To:
Deans, Associate Deans, Department Chairs and Directors
From: Marsha Ham, Executive Director, Lifelong & Distance Learning
Date: January 2010
RE:
Scalable Summer Online 2010
Building from the success and “lessons learned” in the Scalable Summer Online 2009 Pilot, we invite
you to participate in Scalable Summer Online 2010. To recap last summer’s program, following are the
program goals, highlights, and primary scalable features used in the program last summer:
• Goals
Maximize enrollment of continuing OHIO students,
Increase enrollment of nondegree visiting students,
Schedule sufficient space for all audiences to self-register
• Highlights
23 sections of Athens classes scheduled with 20 faculty members and 8 facilitators
300 additional enrollments generated approx $360,000 revenue
57 new students applied at Athens campus for summer quarter
• Scalable 2009 Program features
Tested use of scaled faculty pay based on enrollment not section
Developed facilitator training and modeled use of facilitator/coach assisting faculty
Launched use of online nondegree application process
Tracked registrations of target-marketed audiences by degree codes
Expanded advertising campaign
Returned $35,350 to Athens departments and colleges with profit-sharing system
The goal for Summer 2010 is to expand Scalable Summer Online providing many more course
opportunities for continuing OHIO students from ALL campuses and to increase enrollment of
nondegree, visiting students from all over the world. To reach these goals, we plan to:
• Encourage ALL online classes to run as Scalable
In consultation with his/her department chair or campus, each online instructor will determine to
what extent their class will be scaled. Each will have the option to scale to maximum size of 50, 75,
100, 125, or 150 spaces. A form is attached to indicate this. On an individual basis, a faculty member
may make the case that it is not appropriate to scale a particular class.
• Bill appropriate tuition rates for each audience
Classes originating from Athens Campus will be scheduled using the DL section code through
Lifelong and Distance Learning with the tuition rate of $153/credit hour for Online Bachelor
Completion and External Degree-Seeking students AND also scheduled with regular departmental call
numbers with the tuition of $292 for continuing OHIO resident undergraduate students and nondegree,
visiting students.
Classes originating from the Regional Campuses will be scheduled with their regional call
numbers and campus codes with the tuition rate of $153/credit hour for continuing OHIO resident
undergraduate students and nondegree, visiting students or $144/credit hour for Eastern and Southern
Campus classes.
Targeted audiences will include:
Continuing OHIO students from all campuses
Non-degree, visiting students transferring credit to a home institution
OHIO students who have stopped out
Independent & Distance Learning students
High School students seeking dual credit
Online Bachelor Completion & RN-BSN students
Nontraditional students new to college or contemplating a new career
Community college students and graduates
Military and homeschooled students
• Schedule enough scalable class spaces between multiple Athens call numbers
To help determine what maximum demand may be in each previously offered online class, a
spreadsheet is attached showing enrollment from Summer 2009 in online sections, on-campus sections,
and also what we know to be unmet demand. A recommendation is also provided suggesting the
expected total 2010 demand. Based on that recommendation, suggestions will be provided for how many
spaces should be scheduled with the Athens departmental call number by the academic department and
the DL call number through the Lifelong and Distance learning staff. This is somewhat tricky because
ALL students will self-enroll and the goal is to have sufficient space for all students.
Please note that most classes will be scheduled at a max enrollment of 50 and that actual
enrollment will come in at 35-40 students. Relatively few classes (probably only 8-10) will end with
enrollment of greater than 100 students.
• Use facilitator system for enrollment of more than 50 students
Facilitators will be used for all classes with enrollments of more than 50 students as follows: 5075 registrations will use 1 facilitator, 76-100 registrations will use 2 facilitators, 101-125 registrations
will use 3 facilitators, and 126-150 registrations will use 4 facilitators.
Most often, facilitators will be TA or GA students already known to departments, but may also
be adjuncts, visiting instructors, or others and should hold a master’s degree. Facilitators will be
recommended by Instructors and approved by department chairs for Athens classes and regional
associate deans for regional classes.
Facilitators will be hired when combined enrollment in all sections exceeds 50 students. Their
responsibilities generally will include leading discussions, managing email and daily student
communications, and grading based on the instructors grading rubric. The instructor is responsible for
developing the course including the syllabus and the grading rubric for all assessments and for providing
oversight and direction to the facilitators assigned to his/her course.
Facilitators will work with groups of 20-25 students, participate in facilitator training prior to the
start of the quarter, and will be paid $2,000.
• Budgeting the scalable online program
All Summer budgeting is based on call numbers used. Regional campus call numbers will be
used for all online classes and Regional campus summer budgeting will remain separate from Athens.
As has been the case for many years, each Athens Campus college will receive a Summer budget from
which to fund all departmental summer offerings. Each scaled Athens online class will be scheduled
with a departmental call number AND a Lifelong and Distance Learning DL call numbers. The amount
of instructional pay associated with the enrollment generated from departmental call number will be
budgeted and paid from your total departmental Summer budget. The amount of instructional pay
associated with the enrollment generated from the DL call number will be paid from Lifelong and
Distance Learning accounts. Because the majority of enrollments will be generated from departmental
call numbers, the department will be responsible to cover the facilitator instructional pay from their
summer departmental budget as well.
• Use scalable instructional pay formula by enrollment, not by section
A Scalable instructional pay formula will be implemented for all Scalable Athens Campus
classes based on total combined enrollment from all sections of the course. Regional campuses are
encouraged to use this system also.
Instructors will be paid using Summer 2010 pay rates based on enrollment as of the third day of
class for enrollment of 10 to 25 students. For enrollments of greater than 25 students, the following
additional pay system will be used.
Enrollment of
26-28
29-31
32-34
35-37
38-40
41-43
44-46
47-49
= additional pay
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Enrollment of
50-55
56-61
62-67
68-73
74-79
80-85
86-91
92-97
and so on…
= additional pay
100%
110%
120%
130%
140%
150%
160%
170%
For example:
Enrollment of 48 = payment of $5400* + $4860 = $10,260
Enrollment of 62 = payment of $5400* + $6480 = $11,880
(*based on Summer ’09 assoc prof pay rate for 4 credit hours)
Note: Enrollment of less than 10 will be paid at a rate of 10% of regular pay multiplied by the number
of students registered on the third day of class. For example, regular summer pay for assistant professor
09-10 ($1172 x 4credits) is $4688. If only 7 students enroll, payment would be $3282 (70%).
Because total pay is based on enrollment as of the third day of class and may be split from two
different budgets, all contracts for Athens Campus SCALABLE Summer ONLINE CLASSES will
be processed by OU Online staff.
• Reward Colleges and departments for DL enrollments
Athens campus colleges AND departments will each receive 30% of net profit generated from
enrollments in Lifelong and Distance Learning’s DL call numbers. Because this tuition comes directly to
Lifelong and Distance Learning and we couldn’t generate it without departmental support, we will share
the profit with you!
• Expand faculty training AND facilitator training offered
ALL faculty participating in Scalable Summer Online 2010 will be encouraged to participate in
an online Blackboard survey and Quality Matters course self review process and to complete a training
session on teaching online in a scaled format. Some will also be asked to participate in a day-long, fullscale Quality Matters seminar to revamp their online course content.
A training session will be required for all those serving as Facilitators assisting Instructors. For
each of these levels of training, appropriate levels of compensation will be provided.
• Expand marketing to include traditional and alternative methods
A full-scale marketing effort advertising all online offerings will be launched in April as
registration begins and will include several on and off-campus plans. Online advertising, social
networking publicity, print advertisements in other Ohio university newspapers, direct mail and
promotional events will be used.
A Scalable Summer Online 2010 Approval form is attached. These forms should be returned,
with signatures, no later than February 1, 2010.
This program is designed to provide you with an additional opportunity to help your students and others
fulfill their educational goals. We look forward to working with you to create this expanded access to
OU Online summer courses.