A Four-Step Plan to "Right-Size" the Curriculum

A new and rigorous examination of cost structures on the academic side of colleges and universities is needed in order to continue increasing access and serve the historic role of educating future citizens and functioning as an economic driver of society. Only rethinking the development and delivery of the curriculum will address today's issue of cost containment in significant and sustainable ways. Emerging models of cost containment along with policies to ensure efficiencies at the state and system levels are described. This article discusses the following steps, which have brought a savings of nearly 11% of the instructional budget annually to Vermont's Lyndon State College: (1) Launch a process; (2) Collect the "right" data and format the data in ways to make useful comparisons both internally and externally; (3) Start the process with a simple review of the class schedule over the past two or three years; and (4) Develop and implement an ongoing fiscal review of the curriculum. The curricular review plan will provide a methodology to restructuring the curriculum systematically, with data as the driving force, and lay the foundation for further questions about the content and delivery of the undergraduate program leading to additional efficiencies.