Crookston Campus Policy
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Policy Statement
Course Fees
Course fees must be used solely for approved purposes and in support of the courses for which the fees were assessed. Departments may not use revenue from course fees for costs that should reasonably be covered by the institution's regular instructional budget.
A course fee cannot be charged for the basic complement of classroom supplies and materials required for instruction. These include but are not limited to:
- hand-outs;
- chalk, erasers, paper clips;
- pointers;
- glassware used by students enrolled in chemistry courses;
- classroom instructional equipment such as projectors (slide, overhead, computer, etc.) and associated supplies (bulbs, 2 transparencies, software, etc.); or
- any other supplies deemed necessary to equip the instructional space for courses.
Course fee rates must be equal to or less than the actual cost incurred to provide materials or services to one student in one semester.
Administrative fees and inflationary adjustments cannot be added to course fees.
Departments may use course fee funds only for the purposes for which they were intended. Revenue generated by course fees should be expended by the end of the fiscal year and expenditures restricted to those purposes identified in the department's approved fee request. Accumulation of significant fund balances may prompt reduction of the course fee.
Approved course fees must be included in the university class schedule.
Special Course Fees
Departments may assess special course fees to pay for certain instructional costs that are not covered by the regular instructional budget, to be used for a variety of purposes, as deemed necessary by the institution for the delivery of a credit course. Examples of uses for special course fees include:
- the cost of transportation and admission on field trips;
- materials for projects that result in tangible products retained or specialized supplies consumed by students; or
- private lessons provided to students enrolled in music classes.
Departments must strive to provide all students in a course who are charged a special course fee with a reasonable opportunity to benefit equally from the fee.
Regular Review
An overall goal for the campus is to have a minimal number of courses charge an additional course fee.
Existing course fees are required to be reviewed on a rotating scheduled, with a sample of existing course fees reviewed each year. This review process may include a financial summary.
Billing Course Fees
Departments are prohibited from collecting course fees in the classroom, and faculty or instructors may not collect fees from students. The fee for all approved course fees will be billed to students through the regular university billing process.
Reason for Policy
Provide a course fee request and review process.
Contacts
| Subject | Contact | Phone | Fax/Email |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Contact(s) | Renee Mulcahy | 218-281-8325 | [email protected] |
| Policy Owner | Primary Contact |
|---|---|
|
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Procedures
Application
- The department or program will submit a request for a special course fee may be initiated when the department or program believes that the level of expense in a course validates the need for such a fee.
- Programs may request changes to existing fees or propose new fees with approval by the department chair.
- The request must be made on the appropriate Request for Course Fee Form and must be submitted according to the existing procedures and deadlines. The request must include a short justification for the fee with a description of how the fee revenue is intended to be spent, a specific proposal that identifies the amount of the fee to be charged, a budget that details the anticipated revenue and expenses associated with the fee account, evidence that the faculty in the department or program have discussed the fee, and the value added for the course in which the special fee will be charged.
Approval and Notification
The UMC Course Fee Committee reviews all proposed course fees for appropriateness. The Course Fee Committee will recommend to the Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs which fees should be approved for the upcoming academic year.
Appealing a Denial
- A department head may appeal the recommendation of the Fee Committee not to approve a fee request.
- The request for an appeal must be made in writing and filed with the Fee Committee chair within ten workdays of receipt of notification of the committee’s recommendation.
- The matter will be referred to a three-person committee who will advise the Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs. This committee will be comprised of the chair of the Faculty Consultative Committee, the chair of the Academic Standards & Policy Committee, and a student member appointed by the CSA President. The Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs may appoint alternates if members of the committee are unable to serve.
- The committee will make a decision within ten workdays of the request.
- If the appeal committee fails to act within this period, the request will be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs for final review.
Accountability
Course fees are deposited to a separate, easily audited account under the direct control of the department responsible.
Policy History
- Effective:
- April 2010
- Approved by:
- Chancellor’s Administrative Cabinet, 01/26/2009
- Revised by:
- Chancellor’s Administrative Cabinet, 02/22/2010; 4/5/2010