University of Iowa
General Chemistry—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 24.5% 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 the University of Iowa and the completed course planning tool.
Cost Savings
Enrolling about 1,300 students annually, General Chemistry is taught in lectures of 250-400 and discussion sections of 25. The lab is taught separately as a one-credit course with one large, one-hour lecture and 3 hours of lab. In the redesign, the lecture and lab components of General Chemistry will be integrated. The number of lecture sessions each week will decrease from 3 hours to 2, and the lab-lecture will be eliminated. Cost savings will result from substituting 2 instructors for the current 3 and automating homework grading (over 16,000 assignments per term), thus reducing the number of TAs needed by four.
The cost-per-student will be reduced by 20%, from $277 to $223, for an annual saving of about $70,000. Additional savings are anticipated by decreasing the number of students who must repeat the course. Savings will permit TAs to be redeployed to courses that have a long-standing need for them and will enable full-time faculty to teach courses formerly taught by part-time faculty.
[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 per person per semester—General Chemistry
| Faculty | Full time | Instructors |
| Annual Salary and Benefits | $86,528 | $30,000 |
| % devoted to instruction | 40% | 100% |
| % devoted to this course | 50% | 50% |
| $ devoted to this course | $17,306 | $15,000 |
| Contact hours for course | 48 | 96 |
| Out of class hours | 232 | 384 |
| Total hours | 280 | 480 |
| Cost per hour | $62 | $31 |
| TAs/GAs | ||
| Salary | $18,725 | |
| % devoted to instruction | 50% | |
| % devoted to this course | 50% | |
| $ devoted to this course | $4,681 | |
| Contact hours for course | 96 | |
| Out of class hours | 224 | |
| Total hours | 320 | |
| Cost per hour | $15 | |
| Undergraduate TAs | ||
| Cost per hour | ||
| Professional/Staff | $ per | |
| Positions | Hour | |
| #1: Chem Center | $14 | |
| #2: Lab Director | $34 |
Step #2: Determine Instructional Costs of Traditional Course
Instructional Costs of Traditional Course—General Chemistry
| Faculty | 3 | TAs/GAs | 21.5 | Chem Center Staff | Lab Director | |||
| # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | |
| Hourly rate = | $62 | Hourly rate = | $15 | Hourly rate = | $14 | Hourly rate = | $34 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 16 | $989 | ||||||
| B. Materials Acquisition | 8 | $494 | ||||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||||||
| 1. Lectures/presentations | 32 | $1,978 | ||||||
| 2. Learning materials/software | 32 | $1,978 | 32 | $468 | ||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | 32 | $468 | ||||||
| 4. Assignments | 16 | $989 | ||||||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 16 | $989 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 120 | $7,417 | 64 | $936 | ||||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||||
| 1. Orientation | ||||||||
| 2. Staff meetings: TA | 16 | $989 | 16 | $234 | ||||
| 3. Attend lectures | 48 | $702 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 16 | $989 | 64 | $936 | ||||
| Total Preparation | 136 | $8,406 | 128 | $1,873 | ||||
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | ||||||||
| 2. Presentation | 48 | $2,967 | 80 | $1,170 | 64 | $2,176 | ||
| 3. Interaction: office hrs, email | 32 | $1,978 | 32 | $468 | ||||
| 4. Progress monitoring | 32 | $1,978 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 112 | $6,922 | 112 | $1,638 | 64 | $2,176 | ||
| B. Evaluation | ||||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 14 | $865 | 14 | $205 | ||||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 18 | $1,113 | 66 | $966 | 160 | $2,240 | ||
| Sub-Total | 32 | $1,978 | 80 | $1,170 | 160 | $2,240 | ||
| Total Delivery | 144 | $8,900 | 192 | $2,809 | 160 | $2,240 | 64 | $2,176 |
| TOTAL | 280 | $17,306 | 320 | $4,681 | 160 | $2,240 | 64 | $2,176 |
| Iowa Students at Kirkwood CC Costs | $22,815 | |||||||
| (lost revenue at CC tuition) | ||||||||
| GRAND TOTAL for all sections | $179,795 | |||||||
| Total # of students | 650 | |||||||
| Cost per student | $277 |
Step #3: Determine Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course
Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course—General Chemistry
| Faculty | 2 | TAs/GAs | 17.5 | Instructor | 2 | Chem Center Staff | ||
| # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | |
| Hourly rate = | $62 | Hourly rate = | $15 | Hourly rate = | $31 | Hourly rate = | $14 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 16 | $989 | 32 | $992 | ||||
| B. Materials Acquisition | 8 | $494 | 8 | $248 | ||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||||||
| 1. Lectures/presentations | 16 | $989 | 32 | $468 | 48 | $1,488 | ||
| 2. Learning materials/software | 32 | $1,978 | 32 | $468 | 16 | $496 | ||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | 16 | $989 | 16 | $496 | ||||
| 4. Assignments | 16 | $989 | 8 | $248 | ||||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 16 | $989 | 48 | $1,488 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 120 | $7,417 | 64 | $936 | 176 | $5,456 | ||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||||
| 1. Orientation | 32 | $992 | ||||||
| 2. Staff meetings | 16 | $989 | 16 | $234 | 48 | $1,488 | ||
| 3. Attend lectures | 48 | $702 | 32 | $992 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 16 | $989 | 64 | $936 | 112 | $3,472 | ||
| Total Preparation | 136 | $8,406 | 128 | $1,873 | 288 | $8,928 | ||
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | 24 | $351 | ||||||
| 2. Presentation | 32 | $1,978 | 32 | $468 | 96 | $2,976 | ||
| 3. Interaction | 16 | $989 | 32 | $468 | ||||
| 4. Progress monitoring | 16 | $989 | 24 | $351 | 64 | $1,984 | ||
| Sub-Total | 64 | $3,956 | 112 | $1,638 | 160 | $4,960 | ||
| B. Evaluation | ||||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 14 | $865 | 14 | $205 | 14 | $434 | ||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 18 | $1,113 | 66 | $966 | 18 | $558 | 160 | $2,240 |
| Sub-Total | 32 | $1,978 | 80 | $1,170 | 32 | $992 | 160 | $2,240 |
| Total Delivery | 96 | $5,933 | 192 | $2,809 | 192 | $5,952 | 160 | $2,240 |
| TOTAL | 232 | $14,339 | 320 | $4,681 | 480 | $14,880 | 160 | $2,240 |
| Iowa Students at Kirkwood CC costs | $2,282 | |||||||
| (lost revenue at CC tuition) | ||||||||
| GRAND TOTAL | $144,882 | |||||||
| Total # of students | 650 | |||||||
| Cost per student | $223 |
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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