Academic Senate Meeting
April 15, 2016 AGENDA ITEM 5.2
REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT AP 4101
Administrative Procedure
INDEPENDENT STUDY
Independent Study projects are individual arrangements between instructor and student, and each academic department within College of the Redwoods has the option to offer Independent Study courses. Independent study courses offer students the opportunity for individualized instruction and learning and are intended to substitute for other courses offered by the academic departments
Conditions for Independent Study a.
Student must have completed 12 semester units at the College. b.
Student must be in good academic standing and have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.0 c.
Students may earn 0.5 -3.0 credits per Independent Study Course. d.
Discipline must have a current Independent Study course proposal approved by the
Curriculum Committee, the Academic Senate, and the Board of Trustees. e.
These courses usually count as electives and generally do not fulfill specific Associate
Degree requirements. However, when a student is faced with extenuating circumstances an Independent Study course may be used to complete degree or certificate requirements.
For example, if a student has moved out of the area yet needs one course to complete a certificate or degree, or a course has been discontinued but the student’s catalog rights require them to have the course. f.
Transfer credit for Independent Study courses is contingent upon an evaluation of the course by the receiving college or university.
Approval for Independent Study a.
Instructors are responsible for assisting the student in developing the proposal, granting instructor approval of the proposal, assisting the student in the Independent Study as necessary, evaluating the results of the study and submitting the final grade to the Office of Admission and Records. b.
The Independent Study Course Contract must be completed by the student and instructor of record; then approved by the appropriate Dean or Director. c.
The Dean or Director sends the request to the Scheduling Specialist identifying the course, number of units and instructor.

Academic Senate Meeting
April 15, 2016 AGENDA ITEM 5.2 d.
The student is added to the course when the contract is received. The student contract is scanned and put in the student record. e.
Independent study courses require weekly or daily census and grades are posted using
WebAdvisor.
Academic Standards
At least one piece of student-generated work and instructor evaluation of the work completed is required.
Academic standards applicable to courses of Independent Study shall be the same as those applied to other credit courses offered at the College.
Procedures for Evaluation
Student progress is evaluated in a manner consistent with other courses offered at College of the
Redwoods. Methods of evaluation and grading criteria are clearly stated in the contract and agreed to by all stakeholders. Independent Study students shall have the same level of access to the instructor that students enrolled in courses conducted by other instructional methods have, including office hours.
References :
Title 5 Sections 55230 et seq.
New Policy Approved by Academic Senate ______