SUU Seal (for official use only)
 

POLICY #6.42
SUBJECT: Program and Course Fees

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Policy is to establish policy and procedure on assessing, expending, and adjusting program and course fees.

II. REFERENCES

N/A

III. DEFINITIONS

  1. Course Fee: A fee assessed to a particular course to cover very specific costs that are unique to that course and cannot be covered by program fees.
  2. Program Fee: A fee assessed per credit hour on courses offered by a particular College or School’s academic program(s) to cover costs such as equipment and maintenance, software, student support, computer lab attendants, and other program support that cannot be covered by state appropriations and tuition.

IV. POLICY

  1. General Conditions and Applicability
    1. In addition to regular tuition and student fees, Program and Course Fees may be assessed to students.
    2. Program and Course Fees assessed to students must be approved in advance and identified in the schedule of classes.
    3. Program and Course Fees automatically expire after three (3) years, unless reviewed and re-approved in the manner outlined below in Section IV.C.2.
    4. This Policy applies only to classes for which regular tuition and student fees are charged, and is not intended to control Course Fees charged for self-support classes.
    5. Expenditures and balances from fee accounts will be monitored. An expenditure plan must be approved by the respective Dean. Campus oversight of fee balances will be the responsibility of the Program and Course Fee Committee. Without an approved expenditure plan, fee adjustments, including reductions, may be warranted. See Section IV.C.2.
  2. Use of Program and Course Fee Revenue
    1. Course Fees should be rare and very limited in number. A course may have a Program Fee and a Course Fee.
    2. Program and Course Fees may be assessed to support projects which result in items retained by students (e.g., materials for a millwork or art project).
    3. An annual budget will be established for all Program and Course Fee accounts.
  3. Adjustments and Approvals
    1. Prior to submitting a proposal for a Program or Course Fee or a Program or Course Fee change, the Dean will review the need for the fee and the use of fee revenue with the student senators of the College/School. The results of the review will be made part of the proposal.
    2. Proposals for all new fees, changes in existing fees, continuation of fees after three (3) years, or deletion of fees must be submitted in writing, through the appropriate Dean, on a Program or Course Fee Request form. The form is submitted to the Provost’s Office for review by the Program and Course Fee Committee comprised of the Provost, two (2) deans appointed by the Provost, two (2) faculty members appointed by the Faculty Senate president, a Financial Services representative, a Student Affairs representative, and the Academic Vice President of the Southern Utah University Student Association (SUUSA). The request must include the rationale, justification, and explanation of how the amount of the fee was determined; the affected program or course(s); the date of implementation or deletion; and the suggested amount of the fee.
    3. Recommendations of the Program and Course Fee Committee are forwarded to the President’s Council, then to the Board of Trustees for final action at one of the Board’s meetings. Fee changes are effective the subsequent academic year. No program or course fee may be imposed without Board approval.
  4. Disclosure Requirements
    1. For each course with a specific Course Fee, the class syllabus must specify the amount of the fee and its intended use each semester. Program and Course Fees will be listed on the Registrar’s website. During the registration process, the Program or Course Fee will be described as part of the course selection.
    2. Program and Course Fee requests will be on file in the Provost’s Office.
  5. Review of Program and Course Fees and Expenditures

    During September of each year, the Provost’s Office will provide a copy of the Program and Course Fees master list to each dean. The Provost, Deans, and Department Chairs will review the fee account fund balance reports prepared by Financial Services and will compare it to the expenditure plan. Further, the amount of the fee, the account to which fees are posted, and the expenditures from the fee accounts will be reviewed. Any adjustments will be initiated for this review by the Dean and each Department Chair.

V. RELEVANT FORMS/LINKS

VI. QUESTIONS/RESPONSIBLE OFFICE

The responsible office for this Policy is the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

VII. POLICY ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT DATES

Date Approved: March 26, 2004

Amended: December 4, 2009