CLAS Policy for Request of Student Service Fee Support

General

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences CLAS receives an annual allocation from the Student Service Fee (formerly referred to as "Omnibus Fee") paid each semester by students upon enrollment at the University. The purpose of this allocation is to fund instructional technology and selected facilities needed to provide state-of-the-art education to our students. To achieve this purpose, CLAS adopts the following policy for the use of these funds.

Application

Proposals for Student Service Fee purchases will be solicited from departments, centers, and programs during the winter semester of each academic year. Shared college facilities such as the Audio Visual and Technology Center, the Social Science Data Lab and the information technology support staff, as well as large programs may submit individual proposals.

Centers and programs associated with specific departments should attach their requests to those of the department. Applications should be made using the template provided with this policy. Reports on the usage and impact of previously supported items must be included. A new Excel spreadsheet with a summary of requests should also be filled. Requests will be evaluated with the advice of the CLAS Technology Committee. Please submit only one application per department. Multiple applications will be returned.

Please include:

A description of the intended use of the technology
An assessment of the impact of technology on student learning. Include specific courses affected and their enrollments; Indicate the total number of majors and minors served by the class/center/ etc.
A list of each item requested. In this list, you add details such as the estimated cost of the items, a proposed vendor, etc. Keep in mind that purchases with credit cards are not supported
If the requested technology replaces or upgrades an existing facility, add a description of the age and condition of current equipment and the current status of a long-term plan for maintaining the facility
A brief 1-page report on the disposition of any Student Service Funds awarded for the previous year, along with documentation of the actual use and impact of those improvements on student learning
A new Excel spreadsheet with a summary of requests. Here you only add the basic financial information about the requested items. This form expedites both the selection process and the post-notification purchase approvals between college and departments

Please send a single bookmarked PDF file of the proposal with all items and the workable Excel summary table to claudio.verani@wayne.edu. Include all requested documents. Incomplete files will be returned to the sender. Do not send hardcopy proposals.

Supported items

All requests on expenditures must be aimed for equipment or facilities that are primarily used by students or for instructional purposes
Student Service Fee funds may be used to purchase scientific, electronic, and other laboratory and classroom equipment
Furniture and installation costs required to use this equipment are allowed
Software license costs may be supported if the software is primarily used for teaching and is shared by multiple departments

Not supported items

Consumables and supplies are not supported. These items should be charged to course material fees or other similar accounts. A few items are only allowed in exceptional circumstances where they are expensive (over $200), few in number, and/or to be used in equipment that serves multiple departments
Personnel and other recurring costs are only allowed under exceptional circumstances
Contract work (FP&M) and labor costs may be allowable if required for the installation or upgrade of facilities
Computers, laptops, tablets, printers, or equipment for use by individual faculty or staff members or for research purposes are not allowed

The process

Proposals will be reviewed by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with help and advice from the CLAS Technology Committee. The Technology Committee consists of one faculty member from each of the four divisions of the college (humanities, life, social and physical sciences) and one member-at-large.

The proposals will be reviewed on the following criteria:

Fulfillment of criteria for supported items.
Impact on student instruction.
Importance of the equipment to meet curricular needs.
Compatibility with a long-term maintenance plan.

Upon evaluation, departments will be notified of successful applications.