High Enrollment Bottleneck
Courses
Boise State University
Boise State University
“Bottleneck Courses”

Required courses that are often prerequisites
for other upper-division courses or for entrance
into program majors
 Most are large-enrollment, lower-division
courses
 Many are general education requirements for
all students
 Some have unacceptable failure and
incomplete rates
Scope of Bottleneck Problem

34 courses in 16 departments identified as
significant bottlenecks
 Account for 12,746 enrollments
 Majority over subscribed by 10th day each
semester
 Cost to university to add sections = average
$700,000
Impact

Study of non-continuing students
indicates that course availability was a
significant factor in failure to persist (Why
Fall 2003 Freshmen Left Boise State University And Whether They
Plan to Return, Research Report 2005-02, Office of Institutional
Assessment).

One in four graduates state that they had
to delay graduation because of class
unavailability (Spring Graduates Rate Their Experiences at
Boise State University, Spring 2005, Office of Institutional
Assessment).
Impact
Students

Delay graduation increase cost to student

Diminished support for
the university from
students and parents

Reduced consistency
and quality of
instruction in additional
sections
Departments

Departments unable to
add sections
– Lack of classrooms
– Lack of qualified faculty

Reduces curricular
offerings

Risk to accreditation

Inconsistent quality
Strategy

Curriculum innovation through redesign to achieve:
– Improved access - more students get in and master course
content
– Reduced costs to both student and university
– Increase in quality and consistency of instruction

State grant to fund 3 pilot project teams
– English
– Math
– Accounting
Strategy






Partner with NCAT for process and experience
English team - C2R participant
Instructional design workshops/charette - just
in time training and design solutions
8 weeks of equivalent full time summer work
Develop model process for other departments
Illustrate possibilities for significant redesign