1. If significant changes are made due to low enrollment, the course may be offered as an Independent Study and the number of workload units received by the faculty member is adjusted accordingly.
2. The basis for approximating faculty workload is 1/3 unit per student (e.g., one student taking one credit Independent Study = .33 unit; or six students = 2 units). This is calculation is independent of how many credits the student receives for the class. The calculation is based on the number of enrolled students per course section, multiplied by the adjusted factor (.33).
3. It is important to coordinate with Academic Scheduling to insure appropriate faculty workload coding for the course. Most Independent Study courses have a CS number (Banner Schedule Type) 36; and there is a maximum number of students you can have enrolled per credit offered for an Independent Study section (e.g., 1 credit = 3 students; 2 credits = 6 students; 3 credits = 9 students; 4 credits = 12 students, etc.)
4. Each student enrolled in a supervised Independent Study, research, or reading course must have an agreement on file in the Department/Division. The Independent Study Agreement form must be used (enclosure 1).
5. The Agreement is to be made between the student and the faculty member at the beginning of the course and must include the following: a description of the work to be accomplished, specific information on the tasks required, the nature of the final report, and the basis for determining the final grade. The Agreement must be signed by both the faculty member and the student; as well as the Department/Division Chair and College Dean.
6. Independent Study is not appropriate for classroom instruction and/or assisting in classroom instruction.
7. Consultation must occur between the Department/Division Chairs and the Dean before an Independent Study option is offered to a student. Faculty members may be limited in the number of Independent Study courses they supervise per semester.