Texas Tech University

 

[Date changed–posted 2/2/16 (replaces 9/16/14 edition)]
[PDF Version]

 Texas Tech University logo

Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 30.29: Approval of and Changes to Incidental Fees

DATE: February 2, 2016

PURPOSE: This Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) outlines the authorization and procedures for establishing or changing fees charged at a section level such as Academic Departmental Instructional Assessment (ADIA) fees or Special Instruction fees at Texas Tech University.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed in January of even-numbered years by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President and the managing director of Student Business Services (SBS) with substantive revisions presented to the provost and senior vice president (PSVP) and the vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer (VPAF/CFO).

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1.  Policy

The Texas Education Code (§§ 54.504 and 55.16(c)) authorizes Texas Tech University to collect incidental fees from students and distribute those fees to help fund instructional materials and services. Each academic department must establish at least one ADIA fee. The purpose of this fee is to provide funds for all aspects of an academic department's instructional expense and to support academic instructional activities of the classroom. Special Instruction fees (SIF) are to be established to cover extraordinary expenses for conducting a section of a course.

ADIA fees are charged per semester credit hour. An ADIA fee shall not be less than $3.00 but not more than $45.00 per semester credit hour. SIF are charged as a flat rate and should reflect the exact cost per student of the extraordinary expense.

Before departments can announce a new section level fee or charge or collect any funds from students, they must follow the procedures below to gain university approval from the Office of the PSVP. The Office of the PSVP evaluates proposed fees based on current TTU and state policy about appropriate uses of incidental funds (see attachment). Therefore, thoughtful justification of proposed fees is a prerequisite to approval. After approval, department chairs are responsible for overseeing budget accuracy, fee expenditure, fund balances, and accounting audits.

2.  Procedure

a.    Establishing fee for a new course

(1)    Institutional Research (IRIM) will notify SBS of any new, approved courses so that SBS can apply the approved ADIA fee to the course. The department should verify the fee has been added before sections are built. The link to the new course request form and a guide for its completion can be found at http://www.irim.ttu.edu/CourseInventory.php

(a)    IRIM will notify SBS of the course request forms that have been completed by the department.

(b)    SBS will enter the applicable ADIA fee at the course level based on the approved departmental information. If this is a new subject code, SBS will need to be notified of the responsible department in order to assign the correct ADIA fee.

(c)    Once the fee has been entered, SBS will email IRIM that the ADIA fee is entered at the course level.

(d)    IRIM will make the course active in Banner.

(2)    Once the course is active, it will appear in the online catalog and course sections may be built. (As long as the ADIA fee, restrictions, prerequisites etc., are in place before the course is activated, the information will apply to the section level.)

b.    Changing Existing Fees

(1)    The department reevaluates the instructional expenses associated with the courses being offered.

(2)    The department chairperson sets up a new fee budget and sends an email with a completed ADIA fee form requesting the fee change to the Office of the PSVP so that the vice provost can evaluate the fee change proposal based on university policy, Regents' Rules, and state law. The ADIA fee form may be found on the SBS website under the Departmental Resources tab, Fee Requests, or at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/AdminFinance/FormRepository/SBS/FeeRequestForms/ADIA_FEE_REQUEST%20final.pdf.

(3)    The Office of the PSVP will forward the approved and signed ADIA fee form to Student Business Services to update the ADIA fee on the courses/sections.

c.    Fee Application System

(1)     Approved ADIA fees will be updated on the courses/sections each term by Student Business Services. SBS will enter the approved ADIA fees to the sections prior to the fee application being open. The departments/colleges will not have the option to change the ADIA fee through the fee application. If there is a need for a change to the fee, the department and/or college will need to complete the ADIA fee form per section (b) above. Sections should not be opened for enrollment prior to fees being confirmed.

(2)     Departments should ensure that all SIF, Field Trip Fees, and Off Campus Travel fee requests are submitted through the Fee Application system. These fees will not be rolled from semester to semester. If a fee relates to multiple sections of a course, the department may send a request for a mass addition to coursefees@ttu.edu. SBS will upload those fees. This can be requested prior to the fee application being opened. For new SIF, Field Trip Fees, and Off Campus Travel Fee requests, departments should submit the required forms as early as possible to the Office of the PSVP for approval. New fees will require a separate 16D FOP, which should be established prior to SBS adding the fee to the sections. Sections should not be opened for enrollment prior to fees being confirmed.

(3)    Departments have access to run the Cognos Fee Report (located in the Student Unrestricted folder) at any time to view their fees and/or the FOP where the revenue will post. This report should be used to ensure correct fees exist on the section before it is opened for enrollment. Failure to do so may result in lost revenue for the department. Due to state restrictions on billing students, fees will not be added to any section once it has been opened for enrollment.

3.  Fund Balance

A modest fund balance may be maintained that complies with audit standards by having written documentation substantiating the plans for use of the balance. It is the responsibility of the department to substantiate the balance and to make expenditures from it in reasonable time frames. ADIA fee balances will be monitored by the Office of the Provost when new or increased fee requests are made.

 

Attachment: Guidelines for ADIA Fees Development and Expenditures

 

Operating Policies & Procedures