Program in Course Redesign

Tallahassee Community College

College Composition—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 for faculty teaching the course and includes a 16% 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 Tallahassee Community College and the completed course planning tool.

Cost Savings

Tallahassee Community College’s redesign of College Composition will permit the institution to reduce the number of full-time faculty involved in this course (from 32 to 8) and substitute less expensive adjunct faculty without sacrificing quality and consistency of learning experiences for students. Total faculty time is reduced by over 2800 hours in the redesign. Decreased time in diagnosing student problems allows a shift for all faculty to time spent on focused writing experiences and feedback.

TCC has outsourced review of mid-stage drafts to online tutors at SMARTHINKING, reducing both the amount of time faculty spend grading papers by 1800 hours annually and the burden on the Writing Center by over 4000 hours annually. The result is a savings of over $94,000, $28,500 of which will be used for SMARTHINKING's services.

In the traditional course, 100 hours of class time were allotted to library presentations; in the redesigned course, the needed library instruction has been shifted to an online tutorial, thus reducing the time spent by librarians in the course from 100 hours to zero.

The redesign will result in a reduction in the cost per student of 43%, from $252 to $145, saving the institution almost $322,000 annually. The savings will be used to reassign full time faculty to second-level courses where finding adjuncts is much more difficult. In addition, adjuncts will increase their office hours by 1 hour per week to accommodate greater one-on-one interaction with students.

[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—College Composition

Faculty Full-time Adjunct



Salary and Benefits $68,300 $1,563
% devoted to instruction 100% 100%
% devoted to this course 13% 100%
$ devoted to this course $8,538 $1,563



Contact hours for course 42 42
Out of class hours 162 120
Total hours 204 162
Cost per hour $42 $10



Professional/Staff $ per
Positions Hour



Writing Center Director $26
Permanent Part-Time (PPT) $20
Hourly (Writing Center) $8
Graders $8
Librarian (Faculty) $42

Step #2: Determine Instructional Costs of Traditional Course

Instructional Costs of Traditional Course—College Composition


Faculty 32 Adjunct 18 Writing Center Director Writing Center (PPT) Writing Center (Hourly) Grader

# of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost

Hourly rate = $42 Hourly rate = $10 Hourly rate = $26 Hourly rate = $20 Hourly rate = $8 Hourly rate = $8
I. Course Preparation
























A. Curriculum Development











B. Materials Acquisition











C. Materials Development











1.Lectures/

presentations

576 $24,106 324 $3,240







2. Learning materials/software 288 $12,053 65 $650







3. Diagnostic assessments 115 $4,813 162 $1,620







4. Assignments 288 $12,053









5. Tests/evaluations 115 $4,813









Sub-Total 1382 $57,837 551 $5,510




















D. Faculty/TA Dev/Training











1. Orientation 288 $12,053 97 $970







2. Staff meetings 115 $4,813









3. Attend lectures 58 $2,427









Sub-Total 461 $19,293 97 $970







Total Prep. 1843 $77,130 648 $6,480




















II. Course Delivery
























A. Instruction











1. Diagnose skill/knowledge 704 $29,462 216 $2,160







2. Presentation 1508 $63,110 792 $7,920







3. Interaction 3232 $135,259 1008 $10,080 1000 $26,000 4400 $87,360 1500 $12,000

4. Progress monitoring 448 $18,749 108 $1,080







Sub-Total 5892 $246,580 2124 $21,240 1000 $26,000 4400 $87,360 1500 $12,000














B. Evaluation











1. Test proctoring 256 $10,714 144 $1,440







2. Tests/evaluation 5184 $216,950 2916 $29,160





2700 $21,600
Sub-Total 5440 $227,664 3060 $30,600





2700 $21,600
Total Delivery 11332 $474,244 5184 $51,840 1000 $26,000 4400 $88,000 1500 $12,000 2700 $21,600













TOTAL 13175 $551,374 5832 $58,320 1000 $26,000 4400 $88,000 1500 $12,000 2700 $21,600













GRAND TOTAL
$757,294









Total # of students
3000









Cost per student
$252









Step 3: Determine Instructional Costs of the Redesigned Course

Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course—College Composition


Faculty 8 Adjunct 17 Writing Center Director Writing Center (PPT) Writing Center (Hourly) Grader

# of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost # of Hours Total Cost

Hourly rate = $42 Hourly rate = $10 Hourly rate = $26 Hourly rate = $20 Hourly rate = $8 Hourly rate = $8
I. Course Preparation
























A. Curriculum Development











B. Materials Acquisition 43 $1,806









C. Materials Development











1.Lectures/

presentations

144 $6,048 306 $3,060







2. Learning materials/software 58 $2,436 122 $1,220







3. Diagnostic assessments











4. Assignments 288 $12,096 612 $6,120







5. Tests/evaluations











Sub-Total 533 $22,386 1040 $10,400




















D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training











1. Orientation 58 $2,436 306 $3,060







2. Staff meetings 58 $2,436









3. Attend lectures 29 $1,218









Sub-Total 145 $6,090 306 $3,060







Total

Preparation

678 $28,476 1346 $13,460




















II. Course

Delivery


























A. Instruction











1. Diagnose skill/knowledge 64 $2,688 136 $1,360







2. Presentation 320 $13,440 680 $6,800







3. Interaction 2096 $88,032 3944 $39,440 510 $13,260 1638 $32,760 729 $5,832

4. Progress monitoring 64 $2,688 136 $1,360







Sub-Total 2544 $106,848 4896 $48,960 510 $13,260 1638 $32,760 729 $5,832














B. Evaluation











1. Test proctoring 128 $5,376 272 $2,720







2. Tests/evaluation 2016 $84,672 4284 $42,840





2700 $21,600
Sub-Total 2144 $90,048 4556 $45,560





2700 $21,600
Total Delivery 4688 $196,896 9452 $94,520 510 $13,260 1638 $32,760 729 $5,832 2700 $21,600













TOTAL 5366 $225,372 10798 $107,980 510 $13,260 1638 $32,760 729 $5,832 2700 $21,600













GRAND TOTAL
$406,804









Smarthinking Tutorial Service
$28,500









TOTAL
$435,304






















Total # of students
3000









Cost per student
$145









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