281—21.2 (260C) Administration.
	 21.2(1) Policy manual. A community college board of directors shall develop and maintain a policy manual which adequately describes the official policies of the institution.
	 21.2(2) Administrative staff. A community college shall develop an administrative staff appropriate to the size and the purpose of the institution and one which permits the institution to function effectively and efficiently. This administrative staff shall provide effective leadership for the major divisions of the institution including administrative services, adult and continuing education, career education, college parallel education, and student services.
	 21.2(3) Chief executive officer. A community college shall have a chief executive officer who shall also be the executive officer of the board of directors. The executive officer shall be responsible for the operation of the community college with respect to its educational program, its faculty and student services programs, and the use of its facilities. The executive officer shall delegate to the staff all necessary administrative and supervisory responsibilities to ensure an efficient operation of the institution.
	 21.2(4) Certification. All administrative staff except for the superintendent shall hold certificates as required to authorize service in their respective areas of responsibility.
	 21.2(5) Financial records and reports. The community college shall maintain accurate financial records and make reports in the form prescribed by the state department of education and other state agencies.
	 21.2(6) Enrollment. A community college shall meet minimum enrollment requirements if it offers instruction as authorized in Iowa Code chapter 260C, and if, to the satisfaction of the state board of education, it is able to provide classes of reasonable economic size as needed by students, meets the needs of the students, and shows by its past and present enrollment and placement record that it meets individual and employment needs.
	 21.2(7) Catalog. The catalog shall be the official publication of the area school. It shall include accurate information on institutional policies and other information as recommended by the state department of education.
	 21.2(8) Admission requirements.
	  a.   	 Postsecondary age students. The community college shall maintain an open-door admission policy for students of postsecondary age. This admission policy shall recognize that students should demonstrate a reasonable prospect for success in the program in which admitted. Applicants who cannot demonstrate a reasonable prospect for success in the program for which they apply should be assisted to enroll in courses where deficiencies may be remedied or into other programs appropriate to the individual’s preparation and objectives.
	  b.   	 High school age students. High school age students who can be better served by community college programs may be authorized to undertake such work with the cooperative approval of the community college administration and the administration of the local school district.
	 21.2(9) School year. The length of the school year of the community college shall provide for the effective use of the physical plant and include a minimum of 48 weeks of operation. The school year may consist of: two semester terms and one summer term, three trimester terms, or four quarter terms. A community college may use any one or more of the three school years identified above or may offer instruction in units of length keyed to the identified scope and depth of the instructional content.
	 21.2(10) Graduation requirements. Graduation from a community college shall be certified by the issuance of appropriate recognition indicating the type of program the student has completed.
	  a.   	 Associate in arts or an associate in science. The degree issued to a person who has satisfied curricular requirements that consist of content equivalent to a two-year college parallel curriculum shall certify that its recipient is either an associate in arts or an associate in science.
	  b.   	 Associate in applied arts or an associate in applied science. The degree issued to a person having satisfied curricular requirements and demonstrated competence for employment in the occupational field for which the program was designed shall certify that its recipient is either an associate in applied arts or an associate in applied science. Typically, these degrees apply to occupations requiring significant amounts of applied scientific and mathematical knowledge or occupations in which the individual will work in direct support of a professional.
	  c.   	 Associate in general studies. The degree issued to a person who has satisfied the curricular requirements of a two-year program other than set forth in subrule 21.2(10) shall certify that its recipient is an associate in general studies.
	  d.   	 Diploma. The recognition granted to a person who has been graduated from a curriculum other than set forth in 21.2(10) but of not less than 12 weeks in length shall be a diploma.
	  e.   	 Certificate. A certificate of completion may be issued to certify that a student has satisfactorily completed a course of instruction other than the above.
	 21.2(11) Academic records. The community college shall maintain in perpetuity for each student the complete academic record including every course attempted and grade received. These records should be kept in fire-resistant storage, unless other equivalent safeguards are used, such as maintaining a duplicate file (microfilm or otherwise) in a separate building.
	 21.2(12) Resident policy. There shall be adopted for all community colleges a uniform policy for the determination of permanent residence for tuition purposes.
	 21.2(13) Credit hour. Credit hours shall be determined in line with the following procedures.
	  a.   	 Specifically stated criteria are minimal requirements only, which institutions may exceed at their discretion.
	  b.   	 Instruction is subdivided into four instructional methods as herein defined.
	 (1) 	 Classroom work — lecture and formalized classroom instruction under the supervision of an instructor.
	 (2) 	 Laboratory work — experimentation and practice by students under the supervision of an instructor.
	 (3) 	 Clinical practice — applied learning experience in a health agency or office under the supervision of an instructor.
	 (4) 	 Work experience — work experience planned and coordinated by an institutional representative and the employer, with control and supervision of the student on the job being the responsibility of the employer.
	  c.   	 Structured culminating activity(ies) for each course offering is above and beyond the minimal instructional requirements. Appropriate activities for structured culminating activity(ies) include but are not limited to:
	 (1) 	 Written final examinations.
	 (2) 	 Oral final examinations.
	 (3) 	 Skill performance evaluations.
	 (4) 	 Other structured activities deemed supplementary to the instructional process.
	  d.   	 No registration or orientation hours may be included when determining credit hours.
	  e.   	 Institutions shall take into account the soundness of the learning environment being created by the scheduling sequence and length of classroom, laboratory, clinical, and work experience sessions. However, the final decision on these matters is left to the institutional administration so long as minimal standards are met.
	  f.   	 A fractional unit of credit may be awarded in a manner consistent with the specific minimal credit course requirements.
	  g.   	 Only minutes for students officially registered for courses or programs, including audit registration, may be included when determining credit hours.
	  h.   	 Credit hours shall be identified for self-paced courses or programs in accordance with the credit hours that would have been assigned if the program had been taught by conventional methods.
	  i.   	 Individualized learning experiences for which an equivalent course is not offered shall have the program length computed from records of attendance using such procedures as a time clock or sign-in records.
	  j.   	 Classroom work.
	 (1) 	 The minimal requirements for one semester hour of credit shall be 800 minutes of scheduled instruction plus (when applicable) a scheduled culminating activity.
	 (2) 	 The minimal requirements for one quarter hour of credit shall be 533 minutes of scheduled instruction plus (when applicable) a scheduled culminating activity.
	  k.   	 Laboratory work.
	 (1) 	 The minimal requirement for one semester hour of credit shall be 1,600 minutes of scheduled laboratory work plus (when applicable) a scheduled culminating activity.
	 (2) 	 The minimal requirement for one quarter hour of credit shall be 1,066 minutes of scheduled laboratory work plus (when applicable) a scheduled culminating activity.
	  l.   	 Clinical practice.
	 (1) 	 The minimal requirements for one semester hour of credit shall be 2,400 minutes of scheduled clinical practice plus (when applicable) a scheduled culminating activity.
	 (2) 	 The minimal requirement for one quarter hour of credit shall be 1,599 minutes of scheduled clinical practice plus (when applicable) a scheduled culminating activity.
	  m.   	 Work experience.
	 (1) 	 The minimal requirement for one semester hour of credit shall be 3,200 minutes of scheduled work experience plus (when applicable) a scheduled culminating activity.
	 (2) 	 The minimal requirement for one quarter hour of credit shall be 2,132 minutes of scheduled work experience plus (when applicable) a scheduled culminating activity.
This rule will be effective in the fall term of 1987-1988 school year.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 260C.33.