Purpose:
To create a policy for the determination and use of special course and non-computer laboratory fees at Michigan Tech University. (Computing fees associated with courses have a separate policy, budget, and approval procedure; found at http://www.it.mtu.edu/cac/cac.html.)
Basis:
Students are assessed tuition to attend courses and earn credit toward a degree at MTU. The tuition rate is determined based on the total cost to deliver audio and visual intellectual material in a traditional classroom environment. Included in this tuition assessment is the cost of any administrative and facilities support necessary to fulfill the instructional mission of the university.
Policy:
It is the option of Michigan Tech University to levy special course and laboratory fees for any course with a designated laboratory component to cover the additional costs of providing this important form of educational experience. These fees shall be deposited to a separate, easily audited account under the direct control of the department responsible for providing the laboratory, and shall be used for the sole purpose of supporting, maintaining, and improving the laboratories and/or to cover the non-educational expenses associated with a unique experience. All proposed lab fees shall be reviewed for appropriateness by the Lab Fee Committee. The Lab Fee Committee will recommend to the Provost which fees should be approved for the upcoming academic year. The authority to approve special course and non-computing lab fees resides with the Provost.
Fees are to be established by the course. All sections of a course shall levy the same fee in the same amount.
Appropriate uses of these funds are: equipment and furnishings amortized over an appropriate period; amortization of fixtures, finishes, and coverings; cost of supplies and services; non-faculty instruction (academic faculty salaries and benefits are specifically excluded), technical, safety, chemical hygiene and clerical support; exclusive equipment and software maintenance agreements; support staff and otherwise non-supported GTAs’ training and travel and lodging directly related to the laboratory or course; cost of any utilities or space rental charged to the department specifically for the laboratory; and sinking fund monies used for future improvements. Expenditure of these funds for travel, lodging, and meals shall require advance approval by the school or college dean.
Academic faculty shall not be paid from non-computing laboratory fees. It is intended that non-faculty instructional duties (staff and otherwise non-supported GTAs) directly relevant to special courses and laboratories be paid from these fees.
Academic faculty shall not be paid from special course fees for offsite offerings.
Procedures:
Changes to existing fees or newly proposed fees may be initiated by the department chair or school dean. Course fees initiated by department chairs must be approved by the college dean. The request shall be made on the appropriate Course Fee form within the Course and Curriculum Change Binder with an attached operating budget form available at http://www.admin.mtu.edu/admin/prov/Helene%20Hiner.htm (with spreadsheet detail upon request) and must be submitted according to the existing course and curriculum process. Fees for newly proposed courses (Course Add Proposals) shall be appended to the Course Fee form following the same format shown for existing course fee changes. Expendable lab course fees shall be reviewed by the Lab Fee Committee. Computing fees for courses are reviewed by the Computing Advisory Committee (CAC). The Director of Planning and Budgeting shall review all other student fees.
Requests for fee waivers and fee requests outside the normal submission process must be presented to the Provost Office (Helene Hiner) and must be accompanied by compelling justification. The Provost will submit the request to the Lab Fee Committee, Computer Advisory Committee, or the Director of Planning and Budgeting as appropriate. After review, requests will be forwarded to the Provost with recommendations. The Provost’s decision will be communicated back to the initiating department. The department is required to notify each student enrolled in the course, if fees are applied after the publishing of the Time Schedule Booklet and/or after scheduling of students because the Scheduling Booklet is our official notification of course fees to students.
Questions about course fees may be directed to Helene Hiner in the Provost Office.