Ch. 4 Instruction

Policy

Per RCW 28B.50.252, all professional-technical programs will have an advisory committee to provide input on current industry standards. The committee will include a labor representative from the related bargaining union when appropriate. The vice president of instruction’s office will maintain an advisory committee handbook in compliance with the State Board for Community and Technical College standards.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• RCW 28B.50.252

Policy

The college will publish, at least every other year, a college catalog that includes but is not limited to:

1. General college information.
2. Instructional program descriptions.
3. Course descriptions.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• College Catalog

Policy

The college will publish a class schedule every academic quarter.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Class Schedule

Policy

The college will have procedures to propose:

1. New courses.
2. Changes to existing courses.
3. Course deletions or inactivations.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• New Courses (Coming soon)
• Course Revisions (Coming soon)

Policy

The vice president of instruction or designee will code all courses in compliance with the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) course coding manual.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) Course Coding Manual

Policy

The college will have a uniform course numbering system and may use the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ common course numbering system. The vice president of instruction or designee assigns course prefixes and numbers.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ Common Course Numbering System

Policy

The college will provide course outlines for each course in the college’s standard format. Instructional services keeps these outlines on file. Faculty develop and update course outlines, program information, student learning assessment, and assessment of global outcomes as industry standards change and during regular program review timelines.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• College Catalog

Policy

The college will use credit values based on state guidelines regarding credits awarded based on contact hours and mode of instruction. The length of fall, winter, and spring quarters may vary between 10 and 12 weeks according to the negotiated contract. The length of summer quarter may vary. Based on the appropriate modes of instruction, credit equivalents and class hours will be consistent between academic quarters.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement

Policy

The college will offer the following degrees, certificates, and awards upon successful completion of technical and academic core requirements as specified in the college catalog:

1. Applied Bachelor’s degree.
2. Major-Related Program transfer degree.
3. Associate of Applied Science degree.
4. Associate of Applied Science – Transfer degree.
5. Associate in Science – Transfer degree.
6. Certificate of Proficiency.
7. Certificate of Completion.
8. Adult High School Diploma.
9. General Education Development (GED ®) – Credential.
10. Lake Washington Technical Academy Diploma.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

No applicable procedures, forms, and documents available.

Policy

In accordance with state statute RCW 28B.50.140(12), upon recommendation of the faculty the Board of Trustees may confer an honorary associate of arts degree or bachelor of applied science degree to a person other than a graduate of Lake Washington Institute of Technology, in recognition of their learning or devotion to education, literature, art, or science.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

Policy

To qualify for graduation, students must earn at least 30% of the required credits in residence at LWTech for the following degrees and certificates:

1. Applied Bachelor’s degrees.
2. Major-Related Program transfer degrees.
3. Associate of Applied Science degrees.
4. Associate of Applied Science—Transfer degrees.
5. Associate in Science – Transfer degrees.
6. Certificates of Proficiency. 

All credits required for Certificates of Completion must be earned in residence at LWTech to qualify for graduation. 

Program faculty may recommend waivers to the residency requirements to the appropriate division dean. The dean forwards the waiver request to the vice president of instruction or designee with a recommendation for approval or denial. The vice president or designee will approve or deny the request.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Residency Requirements
• Waiver or Substitution Form

Policy

The College may grant a posthumous degree to an immediate family member to recognize the academic achievement of a student who completed a significant portion of their degree requirements but died before graduating.

Definitions

“Posthumous” means following or occurring after death.

“Immediate family member” includes a person’s parents, spouse or cohabitating partner, siblings, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, or grandchildren.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Posthumous Degrees

Policy

The college will provide students with learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom setting by using online modes of instruction that occurs partly or fully outside the traditional face to face classroom setting. The college will take part as appropriate in educational consortia that deliver E-Learning. E-Learning educational processes occur when the student and faculty interact in the online learning environment. E-Learning modes of instruction include, but are not limited to:

1. Online instruction conducted all online.
2. Hybrid classes that replace some but not all classroom time with online learning.
3. Web-enhanced classes that meet in regular class sessions but use online resources for additional interaction, posting of assignments and course material.
4. Synchronous remote learning that occurs when the faculty and students are engaging in a virtual classroom at the same time.
5. Asynchronous learning that occurs at undefined days and times throughout the term.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• E-Learning

Policy

The faculty collective bargaining agreement describes faculty responsibilities. The college maintains position descriptions that state faculty duties, responsibilities, authority, and  reporting relationships.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement

Policy

The college encourages a variety of course delivery modes and teaching strategies to promote student learning, built into the course activities that support approved course outcomes, following the State Board's approved modes of:

1. Lecture.
2. Guided Practice.
3. Field Based Experience.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

No applicable procedures, forms, and documents available.

Policy

The college will create and implement a uniform decimal grading system, using a point system from 0.0 to 4.0. Faculty establish standards and criteria for earning a grade in each course.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Grades

Policy

Educational researchers come from many disciplines, embrace several competing theoretical frameworks, and use a variety of research methodologies. As such, it is important for the College to ensure that faculty, staff and students follow relevant, professional guidelines concerning the protection of human subjects; including those defined in the uniform Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (Title 45, Part 46) and consistent with Washington State law (RCW 42.48, Release of Records for Research).

To ensure that the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research are protected, researchers are required to follow the College’s Institutional Review Board procedure. All research involving human subjects, which includes research by faculty, staff, and students must be reviewed and approved by the Chair of the College’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).

This policy and its procedures apply to anyone:

1. Affiliated with the college, including employees and students, who seek to conduct a research project that involves human subjects.
2. Not affiliated with the college who seek to conduct research that involves employees, students, or college records.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Protection of Human Subjects (Title 45, Part 46)
• RCW 42.48

Policy

The administration and the Lake Washington Federation of Teachers jointly develop an annual college instructional calendar, using a process in line with the negotiated agreement. The Board delegates approval to the President, who has final approval on the calendar.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement
• College Calendar

Policy

The college will offer high quality professional-technical, general education, and continuing education programs to meet the needs of both the students and the community. These programs may include:

1. Professional-technical education.
2. Basic skills education.
3. Business training and development.
4. Developmental education.
5. General education.
6. High school completion.
7. High School Programs.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

No applicable procedures, forms, and documents available.

Policy

The college will have procedures to develop new state-funded instructional programs, program changes, and program termination. These processes include degree and certificate programs, which will also operate in line with SBCTC guidelines.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• New Program Development (Coming soon)

Policy

Faculty and students have the right to a learning environment free of conduct that disrupts that environment. Instructional programs must not have activities that disrupt the instructional process and hinder the student and faculty pursuit of course and program educational objectives. Refer to the student conduct code in Chapter 5 for more information.

The college will maintain procedures that address college closure or program interruption due to severe weather, power failure, disaster, or other emergency.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

No applicable procedures, forms, and documents available.

Policy

The college library learning commons will serve the educational and informational needs of students, employees, and the community. It will provide:

1. Readily accessible learning space - physically and electronically.
2. Readily accessible resources, including equipment, print and non-print materials.
3. Related instructional courses taught by library faculty that enhance information literacy.
4. Training and assistance to employees and students to help user learning.

The library learning commons will:

1. Maintain a procedure manual that has operational detail for its users and employees.
2. Follow applicable laws on copyright.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Library Procedures

Policy

The college may offer courses at off-campus locations throughout its service area to meet student and community needs.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

No applicable procedures, forms, and documents available.

Policy

Per Northwest Commission on College and University guidelines, the college recognizes that students may come to the college with skills and knowledge acquired through work experience, some of which could meet regular credit course requirements. The college will identify credit for prior learning by an assessment process that qualified faculty will conduct. This may result in a course or several courses being posted to the transcript.

Credit for prior learning assessment and credit by exam are two processes students may use to gain non-traditional credit. Forms are available in the appropriate dean’s office.

1. Credit for prior learning assessment: qualified faculty conduct an assessment of prior learning that may result in several courses identified and added to the student’s transcript.
2. Challenge credit: qualified faculty assess one course that the college may add to the student's transcript.
3. Advanced Placement (AP): The college follows state guidelines and awards course credits for scores earned on specific Advanced Placement examinations. Credit will be awarded on the basis of official AP results, not transcript notation.
4. International Baccalaureate (IB) Test: The college follows state guidelines and awards course credits for score earned on specific International Baccalaureate tests. Credit will be awarded on the basis of official IB results, not transcript notation.
5. The Cambridge Assessment International Education (CI) Exams: The college follows state guidelines and awards course credits for scores earned on specific CI examinations. Credit will be awarded on the basis of official CI results, not transcript notation.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

• Prior Learning Assessment Request Form
• Prior Learning Assessment

Policy

Each instructional program will regularly conduct a comprehensive program review. The vice president of instruction may also conduct off-schedule program reviews as needed. Programs with external accrediting or evaluation authorities may use information from their respective agency reviews to complete the program review process.

The vice president of instruction has the responsibility to publish specific instructional program review procedures.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

No applicable procedures, forms, and documents available.

Policy

The College recognizes the value of international students on campus and the importance of broad cultural understanding in the College’s curriculum. The incorporation of world cultures in language courses and courses with international focus will provide students breadth of understanding, essential for success in today’s global politics and economy. International students bring a valuable dimension to campus life; their presence in the classroom and at college events enriches the learning atmosphere for everyone. The College’s practices in conducting international education shall follow state and federal policy and guidelines governing student admission to the country and establishing pertinent fees and tuition.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

No applicable procedures, forms, and documents available.

Policy

The President may award retiring tenured professors who have served a minimum of five years the status of Professor Emeritus for the academic year following retirement. Renewal shall be limited to five years except in extraordinary cases. Such appointments shall require a memorandum of understanding that includes: the work to be performed by the Professor Emeritus (teaching load or special assignments), and commensurate compensation.

Procedures, Forms, and Documents

No applicable procedures, forms, and documents available.