All Fulton 3-credit courses being converted to 4-credit courses will be enhanced via one or more of the ways listed on the “menu” below. Enhancement options 1-6 will add an average of three additional hours (above the current 3-credit course workload) of outside-of-class work per week (and this is the case regardless of how many of these options are involved; if, for example, a course is enhanced only via Option #1, the additional workload will be three more hours of outside-of-class work per week; if, say, Options #1, #2 and #3 are all combined, the total work time associated with these enhancements, combined, will still be an additional three hours per week). Enhancement #7 is a special case, as it deals with additional lab, studio or class time. This might be two more hours of “seat” time per week, if this is defined as lab/studio time, or one more hour of traditional class time per week.

Most courses will be enhanced via some combination of Options #1 through #6; that is, most courses will still meet the traditional three hours per week, with the specific enhancement and additional work related to that aspect of the course coming via outside-of-class independent and/or mentored work. Additional lab, studio or class time will be relatively rare (though it is indeed particularly appropriate for some courses and disciplines).

One-credit Course Enhancements:

1. Increased course content and/or collateral readings (e.g., more primary, secondary and/or supplemental readings).

2. Undergraduate Research and Information Literacy (e.g., assignments that fulfill department programmatic approaches to undergraduate research and information literacy, systematically building students’ research and writing skills throughout their majors).

3. Technology (e.g., instructor-developed content, commercially developed course packs, digital audio—such as podcasting—video demonstrations, chat rooms, course blogs, individual WebCT tutoring, teleconferences with students at other campuses or international groups, field research, student-authored independent research).

4. Higher Level Critical Thinking Exercises (e.g., assignments that specifically develop analysis, synthesis and evaluation, as opposed to lower-level critical thinking exercises that target knowledge, comprehension and application).

5. Service Learning/Civic Engagement (e.g., assignments which place students in leadership positions to conceive of and implement programs that they know will benefit others; assignments which will involve students in developing good civic dispositions).

6. International Education/Cultural Enrichment (e.g., spring break study/experience abroad, museum visits, cultural experiences within our geographical area).

7. Additional hour(s) in class, lab or studio.