Quarter to Semester

Direct Cost Elements Study

The request is for a study of the direct cost elements of a quarter to semester transition for Eastern Washington University. This would only be a relatively crude estimation process but sufficient to outline the cost issues for the Board of Trustees. More detailed efforts in this area at other institutions have involved multiple committees working over months. My approach would be to take the University of Cincinnati transition report as a model (what appears to be high cost model) and to extrapolate its findings to a smaller and somewhat different environment. I would also use documents and notes compiled by other EWU groups that have summarized most of the issues of a transition. The study would involve these areas:

I. Conversion Costs

Administration and Communications – (administrative management of transition process and information dissemination)

Curriculum, Course and Pedagogic Development - (notation of issues for compensation or non-compensation)

Systems Reconstruction and Procedures Revisions – (registration, financial aid, student services)

Advising – (conversion of every continuing student to a planned semester program for graduation – potential additional advising costs for transition)

Information Technology – (systems development work and in-house versus outsourcing options)

II. Steady State Implications – Discussion of issues/implications

(Currently have not found any information on cost savings or comparison of administrative of costs between quarter and semester schools. U of Cincinnati aimed for a cost neutral result.)

III. Workload, Contractual Issues– Identification of issues/implications

IV. Proposed General Timeline

Study Process

Review of literature and available records of other institutions transition reports

Interviews of EWU personnel for judgments on processes to be revised and anticipated costs and savings

Preparation of draft report for Provost/President

Preparation of PowerPoint presentation for Board of Trustees

Study Cost – I would estimate the work at approximately 5-10 days depending on the need for revisions, additional meetings. Why don’t we start with an estimate of 5 days and we can re-negotiate if it appears to be taking more time.

Niel Zimmerman 2/23/09