Self-Support For-Credit Offerings for 2004-05Office of Academic Affairs April 7, 2004 Updated November 2, 2004 To: Deans, Vice Provosts, Associate and Assistant Deans, Directors, Department Chairs From: Michael A. Driscoll, Vice Provost, Academic Personnel and Budget Cathy Dyck, Associate Vice President, Budget and Planning Re: Self-Support For-Credit Offerings for 2004-05 ContextAs you know, the Oregon University System is facing the need to serve an ever growing number of students while state support continues to decline. This has led to the proliferation of self-support for-credit sections to meet student demand. Existing PSU policies and procedures for self-support for-credit courses were not designed to deal with large numbers of widely offered self-support sections. The policies are confusing and difficult to explain. Students mixing in-load and self-support sections may lose eligibility for health insurance and other university services. Students in self-support sections can have their financial aid delayed because manual processing is required. Students with fee remissions typically have to pay additional tuition for self-support sections. Finally, it is difficult to ensure that expenses for self-support activities are appropriately charged against self-support revenues. Concerns about self-support for-credit have also surfaced at the Oregon University System level. A system-wide task force has been proposed to investigate the need for new rules governing the use of self-support sections. We have had extensive conversations about self-support with CADS Plus, Provost Tetreault, Vice President Kenton, and staff in Admissions, Records, and Financial Aid (ARFA), the Business Affairs Office (BAO), and elsewhere. We are most appreciative of everyone’s creative thinking and good ideas throughout the conversations. In this memo, we outline the policies and procedures that will be in place for self-support offerings in 2004-05. We believe that this work will inform any decisions made at the OUS-level regarding self support. Types of Courses – 2004-05Beginning with fall quarter 2004, three billing/funding methods for courses will be available. (1.) Regular In-Load Sections will use campus code “I”, with students paying regular institutional tuition and fees, which will go to General Institutional Revenue Accounts. Student Credit Hours generated will count toward the School/College’s University predetermined enrollment targets and will be eligible for revenue sharing. Students are eligible for services and benefits that are supported by regular in-load course fees. No special approvals will be needed for these sections. Top priority for On-campus classroom assignments will be given to Regular In-Load Sections. (2.) Self-Support Programs are stand-alone programs not funded by E&G resources. Courses in these programs will use a specified campus code, other than "I". Students are charged a program defined course fee which will go to a program-specific index. Expenses charged to this index will incur the established institutional overhead rate (currently 10%). Students do not pay other student fees (health fee, technology fee, resource fee, etc.) and are not eligible for the student health insurance, Career Center services, and other services and benefits supported by these fees. Programs may make special arrangements to purchase some student services at the established rate, e.g., health fees. Student Credit Hours will not count toward the School/College’s predetermined University enrollment targets and will not be eligible for revenue sharing. Scheduling will be at a lower priority than in-load. On-campus classroom assignment is based on space availability after in-load courses are scheduled each term. NOTE: Tuition and fees for courses in Self Support Programs are typically not covered by Fee Remissions. All Self-support programs must be pre-approved by OAA. Criteria for pre-approval will include the following:
Units with existing self-support programs, or those proposing new self-support programs should provide a brief (1-2 page) program description that provides evidence and reasoning as to how the program meets the self-support program criteria listed above. A written request for Self-Support Program approval and the program description should be sent to OAA and have signature approval of the unit's chair/director and dean/vice provost. Self-support program status will be re-evaluated on a biennial basis by OAA. Caution: If a school/college does not meet its predetermined University Enrollment Target and Self-Support Programs are being offered, then its self-support revenue may be subject to reduction in proportion to the unmet enrollment target Income. (3.) Hybrid Self-Support Sections (HSS) provide a new option for schools/colleges who meet their enrollment targets. It enables them to offer courses that are largely self-support, are incremental beyond base budget, and that can be aimed at traditional student populations and can deliver transparent services to students. HSS will also allow credits to be counted towards financial aid eligibility without manual intervention. These courses will use a college-specific campus code. Students are charged regular institutional tuition and fees and the credits apply toward making students eligible for services and benefits supported by these fees (i.e. student health insurance, Career Center services, etc.). Departments may charge students more than the in-load, resident institutional tuition if needed to support the program. These sections will be coded so that the Departmental index receives the revenue for resident tuition rates. Expenses charged to this index will incur the established institutional overhead rate (currently 10%). Student credit hours will not count toward enrollment targets and will not be eligible for revenue sharing. Hybrid Self-Support courses must be approved by the department chair, school/college dean, OAA and BAO before they can be offered. Required major courses must have at least one In-load section offered in a given term before an HSS section can be approved and offered. Once an HSS section has been approved and is published in the Schedule of Classes, section fees cannot be changed. Scheduling will be at a lower priority than in-load. On-campus classroom assignment is based on space availability after in-load courses are scheduled each term. HSS and Fee Remission - Tuition and fees in HSS courses are covered by staff and fee remissions. However, the department offering an HSS section will forgo their instructional fees for those students using staff and/or fee remission. The amount charged with the department detail code may be greater than, equal to, or less than the established Instructional Fee for regular resident In-Load tuition. If the amount charged is greater than the Instructional fee, the student will be billed the amount in excess of the normal Instructional fee. If the amount charged is equal to, or less than the Instructional fee, the student will be billed the normal instructional fee. EXAMPLE: If a department wants to have a 4-credit undergraduate HSS class and needs to receive $410 per student to cover expenses, then the department would list the fee amount as $410. The Schedule of Classes would only show $50 for the fee, since $360 will be generated by instructional fees (ex. $90 per UG credit, $244 per GR). The department will receive the full $410 credited to their HSS index by an automatic fee assessment process. If, however, the student is a non-resident student and would typically be charged non-resident tuition because they are taking 9 credits or more they will be assessed the non-resident rates. However, the differential between the Res and Non-Res rate will be maintained by the University. Caution: If a school/college does not meet its predetermined University Enrollment Target and Hybrid Self-Support Sections are being offered, then its self-support revenue may be subject to reduction in proportion to the unmet enrollment target Income. HSS Approval ProcessHSS sections are created during the scheduling cycle by submitting a Course Section Maintenance (CSM) form attached to a Hybrid Self-Support Approval (HSSA) form. The CSM and attached approval form must have signature approval of the department chair, school/college dean, OAA and BAO before going to the ARFA scheduling office. These sections should be submitted far enough in advance so they can obtain necessary approval in time to meet scheduling and registration deadlines. Once an HSS section is approved, it will roll over annually and will remain HSS unless the department changes the section on the next year’s scheduling draft, or unless approval is withdrawn as a result of OAA/BAO expense/revenue analysis. Detailed instructions will be provided to department chairs and schedulers with the normal scheduling materials provided each term by the ARFA scheduling office. See attached CSM form, HSSA form, and detailed comparison matrix. The practice of creating "shadow" sections for a single course for the purpose of providing different billing options to students within the same course should no longer be necessary and will not be allowed. The new HSS option should provide a more seamless process for students. In addition, it offers schools/colleges a mechanism to offer additional sections to meet the increased demand. Questions regarding enrollment targets, budget issues, the approval form and the HSS philosophy should be directed to Mike Driscoll and/or Cathy Dyck. Questions regarding detail codes and student billing should be directed to Pat Soto. Questions regarding the course scheduling process and the CSM should be directed to Niko Lande. |
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