Gwynedd Mercy University 2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
DEFINITIONS of TERMS
Program Type
Term Program --Typical characteristics of these programs include : Courses begin and end according to a semester-based , academic schedule ( e . g . August-December for FALL ; January-May for SPRING ; May- August for SUMMER ) Non-Term Program--Typical characteristics of these programs include : Courses begin and end independently of any term structure . Non-Term Programs--Typical characteristics of these programs include : Courses begin and end independently of any term structure . Courses may overlap , extend , or accelerate , involve multiple start dates , and courses and / or modules may be of unequal lengths
Program Modality
Online Program--50 percent or more of the program is offered via courses using online technologies in order to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructors . Regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor occurs either synchronously and / or asynchronously . ( Note : 50 percent applies to all of the requirements of the program including general education and core curriculum courses .) On-ground Program--The majority of the instruction is to students through on-ground , face-to-face meetings with the flexibility for instruction in other modalities . Hybrid Program--The program is offered via a blended combination of online and on ground classroom instruction , with no more than 50 % of the coursework being offered online .
Course Modality
Online Course --In an online course , all course activity occurs through online technologies in order to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor , synchronously and asynchronously . Typically , there are no required face-to-face instructional sessions in an online course , with the exception of on-site hours as required by select courses , clinicals or practicums . All online courses meet for the required number of instructional hours through the documentation of 14 hours of Alternative Instructional Equivalencies per credit hour ( i . e ., 42 hours for a three-credit course , 56 hours for a four-credit course , etc .). Hybrid Course--In a hybrid course , course activities include a blend of online and face-to-face instruction methods . Hybrid courses deliver instruction to students through on-ground meetings , for a minimum of 50 % of the required number of instructional hours , with the remaining percentage of the instructional hours documented through the assessment of online course activities . The total instructional hours for hybrid courses consist of the combination of face-to-face , on-ground instruction hours and online course activities ( documented as Alternative Instructional Equivalencies ). All hybrid courses meet requirements of 14 instructional hours per credit hour ( 42 hours for a three-credit course , 56 hours for a four-credit course , etc .). NOTE : Courses offered in this blended format — in which some instruction is face-to-face , and some is delivered in a distance education format — are not considered distance education courses under the HEOA . On-ground Course--In an on-ground course , instruction is delivered to students through on-ground , face-to-face meetings for 100 % of the required number of instructional hours .
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