Small Classes

Only courses designated as lecture, laboratory, or seminar are reported in the small class report presented to the Coordinating Board.

A small class is one that does not meet the minimum number of students: twelve students for undergraduate courses and six students for graduate courses. The Office of Undergraduate Studies & Academic Partnerships begins sharing reports of small classes with the Deans six weeks prior to the start of each term (short terms inclusive). The week before each term, Deans will receive a daily report for that term only.

For the final report, by the 4th class day (2nd class day during summer term), colleges must send justifications via a Request to Offer Low Enrollment Class Form to the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies. Only the following THECB justifications will be accepted:

• Code 1: Required course for graduation (This course is not offered each semester or term, and if canceled, may affect date of graduation of those enrolled.)
• Code 2: Required course for majors in this field and should be completed this semester (or term) to keep proper sequences in courses
• Code 3: Course in newly established degree program, concentration, or support area
• Code 4: Bracketed and interdepartmental (cross-listed) courses taught as a single class by the same faculty at the same station, provided that the combined courses do not constitute a small class**  (Request to Offer Cross Listed or Bracketed Course Form)
• Code 5: First time offering of the course
• Code 6: Class size limited by accreditation or state licensing standards
• Code 7: Class size limited by availability of laboratory or clinical facilities
• Code 8: Voluntarily offered by a faculty member in excess of the institutional  teaching load requirements and for which the faculty member receives no additional compensation (faculty is teaching course as an overload)

**Bracketed courses require submission of a syllabus for both the undergraduate and graduate courses offered to comply with SACS accreditation requirements.

Monitoring Small Classes

In an effort to increase efficiency, maximize resources, and improve accountability, TWU needs careful management of course offerings. Care will be needed to monitor enrollment and assure that courses meet the required number of students in order to be taught. In the past, classes with low enrollments were justified to the deans after the census date. However, we must now begin evaluating whether or not to offer the classes and receiving approvals earlier, that is, by the close of the 4th class day during the fall/spring term or 2nd class day during the summer term. This will enable students to be placed in another class if one has to be cancelled due to low enrollment.

1. Effective Summer 2009 and after, small classes are defined as follows: undergraduate-level credit classes with fewer than 12 registrations, and graduate-level credit classes with fewer than six registrations.
2. Deans must approve classes offered with low enrollment before the census dates each semester, by the close of the 4th class day during the fall/spring term or 2nd class day during the summer term. 
3. This form will be used to process requests for low enrolled classes: Request to Offer Low Enrollment Class Form. Justification codes are listed above.
4. When the Dean approves the low-enrolled class, the form should be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Studies & Academic Partnerships for collection and reporting. The Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies prepares a report for the Provost.