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Section IV: Programs
Comprehensive Standard for Graduate Programs 

IV-21. The institution has sound and acceptable practices for awarding or accepting graduate credits.

JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Yes, East Tennessee State University is able to provide a portfolio of evidence supporting compliance.

STATEMENT OF RATIONALE FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

At East Tennessee State University, the School of Graduate Studies defines sound and acceptable practices for awarding or accepting graduate credits according to standards of quality established by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), the Council of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS), and the Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools (TCGS). The CGS continuously evaluates and sets national standards of graduate education, which then are validated and implemented by regional and state organizations. In 1997, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission revised standards for program review based on the model of TCGS standards.

The awarding of graduate credit for courses taken at ETSU is overseen by the ETSU Graduate Council, Academic Council, and the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), and is based on the assessment of course content, instruction methods, and methods of evaluating student performance and progress(ETSU Curriculum Process Manual). The ETSU School of Graduate Studies also is responsible for approval of all credits transferred from others institutions that may be used to satisfy ETSU degree program requirements (ETSU Graduate Catalog, Transfer of Credit). For the M.D. program, the ETSU James H. Quillen College of Medicine (COM) only accepts transfer of credit earned prior to the last two years of study (ETSU Quillen College of Medicine Catalog, Advanced Standing Application).

East Tennessee State University offers no graduate credit courses that are not applicable to a degree program, either as a core requirement or an elective, with the exception of continuing thesis/dissertation work ("Readings and Research" courses) and courses for supervision of graduate assistants. Continuing education courses or other types of non-credit classes are not posted to the graduate transcript. All graduate credit courses, except experimental courses, have undergone thorough review by the ETSU Graduate Council (ETSU Curriculum Process Manual, ETSU Graduate Council Minutes) and are included in the ETSU Graduate Catalog and ETSU Course Information System. Experimental courses are limited in the number of times they may be offered (monitored by the associate vice president for academic affairs) and can be counted toward degree requirements only if approved by the graduate program coordinator or departmental chair and the associate dean of the graduate school.

The content of graduate courses is represented in individual course syllabi (Graduate Course Syllabi; ETSU Guidelines for Academic Program Review, Site Visit Exhibits) and the ETSU Course Information System. New graduate courses or course revisions are generated by academic departments, are then reviewed by the ETSU Graduate Council (Minutes), and approved by the provost. New degree programs and associated courses also undergo review and receive approval by the ETSU Academic Council (Minutes) and the TBR. Course syllabi are reviewed in these processes and must include course goals, requirements, and content, and the methods of instruction and student evaluation (ETSU Curriculum Process Manual).

At ETSU, a wide variety of instruction methods (e.g., lecture/discussion, seminars, internships, projects, independent study) are considered appropriate to graduate study (ETSU Graduate Catalog). The appropriateness of methods used is evaluated initially through the curriculum review process and periodically assessed through academic program review (ETSU Guidelines for Academic Program Review, Self-Study Document Guidelines) or accreditation. Graduate courses offered in less traditional formats (i.e., online courses, distance education courses) are held to the same standards and requirements as courses delivered in traditional formats (ETSU Policy on Internet Courses).

When a course is created or revised at ETSU, the syllabus must identify the method of student evaluation. Standards for evaluation of graduate students encourage use of methods appropriate to the nature of the graduate course or program (ETSU Guidelines for Academic Program Review, Self-Study Document Guidelines, Additional Information for Graduate Programs). These methods include (but are not limited to) the following: essay, standardized, preliminary, qualifying and comprehensive exams; and culminating experiences such as case studies, design projects, dramatic performances, art exhibits, theses, and dissertations. The ETSU Graduate Catalog (Completion Requirements for specific degrees) describes evaluation strategies common to most graduate programs.

Grade assignments for graduate courses are based on a +/- grading scale (grades of C- or lower indicate student probationary status or dismissal) or a system of S, SP, or U (satisfactory, satisfactory progress, and unsatisfactory; used for thesis and dissertation). In addition, pass/fail grades cannot be used in courses that apply toward a degree (ETSU Graduate Catalog, Academic Requirements). To ensure that standards of quality and fairness, an outside representative of the graduate faculty is present for all oral defenses of theses and dissertations (ETSU Graduate Catalog, Degree and Graduation Requirements) and submits a narrative report of the proceedings to the graduate school. Documentation on the distribution of grades in specific courses is required for academic program review (ETSU Guidelines for Academic Program Review, Curriculum and Instructional Improvement) to assist in ensuring program quality and appropriate levels of assessment of student performance. The course and instructor evaluation process provides students the opportunity to comment on whether the evaluation of their performance was appropriate, fair, and accurate [Student Assessment of Instruction (SAI) Instrument].

In the case of online graduate courses offered at ETSU, students are evaluated by the same methods and held to the same standards as are students in traditional courses or degree programs. No significant difference has been cited in faculty examination of student performance or in academic program reviews(ETSU Academic Program Review Summary Documents). It should be noted that grade data have not been compared for this specific purpose, nor have SAI reports been used to test for significant differences in student satisfaction with their performance evaluations in online courses.

The ETSU School of Graduate Studies carefully monitors the types of credit used to satisfy degree program requirements when credit is transferred from another institution. The student and/or department/program requesting transfer credit must demonstrate, through written evidence, that the course meets the minimum standards for graduate credit, as defined by CGS, TCGS, and SACS. The graduate office staff, under the supervision of the associate dean, reviews all transcripts documenting transfer credit and verifies that it has been completed at an appropriately accredited institution (ETSU Graduate Catalog, Academic Requirements). The associate dean approves all requests to transfer credit and assures that high standards are met. In the past four years, one request to transfer credit from a foreign institution, and one request for transfer from an institution accredited by a professional accrediting agency have been approved. In 1997, a policy was approved to allow experiential credit in accordance with the SACS standard governing exceptions. The policy states that the ETSU Graduate Council will review requests to award credit for experiential learning "... only from departments or programs that have explicit policies and procedures ... which have been previously approved by the graduate council" (ETSU Graduate Council Minutes, April 28, 1997). To date, no department/program has elected to exercise this option.

The ETSU Quillen College of Medicine awards credit for its academic offerings in a manner consistent with policies of the TBR and Association of American Medical College. The clinical phase of training grants credit on the basis of one credit hour per week of training. All courses and clinical clerkships are evaluated and approved by the Medical Student Education Committee and the entire curriculum is evaluated and approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The college uses a standard A, B, C, D, F grading system with the exception of courses which are track specific (rural track or generalist track) or courses that cannot be effectively evaluated in this manner, and which then use the Pass/Fail system (ETSU Quillen College of Medicine Catalog, Grading System). A grade of "C" is the lowest passing grade accepted. The COM Student Promotions Committee reviews students earning less than a "C" grade and determines and implements a method of remediation.

DOCUMENTATION

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