UW System Administrative Policy 835 (formerly G35)

Summer Short Courses

Revised: November 11, 2022

I. Background

On occasion, it may be useful to set special course fees to enable institutions to offer a unique (perhaps innovative) course for credit. An institution may have evidence that the course should be offered but that it may not attract enough students at the regular resident and nonresident academic fee rates to justify offering it. Reducing nonresident fees in such cases may attract nonresident students in sufficient number to justify the course.

II. Constraints

UW System Administrative Policy 165 (SYS 165) The Academic Calendar (formerly ACPS 4.0)
UW System Administrative Policy 825 (SYS 825) Special Course Fees (formerly G29)

III. Policy

The following policy shall be used in determining when it may be appropriate to set special fees for selected courses:

  1. The course must be offered during the summer in a period of three weeks or less.
  2. The course must be offered for three or fewer credits (five quarter credits) and will meet the standard set in UW System Administrative Policy 165 (SYS 165), The Academic Calendar (Section 2., The Awarding of Credit).
  3. The course must be a special credit offering or workshop which is not included in the regular academic year or summer term schedule.
  4. The institution must be reasonably certain that resident enrollments are not expected to be sufficient to warrant offering the course and nonresident fee remission waiver authority is not available.
  5. Fees charged to residents and nonresidents shall be sufficient to cover all projected direct costs and not be less than the Regent approved per credit resident fee. Students must pay, in addition, special course fees related directly to the course such as travel, room and board, and other costs consistent with the policies defined in UW System Administrative Policy 825 (SYS 825), Special Course Fees.
  6. The syllabus for the offering must be approved by the Vice Chancellor and submitted, with an explanation of need, including financial analysis, and a request for authorization to set a special fee to the System Academic Affairs Office prior to any public announcement of the offering. The Office of Academic Affairs must assure that the course has been reviewed for academic content and the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration will review the financial information to determine if a special fee should be approved.
  7. The waiver of nonresident fees related to these approved special courses will be excluded from the report of fee remissions.
  8. These guidelines do not relate to the establishment of fees for study abroad programs.
  9. These guidelines apply only to unique situations and it is expected that each institution will have not more than three qualifying short courses a year.

IV. Compliance

Annually, by November first, each institution will report to the System Vice President for Finance and Administration the enrollments, fees collected and expenditures for all special short courses covered by this policy which were offered the preceding summer.