Clemson University

Off-Campus Credit Programs

Contract Courses Policies

Summary: Contract courses are credit courses offered by Clemson University under an agreement between Clemson and an outside agency or between a Clemson academic unit and a Clemson funded project.

  • Contract courses are approved Clemson University courses offered for academic credit.
  • The contract course fee is paid to Clemson University by an outside organization or grant.
  • All contract courses are operated on a cost recovery budget. It is expected that the revenue generated by the course will exceed the expenses associated with the course.
  • Students enrolled in contract courses must be admitted to Clemson University.
  • The fee for the contract course is a negotiated group fee based on the fee structure approved by the Clemson University Board of Trustees.
  • The Office of Clemson Online will review and approve or decline contract course proposals. Priority will be given to courses that support the outreach of Clemson University.

Contract Course Fee Structure:

  • The fees are based on a per-student-per-credit hour fee.
  • The multi-level fee structure accommodates the need for flexibility based on the outside organization’s ability to pay and the academic level of the course (undergraduate, graduate professional development, graduate degree eligible).
  • The fee structure includes a differential for out-of-state residents.

Level / SC Resident per Credit Hour / Non-Resident per Credit Hour / Possible Program Categories
1 / $700 / - / $1,000 / $750 / - / $1,050 / Grad Tier 1 & 2 Programs
2 / $550 / - / $699 / $600 / - / $749 / Grad Tier 1 & 2 Programs
3 / $400 / - / $549 / $450 / - / $599 / Grad Tier 2 & 3 Programs
4 / $250 / - / $399 / $300 / - / $449 / Undergrad, Grad Tier 3 & 4 Programs
5 / $100 / - / $249 / $150 / - / $299 / Professional Dev, High School Programs

Fee Allocation: Because contract courses are custom designed and must operate on a cost-recovery basis, specific fee allocation is impossible. Contract fee revenue must cover all costs of delivering the course (faculty salaries and fringe benefits, travel, materials, etc) as well as provide a reasonable rate of return.

Contract Course Procedures

  1. Need and Course Development
  2. Need is identified by school district, outside agency, faculty member, or others
  3. Course is developed by the academic unit with appropriate instructional design, delivery, interaction, and evaluation strategies
  4. Course instruction shall consist of a minimum of 2,250 minutes for a three-hour credit course
  1. Approval process
  2. Academic unit reviews contract course request for compliance with Clemson University, NCATE, CHE, and SACS policies
  3. Clemson Online determines appropriateness of course request for the contract course framework
  4. Academic unit negotiates appropriate credit hour rate with sponsoring agency
  5. Academic unit hires the faculty and determines the faculty pay
  1. Scheduling, Registration, Invoicing, Expenses, and Revenue Sharing
  2. Academic unit submits completed Course Authorization form to April Bowen in the Contract Course office at Clemson Online for scheduling, registration, and invoicing
  3. April schedules the course with the appropriate section number and CHE site identification number
  4. Academic unit/outside agency submits a roster of students, with student’s Clemson University ID number or social security number and contact information to April Bowen
  5. April contacts the students with instructions on the application and admission process
  6. April registers the students after the admission process is completed
  7. Angee Pearson in the Business Office with Clemson Online sends the invoice to the outside agency or grant based on the enrollment (based on the second class meeting) and the per credit hour rate indicated on Course Authorization form
  8. There are no refunds for students who withdraw after the second class meeting
  9. Clemson Online collects the course fee, pays any direct course expenses (including faculty salary if appropriate), and distributes the surplus/loss amounts to the sponsoring college based on the Off-Campus Revenue Sharing Plan policies and procedures
  1. Teaching and Evaluation
  2. Academic unit appoints the teacher and maintains the curriculum vitae, syllabus, and any required justifications
  3. Academic unit is responsible for submitting student grades
  4. Academic unit is responsible for course and teacher evaluations and assessments

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Clemson Online

Contract CoursesAcademic Year 2017-18