McMicken College of Arts & SciencesUniversity of Cincinnati

Resident Credit Centers

In an effort to enhance revenue-generating opportunities for the departments as well as the College, McMicken College of Arts & Sciences is encouraging department heads, directors, and faculty to learn more about the University's Resident Credit Center incentive model. Resident Credit Centers offer departments the opportunity to generate funds while expanding the reach of their courses and programs to new student populations. Dr. Terri Premo has oversight of Resident Credit Center programming for the college.

Resident Credit Center--Background

The Resident Credit Center (RCC) model developed from a long tradition of tuition-sharing programs across the University. It was formalized in A&S in 1996 with the signing of Credit Center Agreements with both Clermont College and Raymond Walters College. These agreements identified a goal of providing baccalaureate-level course work to local students in the Clermont and RWC communities. Within each agreement, administrative responsibilities and net profits were to be shared by the host college (RWC/Clermont) and A&S. Over time, a low-cost, high-net program evolved that has delivered A&S courses to the host colleges and has yielded a 50/50 split of net revenue between the colleges, with a substantial portion of the A&S revenue returning to the sponsoring department.

The RCC model has typically worked as follows: A program or series of courses was identified by the host college (RWC or Clermont) as one that would meet the needs of their local student population. If the appropriate A&S department believed it could provide oversight for those courses, an agreement was reached with regard to identification of courses, target enrollments, and a schedule of deadlines. Faculty might be assigned from within the ranks of the host college or from A&S, depending upon availability. Typically, faculty were paid at A&S adjunct pay rates. The host college assumed direct expenses (faculty salaries and other direct programming expenses) for which they were reimbursed prior to dispersal of the net revenue. The sponsoring college/department maintained oversight of course content. At the end of each fiscal year, net program revenue (or loss) was split 50/50 between the colleges.

New Prospects

With the University's renewed commitment to coordinate academic programs across collegiate boundaries and with our own recent successful ventures into Resident Credit Center programming, the timing seems right to expand these activities. This is especially true in light of the benefits that can accrue to the college and departments at a time when revenue sources are scarce. Whether your department decides to bring an entire major to the branch colleges or merely agrees to provide supporting courses for other Credit Center degree programs, each contributing department will benefit financially by receiving half of the net revenues received by the college on a course by course basis.

Factors to consider for RCC programs

  1. Target Audience

    The target audience is the existing student population at RWC and Clermont who wish to continue coursework at the baccalaureate level (as well as potential new students within the Blue Ash and Batavia communities).

  2. Location

    Courses are always taught at the host college (Raymond Walters College or Clermont College).

  3. Type of Offering

    The intention of this model is to encourage baccalaureate degree completion at the host college. Undergraduate A&S courses, taught day, night, or weekend at the host college, must not duplicate existing courses at the host college. The selection of specific baccalaureate-level courses falls primarily to the sponsoring college (A&S) after consultation with the host college dean. Scheduling is the shared responsibility of both colleges.

  4. Faculty Assignments

    Staffing of courses and the decision to run courses based on enrollment resides with A&S in consultation with the host college. Although adjunct faculty are frequently employed in such cases, full-time faculty may desire to teach some of these RCC courses as part of their teaching load. Such decisions, however, must factor in the fact that RCC course enrollments are normally limited to 30-40 students.

  5. Approval Process

    To initiate new ideas, department heads should complete an RCC Programming Proposal Form, available at this site. They should also contact Terri Premo who will work with the departments and the host college to help assess program needs and feasibility. Proposals will require approval of the deans of both colleges as well as the Provost's Office.

  6. Budgets and Tracking

    The host college maintains records of revenue and expenditures for each RCC course. Those records are submitted to the Office of Budget and Planning at the end of Spring quarter. The Office of Budget and Planning verifies the calculations and reimburses the host college for all direct expenses associated with the program. They also remit the net revenue, split evenly between the two colleges, in late August. (Please note: In calculating net revenue, the Office of Budget and Planning omits tuition remission, University scholarships, and the general fee from gross tuition.) Departments of sponsoring courses will receive 50% of revenues per course received by the college, to be distributed by the Business Office.

Please contact Terri Premo at 556-6612 if you have any questions about this Credit Center model or about ways that you might participate, either by proposing a full-fledged degree option for a host college or by offering courses in support of other existing or developing RCC programs

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