The University of Southern Mississippi
World Literature—Course Planning Tool
The Course Planning Tool is a formatted spreadsheet that facilitates a three-step process for institutions to establish and compare the instructional costs before redesign (the traditional course) and the instructional costs after the redesign (the redesigned course).
Step #1 shows the calculation of all personnel costs associated with preparing and delivering the course expressed as an hourly rate. Annual salary for faculty listed is the average of all faculty teaching the course and includes a 24% benefits rate. Step #2 uses this initial calculation to determine the cost of preparing and delivering the traditional course. Step #3 calculates these costs for the redesigned course. More specific Course Planning Tool instructions are available.
Below are a summary of the cost savings anticipated at University of Southern Mississippi and the completed course planning tool.
Cost Savings
Cost savings will be produced by teaching the same number of students with fewer instructors (and significantly reducing faculty time in the classroom by sharing the load), eliminating adjuncts, employing graduate assistants for basic but time-intensive grading of writing assignments, and shifting course management to WebCT. Faculty hours for World Literature decline from 3056 in the traditional model to 441, supplemented by 1280 hours provided by TAs, in the redesigned version.
The university estimates a reduction from the current $70 cost-per-student to $31, a 56% savings. The annual savings of approximately $78,000 per year will remain with the English Department. The time of full-time faculty will be redirected to the redesign of other general education courses, enhancing upper-level undergraduate and graduate offerings, and providing additional resources for research and service. The cash savings previously used to hire adjuncts will be available for similar academic enhancements.
[For more detailed information regarding their initial academic redesign, consult the project plan description.]
Step #1: Determine Instructional Costs per Hour
Instructional Costs per Hour—World Literature
| Faculty | Full-time | Adjunct |
| Salary and Benefits | $58,747 | $1,400 |
| % devoted to instruction | 75% | 100% |
| % devoted to this course | 17% | 100% |
| $ devoted to this course | $7,358 | $1,400 |
| Contact hours for course | 38 | 38 |
| Out of class hours | 153 | 153 |
| Total hours | 191 | 191 |
| Cost per hour | $39 | $7 |
| TAs/GAs | ||
| Salary and Benefits | $10,000 | |
| % devoted to instruction | 70% | |
| % devoted to this course | 50% | |
| $ devoted to this course | $3,500 | |
| Contact hours for course | ||
| Out of class hours | 320 | |
| Total hours | 320 | |
| Cost per hour | $11 |
Step #2: Determine Instructional Costs of Traditional Course
Instructional Costs of Traditional Course—World Literature
| Faculty | Adjunct Instructors | |||
| # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | |
| Hourly rate = | $39 | Hourly rate = | $7 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 4 | $154 | 4 | $29 |
| B. Materials Acquisition | ||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||
| 1. Lectures/presentations | 76 | $2,928 | 76 | $557 |
| 2. Learning materials/software | ||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | ||||
| 4. Assignments | 15 | $578 | 15 | $110 |
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 16 | $616 | 16 | $117 |
| Sub-Total | 111 | $4,276 | 111 | $814 |
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||
| 1. Orientation | ||||
| 2. Staff meetings | ||||
| 3. Attend lectures | ||||
| Sub-Total | ||||
| Total Preparation | 111 | $4,276 | 111 | $814 |
| II. Course Delivery | ||||
| A. Instruction | ||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | ||||
| 2. Presentation | 38 | $1,464 | 38 | $279 |
| 3. Interaction | 16 | $616 | 16 | $117 |
| 4. Progress monitoring | ||||
| Sub-Total | 54 | $2,080 | 54 | $396 |
| B. Evaluation | ||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 6 | $231 | 6 | $44 |
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 20 | $770 | 20 | $147 |
| Sub-Total | 26 | $1,002 | 26 | $191 |
| Total Delivery | 80 | $3,082 | 80 | $586 |
| TOTAL | 191 | $7,358 | 191 | $1,400 |
| Total # faculty of adjuncts per term | 8 | 8 | ||
| TOTAL per term | 1528 | $58,865 | 1528 | $11,200 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $70,064 | |||
| Total # of students | 1000 | |||
| Cost per student | $70 | |||
Step 3: Determine Instructional Costs of the Redesigned Course
Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course—World Literature
| Course Coordinator | Team Faculty | TAs/GAs | ||||
| # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | |
| Hourly rate = | $39 | Hourly rate = | $39 | Hourly rate = | $11 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 1 | $39 | 1 | $39 | ||
| B. Materials Acquisition | 15 | $578 | ||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||||
| 1. Lectures/presentations | 15 | $578 | 21 | $809 | ||
| 2. Learning materials/software | 45 | $1,734 | ||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | ||||||
| 4. Assignments | 15 | $578 | 4 | $154 | ||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 4 | $154 | 8 | 308 | ||
| Sub-Total | 95 | $3,660 | 34 | $1,310 | ||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||
| 1. Orientation | 10 | $385 | 10 | $109 | ||
| 2. Staff meetings | 32 | $1,233 | 16 | $616 | 16 | $175 |
| 3. Attend lectures | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 42 | $1,618 | 16 | $616 | 26 | $284 |
| Total Preparation | 137 | $5,278 | 50 | $1,926 | 26 | $284 |
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | ||||||
| 2. Presentation | 10 | $385 | ||||
| 3. Interaction | 16 | $616 | 8 | $308 | 20 | $219 |
| 4. Progress monitoring | 16 | $616 | 24 | $263 | ||
| Sub-Total | 32 | $1,233 | 18 | $693 | 44 | $481 |
| B. Evaluation | ||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | ||||||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 250 | $2,734 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 250 | $2,734 | ||||
| Total Delivery | 32 | $1,233 | 18 | $693 | 294 | $3,216 |
| TOTAL | 169 | $6,511 | 68 | $2,620 | 320 | $3,500 |
| Total # faculty of adjuncts per term | 1 | 4 | 4 | |||
| TOTAL per term | 169 | $6,511 | 272 | $10,479 | 1280 | $14,000 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $30,989 | |||||
| Total # of students | 1000 | |||||
| Cost per student | $31 | |||||
Program in Course Redesign Quick Links:
Program In Course Redesign Main Page...
Lessons Learned:
Round 1...
Round II...
Round III...
Savings:
Round I...
Round II...
Round III...
Project Descriptions:
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Sorted by Model...
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