College Credit for Online Courses. Florida College System
institutions shall evaluate online coursework, if requested by a student prior
to the initial term of enrollment, and award college credit when the following
conditions are met: faculty have determined the online course content and
learning outcomes to be comparable to a course offered at the institution;
online courses meet the quality and accreditation standards intended for a
transfer course; and the student's intended program of study is relevant to the
online course as determined by subject area faculty. Nothing in this rule
should prohibit a Florida College System institution from establishing
additional mechanisms for the award of college credit for online
courses.
(1) By fall 2015, each
Florida College System institution board of trustees shall adopt a policy that
enables students to earn appropriate credit for online coursework prior to
initial enrollment. The policy shall include:
(a) A description of student responsibilities
for initiating a review of prior learning through online courses and
documentation requirements for the purposes of determining equivalency of
required outcomes within the student's intended program of study.
(b) A description of the review procedures of
prior learning through online coursework that is within the same parameters and
quality assurance protocols, including faculty credential evaluation, outcome
equivalency and student demonstrated mastery of competency, as any other award
of credit for prior learning that is not guaranteed to transfer pursuant to
Section 1007.24(7),
F.S.
(c) A description of credit
that may be granted to students for coursework that is recognized by the
American Council on Education (ACE).
(d) A description of the student appeals
process.
(2) The
procedure for the alignment of coursework is to determine whether the online
course fulfills a general education or major course or degree program
requirement and, if deemed equivalent, apply the credit as such. Otherwise,
credit will be granted to the extent elective credits are needed to fulfill
program requirements.
(3) Credit
awarded for online coursework shall be noted on the student's transcript. A
receiving Florida public postsecondary institution may accept in transfer any
college credit that was previously evaluated and awarded by a Florida public
postsecondary institution, and that is appropriate to the student's program of
study.
(4) Each Florida College
System institution shall display the policy on its website and within its
catalog.
