Projects
Lumina Foundation Cost of Instruction Study
Background
Earlier research by HigherEd.org, undertaken for the University of Virginia under a grant from the Lumina Foundation, suggested a need for greater attention to the proliferation of noncredit courses and to deeper analysis of the factors shaping the provision of noncredit courses in higher education. Large numbers of adult learners take noncredit courses because those courses are generally less expensive than credit courses. Policy makers at every level (institution, system and state) lack sufficient information to make reasonably informed decisions about the balance of credit and noncredit courses offered for adults and other learners. Our hypothesis is that a comprehensive data collection project directed at the impact of institutional resource allocation on adult learners in postsecondary credit and noncredit courses will inform policy making.
Focus of the project
The Cost of Instruction study examines the impact of institutional resource allocation (e.g. course offerings, faculty labor, funding, instructional facilities, technology, and administrative and support personnel) on adult learners in postsecondary credit and noncredit courses. Resource allocation for noncredit and credit courses will be compared by examining cost of developing curriculum noncredit vs. credit, types of faculty teaching noncredit and their pay structure, indirect costs associated with noncredit vs. credit, revenue generated from adult learners in noncredit vs. credit, how revenues are used by the institution for immediate needs not met by state funding, the impact of state funding formulas on the provision of noncredit vs. credit courses, how the costs of credit and noncredit courses shape the allocation of resources for technology in various programs, and how the projected costs of noncredit and credit provision shape the initiation of new programs and courses for adult learners.
Methodology
This is a mixed-method study comprising a comprehensive literature review,
interviews with key informants at higher education associations, and an electronic survey of institutions. As a deliverable for this project, the research team will also develop preliminary cost models, develop and pilot test a workshop(s) to serve as guides for institutions in preparing cost-of-instruction models to address key curricular resource allocation issues, and develop a report/monograph.
Benefits
What benefits can reasonably be expected from the study? Data from the literature review will help inform understanding of previous research on postsecondary cost analysis. Key informant interviews will provide further information on cost of instruction as well as alerting the research team to new developments and issues to explore. Survey data will provide a basis for analyzing costs of noncredit and credit instruction.
Institutions will be better equipped to develop the necessary cost of instruction models. Since there is little information about resource allocation, greater knowledge of the data that exists will add to the knowledge base of cost of instruction modeling.
