The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Intermediate Spanish Transition—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 28% 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 Tennessee and the completed course planning tool.
Cost Savings
Enrolling over 1500 students each year, Intermediate Spanish is taught every term. Because of increased demand coupled with a limited number of instructors, many students are unable to register for the course even though the University annually offers 57 sections of 27 students each.
The redesigned course will reduce class time from 3 hours per week to 2 and eliminate the audio lab. In the traditional model, the faculty spend a significant amount of time evaluating student work. In the redesign, grading time will dramatically decrease from 141 hours to 9 hours per section per term. Overall instructor time spent on this course will decrease from 276 hours to 96 per section. Experienced instructors will be paired with TAs, and section size will double from 27 to 54 students, thus reducing the number of sections needed from 57 in the traditional format to 38 in the redesign.
In the traditional course, the cost-per-student is $109, with 1539 students enrolled. In the redesign, about 500 more students will be served for a total enrollment of 2052, decreasing the cost-per-student from $109 to $28, a reduction of 74%. Savings will be reinvested in the course and used to redesign other language 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—Intermediate Spanish Transition
| Faculty | Full Time | Instructors |
| Annual salary and benefits | $61,167 | $3,121 |
| % devoted to instruction | 13% | 100% |
| % devoted to coordination | 35% | 100% |
| $ devoted to this course | $29,360 | $3,121 |
| Contact hours for course | 45 | 45 |
| Out of class hours | 820 | 231 |
| Total hours | 865 | 276 |
| Cost per hour | $34 | $11 |
| TAs/GAs | ||
| Salary | $2,490 | |
| % devoted to instruction | 100% | |
| % devoted to this course | 100% | |
| $ devoted to this course | $2,490 | |
| Contact hours for course | 45 | |
| Out of class hours | 231 | |
| Total hours | 276 | |
| Cost per hour | $9 | |
| Undergraduate TAs/Gas | ||
| Cost per hour | ||
| Professional/Support Staff | $ per | |
| Position | Hour | |
| #1 Lab Director | $20 | |
| #2 Technician | $14 |
Step #2: Determine Instructional Costs of Traditional Course
Instructional Costs of Traditional Course—Intermediate Spanish Transition
| Course Coordinator | Faculty | 1 | Instructors | 16 | GAs | 6 | Professional Staff (2) | |||
| # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | # of Hours | Total Cost | |
| Hourly rate = | $34 | Hourly rate = | $34 | Hourly rate = | $11 | Hourly rate = | $9 | Hourly rate = | $17 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 45 | $1,530 | ||||||||
| B. Materials Acquisition | 40 | $1,360 | ||||||||
| C. Materials Development | 70 | $2,380 | ||||||||
| 1.Lectures/pres. | 30 | $1,020 | ||||||||
| 2. Learning materials/software | 25 | $850 | 15 | $510 | 15 | $165 | 15 | $135 | ||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | 15 | $510 | ||||||||
| 4. Assignments | 25 | $850 | 15 | $510 | 15 | $165 | 15 | $135 | ||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 80 | $2,720 | 15 | $510 | 15 | $165 | 15 | $135 | ||
| Sub-Total | 330 | $11,220 | 45 | $1,530 | 45 | $495 | 45 | $405 | ||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||||||
| 1. Orientation | 165 | $5,610 | 25 | $850 | 25 | $275 | 25 | $225 | ||
| 2. Staff meetings/admin. | 195 | $6,630 | 10 | $340 | 10 | $110 | 10 | $90 | ||
| 3. Attend lectures | 25 | $850 | 10 | $340 | 10 | $110 | 10 | $90 | ||
| Sub-Total | 385 | $13,090 | 45 | $1,530 | 45 | $495 | 45 | $405 | ||
| Total Preparation for all individuals | 715 | $24,310 | 90 | $3,060 | 1440 | $15,840 | 540 | $4,860 | ||
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | 5 | $170 | 5 | $55 | 5 | $45 | ||||
| 2. Presentation | 15 | $510 | 15 | $165 | 15 | $135 | ||||
| 3. Interaction | 10 | $340 | 10 | $110 | 10 | $90 | 150 | $2,616 | ||
| 4. Progress monitoring | 11 | $374 | 11 | $121 | 11 | $99 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 41 | $1,394 | 41 | $451 | 41 | $369 | 150 | $2,616 | ||
| B. Evaluation | ||||||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 15 | $510 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 141 | $4,794 | 141 | $1,551 | 141 | $1,269 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 15 | $510 | 145 | $4,930 | 145 | $1,595 | 145 | $1,305 | ||
| Total Delivery for all sections | 15 | $510 | 186 | $6,324 | 8742 | $96,162 | 1488 | $13,392 | 150 | $2,616 |
| TOTAL for all sections | 730 | $24,820 | 276 | $9,384 | 10182 | $112,002 | 2028 | $18,252 | 150 | $2,616 |
| # of sections | 1 | 1 | 47 | 8 | ||||||
| GRAND TOTAL | $167,074 | |||||||||
| Total # of students | 1539 | |||||||||
| Cost per student | $109 |
Step #3: Determine Instructional Costs of Redesigned Course
Instructional Costs of Second Redesigned Course—Intermediate Spanish Transition
| Course Coordinator | Instructors | 13 | GAs | 19 | Professional Staff | |||
| # of hours | Total Cost | # of hours | Total Cost | # of hours | Total Cost | # of hours | Total Cost | |
| Hourly rate = | $34 | Hourly rate = | $11 | Hourly rate = | $9 | Hourly rate = | $17 | |
| I. Course Preparation | ||||||||
| A. Curriculum Development | 15 | $510 | ||||||
| B. Materials Acquisition | 6 | $204 | ||||||
| C. Materials Development | 18 | $612 | ||||||
| 1. Lectures/presentations | 30 | $1,020 | 5 | $55 | ||||
| 2. Learning materials/software | 15 | $510 | 10 | $110 | ||||
| 3. Diagnostic assessments | 3 | $102 | ||||||
| 4. Assignments | ||||||||
| 5. Tests/evaluations | 65 | $2,210 | 5 | $55 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 152 | $5,168 | 20 | $220 | ||||
| D. Faculty/TA Devmt/Training | ||||||||
| 1. Orientation/Training | 165 | $5,610 | 20 | $220 | 20 | $180 | ||
| 2. Staff meetings/administration | 168 | $5,712 | 10 | $110 | 10 | $90 | ||
| 3. Attend lectures | 25 | $850 | 10 | $110 | 10 | $90 | ||
| Sub-Total | 358 | $12,172 | 40 | $440 | 40 | $360 | ||
| Total Preparation for all individuals | 510 | $17,340 | 780 | $8,580 | 760 | $6,840 | ||
| II. Course Delivery | ||||||||
| A. Instruction | ||||||||
| 1. Diagnose skill/knowledge | ||||||||
| 2. Presentation | 5 | $55 | ||||||
| 3. Interaction | 15 | $165 | 2 | $18 | 300 | $5,100 | ||
| 4. Progress monitoring | 6 | $66 | 3 | $27 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 26 | $286 | 5 | $45 | 300 | $5,100 | ||
| B. Evaluation | ||||||||
| 1. Test proctoring | 15 | $510 | 4 | $44 | 2 | $18 | ||
| 2. Tests/evaluation | 6 | $66 | 3 | $27 | ||||
| Sub-Total | 15 | $510 | 10 | $110 | 5 | $45 | ||
| Total Delivery for all sections | 15 | $510 | 1368 | $15,048 | 380 | $3,420 | 300 | $5,100 |
| TOTAL for all sections | 525 | $17,850 | 2148 | $23,628 | 1140 | $10,260 | 300 | $5,100 |
| # of sections | 38 | 38 | ||||||
| GRAND TOTAL | $56,838 | |||||||
| Total # of students | 2052 | |||||||
| Cost per student | $28 |
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...
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