Provost clears up rumors on remedial classes
Some students recently questioned the university’s reason for offering remedial classes while facing budget cuts of up to 14 percent. Administrators said tuition from students enrolled in the classes pays for the courses in their entirety.
“Students are paying for remedial classes,” Provost Marc Johnson said. “It’s not coming out of our budget.”
Tuition for remedial classes is the same as normal credits.
“Tuition covers the operating, all the instruction, all the extra services, like tutoring,” said Kelli Garcia, the executive director of Summer Session and academic programs. “The money that comes in gets put back into the program.”
The University of Nevada, Reno offers Math 096 and English 098 through the Extended Studies program, in order to help prepare students for university-level work.
This fall, 950 students are enrolled in Math 096 and 900 students are enrolled in English 098, Garcia said.
The classes don’t count for credit, but are designed to give students fundamental skills, Director of Core Curriculum Paul Neill said. Because the courses don’t count for credit, they don’t generate full-time equivalent numbers and the university doesn’t receive state funding.
Neill said if the students currently in remedial classes took regular credits, the university would receive $250,000 more dollars from the state. When those students take regular coursework next semester, the university will receive that money. Remedial classes just delay the cycle, he said.
“It’s not hurting us, but it’s a disadvantage,” Neill said.
If the university cut the classes, it would not make more money available, Johnson said. In fact, cuts could cause negative results.
“We would lose students if (the classes were cut), so it’s helpful to us (to have the courses) in that regard,” Johnson said.
Once students are up to speed, they go on to take regular credits at the university, he said.
Truckee Meadows Community College also offers remedial coursework. Offering the classes at UNR makes it easier for students to take classes at one school.
“I think it’s expremely important that we get students in those classes so they feel like a UNR student,” Garcia said.
In 2005, the university started offering the courses during the summer, pushing students to get prepared for college before school begins in the fall.
“Theoretically, they are a semester behind if they don’t take (the classes) in the summer,” Garcia said.
The program has been successful so far, with enrollment increasing about 4 percent each summer, she said.
She said the success rate is higher when students take remedial courses during the summer, most likely because they are only focusing on one class.
Jessica Fryman can be reached at jfryman@nevadasagebrush.com.
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