34 CFR §602.249(e); Wyo. Stat. § 21-1 6-1308(iii) and Wyo. Stat. § 21-
18-202(vi); HLC Transfer criteria, and ACE Accredited Institutions Handbook
Original Adoption Date: 7/9/24
Revision Date(s):
Date Reviewed but No Change
13
Policy Title: Academic Calendar Development
Policy Number: 4.5
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose:
Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) Board of Trustees requires the College to develop an annual academic
calendar that follows an academic year. The academic calendar shall be published in the College’s
catalog, class schedules, College’s public website, and other pertinent public-facing documents, in
accordance with Federal requirements.
Definitions:
• Academic year: Defined in weeks of instructional time for undergraduate programs measured in
credit hours.
• Academic calendar: The way in which a school structures its academic programs and measures
progress over the program’s length. For purposes of the Federal Student Aid programs, there
are three basic types of academic calendars: standard term, nonstandard term, and nonterm.
• Standard Term: The academic year is structured with Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms. Eastern
Wyoming College declares itself as a standard term institution.
The College’s academic calendar shall include the dates of all operational activities that affect students
and the public (such as registration dates and holidays during which the College is closed). The academic
calendar shall be of sufficient length to ensure the equivalent of 16 weeks of instruction per semester
(including final examination days) for all credit classes.
The President shall be responsible for compliance with this Board policy.
References: Federal Requirements 34 CFR §§602.16(a)(1)(viii), 600.2, and 668.8(k) and (l); Higher
Learning Commission Core Component 3.A. and Assumed Practice B.1
Original Adoption Date: 7/9/24
Revision Date(s):
Date Reviewed, no change:
14
Policy Title: Assessment of Student Learning: Curricular and Co-Curricular
Policy Number: 4.6
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose:
In conjunction with requirements published by the Higher Learning Commission, the Eastern Wyoming
College Board of Trustees directs Eastern Wyoming College to establish and publish learning outcomes
for all degree programs and certificates regardless of the delivery modality. Appropriate departments
shall develop assessment plans for evaluating the extent to which their units contribute to established
program or institutional outcomes.
The College President is charged with ensuring that EWC has a robust assessment program for both
curricular and co-curricular programming. Faculty and staff in all units should review their stated
course/program outcome statements and assessment plans on a regular basis and share student
learning outcome and/or program data via appropriate public-facing means. The administration will
coordinate and assist in documenting and supporting assessment activities and conduct necessary
research and provide institutional resources.
The College President and the President’s Cabinet shall work with various departments to ensure that:
1. Assessment of student learning efforts are designed to assist students in achieving course,
program, and institutional learning outcomes.
2. Students are informed about assessment activity.
3. Results/findings of assessment activities are available to the College community.
4. Faculty and staff are encouraged to use a range of assessment methods and measures to reflect
different learning styles and pedagogical approaches.
5. Assessment methods ensure that all students are provided with opportunities to demonstrate
their achievement of learning outcomes.
Academic and support services departments are responsible for conducting assessment of student
learning in their specific areas; designated faculty committees will manage the assessment of
institutional learning outcomes.
References: 34 CFR Part 602; Wyoming Community College Commission Strategic Plan; and Higher
Learning Commission Program Review and Learning Outcome Requirements