Priority 3

Priority 3

Identify academic efficiencies

To be a more financially responsible University, while still continuing to meet the needs of the students and communities we serve, WVU must develop policies and practices that both support students’ success and degree progress and make best use of our instructional capacity.

By reviewing internal data, such as class fill rates, number of sections offered over time, section maximum capacities, classroom utilization, and instructional capacity, we will develop and recommend new policies and practices that improve our course planning across the academic enterprise. In addition, University practices that utilize central resources (e.g., graduate tuition waivers) will be examined to determine maximum impact and efficiency.

This approach will enable us to make informed decisions on how to best capitalize on University resources and expertise and reinvest resources to support areas of growth and opportunity.

These efforts are focused initially on WVU’s Downtown and Evansdale campuses and will extend to regional campuses in the future. WVU Health Sciences is leading its own transformation process, although HSC faculty and leadership will participate in helping to identify shared areas of growth and opportunity.

Results to Date

• Implemented maximum capacity policy for Spring 2022 schedule at the course level based upon historical enrollment.
• Received minimum course enrollment guidelines from colleges and schools, which include target enrollments for GEF sections, lower- and upper-division undergraduate sections, and graduate sections.
• Developed framework for evaluating colleges' performances relative to guidelines.
• Developed and delivered first round of end-of-term reports to identify course sections that fell below the minimum enrollment guidelines in the previous term.
  
• Developed and delivered first round of end-of-term reports that did not meet aspirational enrollment targets specific to targeted areas (GEF, online sections, etc.).
  
• Reviewed course scheduling practices based upon new minimum enrollment guidelines and reports on Spring 2022 enrollment in Fall 2022.
  

Next Steps

• Continue to provide regular end-of-term reports to address minimum and aspirational enrollment shortfalls.
• Continue conversations with academic leaders in the colleges/schools to better understand course enrollment data and its financial impact.
• Work with Faculty Senate to limit course proliferation, particularly with the GEF courses.
• Develop initial draft of graduate tuition waiver guidelines and best practices document.