Self-Support Instruction

1. Purpose 
   It is the policy of Sonoma State University to provide (in addition to its regular course offerings) special courses, seminars, workshops, and other instructional programs for its students and members of the larger community. Such courses must:
   1. Address an area of need, such as public service, professional training, personal development, and cultural enrichment, that clearly falls within the University's broad educational mission but that may not be adequately fulfilled by its regular courses and established programs;
   2. Be self-supported, that is, revenues generated by the course must be sufficient to cover all costs incurred by the course;
   3. Be reviewed and approved in accordance with established University course approval procedures;
   4. Be administered in the Continuing Education Revenue Fund (CERF) or in the campus Trust fund in accordance with Education Code §89704 and Education Code §89721 and
   5. Such courses may be offered for academic credit or not for credit.
2. Goals and Objectives
   1. To utilize all of the University's resources to provide high quality self support instructional programs, workshops and conferences to meet the diverse educational needs of the campus and the North Bay Region.
   2. To clarify the lines of responsibility, to ensure the utilization of appropriate business practices and to enhance the delivery of self support instruction at SSU.
3. Governing Regulations and Policies 
   Governing state, CSU, and campus policies.
   1. California Education Code §89704 and §89721
   2. California State Administrative Manual §20003
   3. CSU Executive Order 740 - CSU Student Fee Policy
   4. Campus policies for academic review, approval and evaluation
4. Applicability to Campus Units and Auxiliaries 
   This policy applies to all self-support instruction activities offered by Sonoma State University and its Auxiliaries; that is, instruction funded primarily by student/participant fees. Units that may offer these programs include the School of Extended Education, approved SSU Centers and Institutes, SSU Academic Schools, and the Division of Student Affairs. Units that provide policy oversight include the Provost's Office/Academic Programs and Administration and Finance/Financial Services.
5. Operational Practices
   1. Courses offered for credit. Courses (other than regular University courses) offered for academic credit must be approved by an academic department and administered by the School of Extended Education. The School of Extended Education is charged with identifying the most effective and appropriate method to offer self-support instruction that awards academic credit. The School works collaboratively with instructors and campus entities to ensure proper and efficient use of campus resources and to ensure compliance with established procedures for needs assessment, planning, academic review, registration and record-keeping, fiscal administration, promotion, scheduling of facilities, and evaluation.
   2. Non-credit courses that award continuing education units (CEUs). All non-credit courses that award CEUs must be approved and administered by the School of Extended Education. The School of Extended Education is charged with identifying the most effective and appropriate method to offer self support instruction that awards CEUs.
   3. Non-credit courses. Generally, non-credit courses are offered by the School of Extended Education. An SSU Center or Institute also may offer non-credit courses, in keeping with its charter. Under certain circumstances, other SSU Academic Schools and the Division of Student Affairs may offer non-credit courses. Proposals for non-credit courses offered by centers, institutes, academic schools, or Student Affairs must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate school Dean, the Dean of Extended Education and the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs.
   4. Procedures. The University office administering a self support course, that is, the School of Extended Education, or a center, institute, academic school or Student Affairs, is responsible for all aspects of planning and conducting the course, including needs assessment, academic review, registration and record-keeping, fiscal administration, promotion, scheduling of facilities, and evaluation. Other campus entities may contract with Extended Education for the performance of these functions, as specified below.
      1. Academic Review. To ensure compliance with academic standards, all proposals for courses, seminars, workshops, and other instructional programs must be reviewed in accordance with established departmental course approval procedures. The procedures require review and approval of course content and faculty qualifications by the appropriate academic department, according to specific criteria.
      2. Registration and Record-keeping. The office offering a course is responsible for collecting and processing registration and enrollment information for the course. Other campus entities may contract with Extended Education to provide these services.
      3. Promotion. The office offering a course is responsible for all promotion of the course, including advertising, marketing, publicity, public relations, and other communication with prospective participants. Other campus entities may contract with Extended Education to provide these services.
      4. Scheduling of facilities. The office offering a course is responsible for scheduling University facilities for the course, in keeping with procedures set forth in the SSU Use of Facilities Policy.
   5. Course evaluation. Every course must be evaluated, in accordance with standard course evaluation procedures employed by the School of Extended Education; or, in the case of courses offered by other campus entities, comparable evaluation procedures may be used.
6. Fiscal Practices 
   The office offering a course is responsible for budgeting, fee setting and collection, and revenue disbursement for the course. All fees for self support instruction must be approved in accordance with the guidelines provided by CSU Executive Order 740. Courses offered by the School of Extended Education are administered in CERF (Continuing Education Revenue Fund) or in a CSU Trust. For non-credit courses offered by other University entities, fees and budgets are developed by the office offering the course, based on costs, with the concurrence of the responsible Dean and the Vice President for Administration and Finance/Chief Financial Officer. All monies must be administered on campus, through a CSU Trust account established by Financial Services and approved by the Vice President for Administration and Finance/Chief Financial Officer.
7. Responsibilities for Reporting and Compliance Overview 
   On or before June 1 of each year, centers, institutes, academic schools, and the Division of Student Affairs must prepare an annual report of non-credit self support courses, conferences and workshops offered. The report must be submitted jointly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer and the Vice President for Administration and Finance/Chief Financial Officer. 
   The Dean of Extended Education shall be responsible for identifying the most effective and appropriate method to offer self support instruction that awards academic credit or Continuing Education Units. Appropriate school Deans, the Dean of Extended Education and the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs shall be responsible for approval of non-credit self support instruction offered by centers, institutes, academic schools and certain campus entities. The Vice President for Administration and Finance/Chief Financial Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that self support instruction is administered in accordance with campus fiscal practices. 
   The Vice President for Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer and the Vice President for Administration and Finance/Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with the Dean of Extended Education, the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs, and the appropriate school Dean shall be responsible for granting any exceptions to the provisions of this policy.
8. Revisions 
   The Dean of Extended Education is responsible for reviewing this policy at least every two years, commencing at or about the second anniversary of this policy's effective date, to ensure currency of this policy. Policy revisions are to be recommended jointly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer and the Vice President for Administration and Finance/Chief Financial Officer.

Updated October 4, 2000 by SSU.policies@sonoma.edu