Course Delivery Methods

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DEFINITIONS OF COURSES
(WI) writing intensive course
(QL) quantitative literacy that is not coded MAT

Courses at Colby-Sawyer College are delivered in a variety of delivery formats to meet the diverse needs of the student population.  Students access course content and faculty interaction in the following delivery methods:

  • Traditional Course:  A course that meets weekly on campus.  Dates, times and locations are scheduled and published on standard registration documents.
  • Online Course: A course with between 80% and 100% of content and interaction delivered online through Moodle. Unless published on standard registration documents, there are no real time or face to face meetings. Students participate in weekly online discussions and complete weekly assignments. Students should plan on committing about ten hours per week for a 4-credit course.
    • 8-week online courses (sessions 201 and 202) may only be taken by students seeking a 100% online degree.
  • Full term online courses (Session 011) may be taken by all students. We do not recommend that first year students take online classes.
  • Only one full term online course may be taken each term.
  • Hybrid Course:  A course with 30% to 79% of content and interaction delivered online through Moodle.  Hybrid courses use online discussions.  All real time, face to face meetings, dates, times, and locations are scheduled and published on standard registration documents.

Special Arrangement Course
This is an option for individual students who are unable to attend a regularly scheduled course as a result of a schedule conflict, health issue or other significant complication. The student and the faculty agree to meet outside the regularly scheduled course. Special arrangement courses may be 100% online or hybrid. Faculty members have the right to deny a request for a special arrangement course.

By Arrangement Course
Some regularly scheduled courses have no dates, times, or locations published on standard registration documents.  In a by arrangement course, all participants agree in writing about scheduled online, real time, face to face and/or location meetings.

Independent Study
Qualified students may develop independent study courses in areas not ordinarily offered at the college.  These courses are numbered 295, 395, and 495 and carry the coding of the specific program.  The distinction among course levels depends on the focus of the proposed course, the amount of work previously done in the field, and the extent of student independence; the higher the number, the greater the expectations.  Each independent study course is developed in consultation with a faculty member.  Independent study courses may not be used to meet major requirements; only one may be used to meet a requirement for a minor.  Independent courses may be repeated for credit, however after the first course additional courses may only be used as electives.  

Proposal forms and guidelines are available on myRegistrar and from the faculty.  Completed proposals should be submitted, with program approval, to the appropriate school dean during the normal registration period for the next semester.  Under special circumstances, the school dean may extend the period for submission of independent study proposals, but in no case will proposals be accepted after the third day of the first week of classes of the semester.

Research Assistantships   
Sophomore, junior and senior students are eligible, with the permission of the faculty member, to work as research assistants for faculty research projects. These courses are numbered 278, 378, and 478, and carry the coding of the specific program.

The assistant and faculty collaborate to determine the specific responsibilities for design, implementation, and analysis of the research project. The assistantship may include responsibilities in the classroom or laboratory and/or any of the following:

  • Design, implementation and analysis of the study;
  • Literature review efforts;
  • Writing parts of the study;
  • Working with the Institutional Review Board and/or other human studies approval groups.

Work is related to publishing or presenting the results. The student and faculty member discuss the relevance of the study to the discipline and other research associated topics on a regular basis.  Clerical duties should be avoided or, at most, be a minimal component of the student’s assignments.

The following policies govern assistantships:

  • A student may earn up to four credits for a research assistantship, in one four-credit course or in any combination of courses.
  • Course credit toward major or minor requirements is a program faculty decision.
  • The course will be graded unless the student chooses the Pass/Fail option.  If the program faculty allow the credit to count toward a major requirement, the student may not select a Pass/Fail option the course must be graded.
  • Sophomore, junior and senior students are eligible with permission of the faculty member.
  • The student must have a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average or permission of the faculty member.
  • Students may not complete more than one assistantship at any one level

Teaching Assistantships
Qualified junior and senior students may apply to work with faculty members as teaching assistants in 100 and 200 level courses.  These courses are numbered 480 and carry the coding of the specific program. 

The teaching assistantship course allows students to participate in the instructional development of a course and to learn about teaching methodologies and course development.  The teaching assistant has definite instructional responsibilities in the class as well as an instructional component in which the assistant learns how to teach.  The assistant engages in regular discussions with the faculty member concerning the course and teaching methodology.  FERPA regulations must be met.

The following policies govern assistantships:

  • A student may earn up to four credits for teaching assistantships in one four-credit course or in any combination of courses during their junior or senior years.
  • Permission of the instructor and the appropriate school dean is required.
  • Course credit toward major or minor requirements is a program faculty decision.
  • The course will be graded unless the student chooses the Pass/Fail option.
  • If the program faculty allow the credit to count toward a major requirement, the student may not select a Pass/Fail option and the course must be graded.
  • The credits granted should follow regular guidelines for the program and may differ with the nature of the course (lecture, laboratory or studio).
  • Teaching assistantships are limited to junior and senior students except by special permission of the instructor.
  • The assistant must work in a 100 or 200 level course.
  • The student must have received a B (3.00) or better in the course or its equivalent or by permission of the instructor.
  • The student must have a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average or special permission of the instructor.
  • The teaching assistant may not be allowed to grade other students’ work.
  • Adding an honors component to a teaching assistantship may only be done if it is an honors course.

Topics Courses
These courses offer students an avenue for exploration of specific current and relevant issues in the field. These courses are numbered 150, 250, 350, and 450, and carry the coding of the specific program. No particular topic is offered on a regular basis.  Instead, topics are selected on the basis of current students’ needs and interests.  Every attempt is made to offer topics that have cross-disciplinary appeal.  The topics are announced before registration.

Variable Credit Courses
These courses can be taken for between one and four credits.  Refer to the catalog to see which courses are available for variable credit.  Variable credit courses registration forms must be submitted to the registrar’s office via an electronic permission form found on myRegistrar.