From the Chair

In recent weeks I have heard several comments from faculty that indicate many in the department do not fully understand how Distance Education (DE) courses impact the department.  At the risk of considerable over-simplification, I'll try briefly to categorize the differences between DE (107) funds and on-campus (101) funds and how those funds are distributed to individual units.  I will then briefly describe a few ways in which the DE funds have an impact upon the department.

The bottom line is that while both 107 and 101 funds are allocated in one "pot" to the university by the Office of the President (OP), a distinction arises when the funds are distributed internally: while 101 funds are used to assign faculty positions and, ultimately, faculty salaries and operating budgets to each of the departments, all 107 funds and positions are retained in Harriot College.  Thus, the Department of English does not receive "DE tenure-track positions."  Rather, the DE funds are apportioned to the individual departments, based on the number of DE courses the department offers.  In our case, for example, I may propose to offer ten DE courses during the fall.  The Senior Associate Dean for Harriot College receives requests for DE funding from all of the departments in the College, and then allocates a fixed dollar amount per course to those departments having DE programs.  In the case of English, we typically receive $4000 per course.  During some semesters, the Associate Dean does not have sufficient money to fund all the courses proposed; in such cases he makes a judgment as to which courses will be funded and which will not.

When I receive authorization to offer a DE course, I then assign a faculty member to teach the course and hire a fixed-term faculty member to "replace" that faculty member in a course that would theoretically have been assigned to that person.  This usually means that I hire a fixed-term faculty member to teach a section of composition that would otherwise have been assigned to the DE faculty member.  By hiring those fixed-term faculty having the lowest salaries, I am then able to generate additional operating funds for the department.  By way of example: the starting salary for a fixed-term faculty member with an M.A. is $3000 per course.  Since the department receives $4000 in support of the course, there is a net gain to the department of $1000.  According to OP policy, though, all 107 money can be used only in support of DE programs.

Accordingly, the department uses the "excess" DE funds to purchase laptop computers, computer software, ergonomic furniture for those spending hours in front of their computers, etc. Because the department offers a fairly large number of DE courses, these additional operating funds can be substantial -- in excess of $20,000 this year.

And now to the impact of DE courses: for every DE course offered, we are able to offer a 0.25 fte position (or one course) to a fixed-term faculty member.  Thus, DE courses mean more job opportunities for fixed-term faculty.  Additionally, by using the excess DE funding for equipment purchase, the department is not only able to expand significantly its purchase of laptop computers and other associated equipment, but it also thereby frees departmental 101 operating funds for other purposes, such as increased funding levels for faculty travel, equipment unrelated to DE courses (such as computer projection systems, etc.).  Finally, some of our faculty actually prefer teaching DE courses, for they provide a different educational experience with a different student body than one encounters on campus.  Such faculty have the benefit of a preferred method of teaching.

Since this column is already much too long, and I have undoubtedly over-simplified some matters in a search for brevity, I would be happy to answer on an individual basis any questions that faculty might have about DE and the Department of English.