High Enrollment Bottleneck High Enrollment Bottleneck CoursesCourses

High Enrollment Bottleneck High Enrollment Bottleneck CoursesCourses

Boise State UniversityBoise State UniversityBoise State UniversityBoise State University

Boise State UniversityBoise State UniversityBoise State UniversityBoise State University

““Bottleneck Courses”Bottleneck Courses”““Bottleneck Courses”Bottleneck Courses”

Required courses that are often prerequisites Required courses that are often prerequisites for other upper-division courses or for for other upper-division courses or for entrance into program majorsentrance into program majors

Most are large-enrollment, lower-division Most are large-enrollment, lower-division coursescourses

Many are general education requirements for Many are general education requirements for all studentsall students

Some have unacceptable failure and Some have unacceptable failure and incomplete rates incomplete rates

Scope of Bottleneck ProblemScope of Bottleneck ProblemScope of Bottleneck ProblemScope of Bottleneck Problem

34 courses in 16 departments identified as 34 courses in 16 departments identified as significant bottleneckssignificant bottlenecks

Account for 12,746 enrollmentsAccount for 12,746 enrollments Majority over subscribed by 10th day each Majority over subscribed by 10th day each

semestersemester Cost to university to add sections = average Cost to university to add sections = average

$700,000$700,000

ImpactImpactImpactImpact Study of non-continuing students Study of non-continuing students

indicates that course availability was a indicates that course availability was a significant factor in failure to persistsignificant factor in failure to persist ((Why Why Fall 2003 Freshmen Left Boise State University And Whether They Fall 2003 Freshmen Left Boise State University And Whether They Plan to ReturnPlan to Return, Research Report 2005-02, Office of Institutional , Research Report 2005-02, Office of Institutional

Assessment).Assessment). One in four graduates state that they had One in four graduates state that they had

to delay graduation because of class to delay graduation because of class unavailabilityunavailability ((Spring Graduates Rate Their Experiences at Spring Graduates Rate Their Experiences at Boise State UniversityBoise State University, Spring 2005, Office of Institutional , Spring 2005, Office of Institutional

Assessment).Assessment).

ImpactImpactImpactImpact

Delay graduation - Delay graduation - increase cost to studentincrease cost to student

Diminished support for Diminished support for the university from the university from students and parentsstudents and parents

Reduced consistency Reduced consistency and quality of and quality of instruction in additional instruction in additional sectionssections

Departments unable to Departments unable to add sectionsadd sections

– Lack of classroomsLack of classrooms

– Lack of qualified facultyLack of qualified faculty

Reduces curricular Reduces curricular offeringsofferings

Risk to accreditationRisk to accreditation

Inconsistent qualityInconsistent quality

StudentsStudents DepartmentsDepartments

StrategyStrategyStrategyStrategy

Curriculum innovation through redesign to achieve:Curriculum innovation through redesign to achieve:– Improved access - more students get in and master course Improved access - more students get in and master course

contentcontent

– Reduced costs to both student and universityReduced costs to both student and university

– Increase in quality and consistency of instructionIncrease in quality and consistency of instruction

State grant to fund 3 pilot project teamsState grant to fund 3 pilot project teams– EnglishEnglish

– MathMath

– AccountingAccounting

StrategyStrategyStrategyStrategy

Partner with NCAT for process and experiencePartner with NCAT for process and experience English team - C2R participantEnglish team - C2R participant Instructional design workshops/charette - just Instructional design workshops/charette - just

in time training and design solutionsin time training and design solutions 8 weeks of equivalent full time summer work8 weeks of equivalent full time summer work Develop model process for other departmentsDevelop model process for other departments Illustrate possibilities for significant redesignIllustrate possibilities for significant redesign