Program in Course Redesign

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



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