The courses offered in 8-week subterms are measured in credit hours (34 CFR 600.2 “Credit hour”). In general, an asynchronous online course occurring within an 8-week subterm is a compressed version of a semester-length version of the same asynchronous course. However, this might not be the case if the modality of the courses is different (e.g., a subterm course in the online modality might not be just a compressed version of a semester course in the virtual or traditional modality). Nevertheless, there must be parity between courses and programs offered in multiple modalities. The content, assignments, assessments, learning outcomes, and curricular value of the course credit hours are the determining factors in the relationship between courses delivered in various modalities and timeframes.8

KYSU Online courses offered in subterms are eight (8) weeks long and contain study modules. As such, a module corresponds to a calendar week within the subterm. If the course were offered in an academic semester term over 16 weeks, for example, each of the eight modules would span more than a calendar week.

A module is a discrete collection of learning activities that focuses on elements of the course topics and learning outcomes. Each module provides students with opportunities for academic engagement with the course and instructor. Modules organize the course learning activities into a logical progression that facilitates a scaffolded approach to student learning in an asynchronous course.

The academic calendar, consisting of two semesters and a summer session, is depicted below, along with academic terms and subterms for the online programs. The fall is in the top third of the image; the spring is in the middle. The summer is in the bottom third. Since the summer session is shorter than a typical semester, subterms B and C overlap.

Fall

Spring

Summer

Part of Calendar Online AY weeks Fall (mid-August to late-December)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Term Fall Semester / Fall A

Term weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Subterm Fall B Fall C

Subterm weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Part of Calendar Spring (early-January to early-May)

Online AY weeks 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Term Spring Semester / Spring A

Term weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Subterm Spring B Spring C

Subterm weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Part of Calendar Summer (early-May to mid-August)

Online AY weeks 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52

Term Summer Session

Term weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Subterm Summer B

Subterm weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Subterm Summer C

Subterm weeks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8