Department of Physical Sciences

Required Course Guidelines for ACC Physics Courses

(Supplements other ACC policies)

Revised Spring 2002, pending approval by Task Force

(Altered Text in red)

All faculty must abide by these guidelines in order to fulfill their teaching contracts with Austin Community College. These guidelines will be employed during the faculty evaluation process, and compliance will be a factor in determining recommendations for instructional effectiveness and future employment status.

Laboratory

1. The laboratory must count the same percentage of the total course grade as the percentage of laboratory credit hours. This is typically 25%.

2. At least 55% of laboratory hours listed in the course schedule must be devoted to hands-on, small group student experimental work. This includes set up of equipment, data collection, and analysis of these data.

3. The laboratory portion of the course grade should be principally based on assessment of the quality of each student’s submitted lab work. Items assessed should include lab reports, and may also include lab quizzes, lab-based exam questions, pre-lab exercises, and lab worksheets.

4. Instructors must insure and verify that each student personally performs the laboratory work for which that individual receives credit. This is a prerequisite for assigning any student a passing grade for the laboratory portion of any course.

 Lecture

1. Each instructor shall cover the entire list of required topics for the course. Not all material must be covered densely, nor with equal emphasis, but all of it must be covered. Additional material may be included at the instructor’s discretion.

2. Instructors shall meet all scheduled classes during the semester, including both lecture and lab hours. Absences shall be handled according to ACC policy.

3. Class participation, attendance, and other such passive measures of student work shall total no more than 10% of the course grade. Extra credit, or credit for work not required of every student, may count no more than 5% of the total course grade.

 Examinations

1. At least 2 full-standard-class-period exams must be administered during scheduled class time for each course. Three are recommended.

2. These exams together must count at least 30% of the total course grade.

3. At least 50% of the credit on all physics exams should come from questions or problems which require students to use
one or more of the following in their answers:

 Final Examination

1. The questions must satisfy the minimum credit requirements for examinations as listed above.

2. The final exam shall be administered during scheduled class time during the last week of each semester.

3. The final exam shall be comprehensive.

4. The final exam alone shall count at least 20% of the total course grade.

 Course Grades

1. College/university level course work is expected of both faculty and students, and grading must exemplify standards appropriate to this level of work.

2. Faculty must be prepared to explain unusual grade distributions during the faculty evaluation process.