Northern Arizona University
College Algebra—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 25% benefit 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 Northern Arizona University and the completed course planning tool.
Cost Savings
To achieve their 47% savings, Northern Arizona University is reducing faculty lectures and associated preparation and delivery from 840 to 114 hours. These 114 hours are primarily spent working with the TAs and other personnel who will assist students when they have a particular problem. Modeled on the Virginia Tech math emporium, the NAU project will also implement existing software, reducing development time. Other personnel (TAs, lab aides and tutors) will target their time to assisting students; no hours are included in the redesign plan to prepare or deliver lectures.
The course redesign will result in annual savings of approximately $60,000. The cost-per-student decreases 47%, from $138 to $73. Northern Arizona University’s cost savings will stay in the department of mathematics and will be reinvested to fund the redesign of other math courses.
[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 Algebra
| Faculty | |
| Salary and Benefits | $50,000 |
| % devoted to instruction | 60% |
| % devoted to this course | 17% |
| $ devoted to this course | $5,100 |
| Contact hours for course | 40 |
| Out of class hours | 80 |
| Total hours | 120 |
| Cost per hour | $43 |
| TAs/GAs | |
| Salary and Benefits | $15,600 |
| % devoted to instruction | 100% |
| % devoted to this course | 33% |
| $ devoted to this course | $5,148 |
| Contact hours for course | 40 |
| Out of class hours | 106 |
| Total hours | 146 |
| Cost per hour | $35 |
| Support Staff Position | $ per Hour |
| Computer Technician | $24 |
| Laboratory Aides | $8 |
| Student Tutors | $7 |
Step #2: Determine Instructional Costs of Traditional Course
Instructional Costs of Traditional Course—College Algebra
| Faculty | TAs/GAs | Faculty Coordinator | ||||
| # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | |
| Hourly rate = | $43 | Hourly rate = | $35 | Hourly rate = | $43 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | ||||||
| B. Materials Acquisition | ||||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||||
| 1. Lectures/presentations | 210 | $8,925 | 540 | $19,041 | ||
| 2. Learning materials/software | ||||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | ||||||
| 4. Assignments | 35 | $1,488 | 90 | $3,173 | ||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 84 | $3,570 | 216 | $7,616 | ||
| Sub-Total | 329 | $13,983 | 846 | $29,830 | ||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||
| 1. Orientation | 44 | $1,551 | 16 | $680 | ||
| 2. Staff meetings | 220 | $7,757 | 60 | $2,550 | ||
| 3. Attend lectures | 22 | $776 | 44 | $1,870 | ||
| Sub-Total | 286 | $10,084 | 120 | $5,100 | ||
| Total Preparation | 329 | $13,983 | 1,132 | $39,915 | 120 | $5,100 |
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | 7 | $298 | 18 | $635 | ||
| 2. Presentation | 182 | $7,735 | 468 | $16,502 | ||
| 3. Interaction | 70 | $2,975 | 180 | $6,347 | ||
| 4. Progress monitoring | 21 | $893 | 54 | $1,904 | ||
| Sub-Total | 280 | $11,900 | 720 | $25,387 | ||
| B. Evaluation | ||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 56 | $2,380 | 144 | $5,077 | ||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 175 | $7,438 | 450 | $15,867 | ||
| Sub-Total | 231 | $9,818 | 594 | $20,945 | ||
| Total Delivery | 511 | $21,718 | 1,314 | $46,332 | ||
| TOTAL | 840 | $35,700 | 2,446 | $86,247 | ||
| GRAND TOTAL | $127,047 | |||||
| Total # of students | 920 | |||||
| Cost per student | $138 | |||||
Step 3: Determine Instructional Costs of the Redesigned Course
Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course—College Algebra
| Faculty | TAs/GAs | Lab Aides | Tutors | |||||
| # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | |
| Hourly rate = | $43 | Hourly rate = | $35 | Hourly rate = | $8 | Hourly rate = | $7 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | ||||||||
| B. Materials Acquisition | ||||||||
| C. Materials Development | ||||||||
| 1. Lectures/presentations | ||||||||
| 2. Learning materials/software | ||||||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | ||||||||
| 4. Assignments | ||||||||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | ||||||||
| Sub-Total | ||||||||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||||
| 1. Orientation | 4 | $170 | 24 | $846 | 8 | $64 | ||
| 2. Staff meetings | 24 | $1,020 | 144 | $5,77 | 48 | $384 | ||
| 3. Attend lectures | 86 | $3,655 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 114 | $4,845 | 168 | $5,924 | 56 | $448 | ||
| Total Preparation | 114 | $4,845 | 168 | $5,924 | 56 | $448 | ||
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | 46 | $1,622 | |
|||||
| 2. Presentation | |
|||||||
| 3. Interaction | 925 | $32,616 | 300 | $2,400 | 684 | $4,788 | ||
| 4. Progress monitoring | 139 | $4,901 | 60 | $480 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 1,100 | $39,139 | 360 | $2,880 | 684 | $4,788 | ||
| B. Evaluation | ||||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 96 | $3,385 | ||||||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 30 | $1,058 | ||||||
| Sub-Total | 126 | $4,443 | ||||||
| Total Delivery | 1,236 | $43,582 | 360 | $2,880 | 684 | $4,788 | ||
| TOTAL | 114 | $4,845 | 1,404 | $49,505 | 416 | $3,328 | 684 | $4,788 |
| Sub-Total for Personnel | $62,466 | |||||||
| System Analyst | $4,992 | |||||||
| GRAND TOTAL | $67,458 | |||||||
| Total # of students | 920 | |||||||
| Cost per student | $73 | |||||||
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:
Sorted by Discipline...
Sorted by Model...
Sorted by Success...
Sorted by Grant Rounds...
