Week+4+report

The Management model used by GSLIS for their LEEP program is very unique. Since LEEP has always been considered a scheduling option, which is used to undertake online courses by all GSLIS students both on- and off-campus, the program is still very much a part of the on-campus master's of science degree program and not a separate online entity. This report focuses on bringing to light some of the important financial aspects of this model.
 * Introduction **

The Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences (GSLIS) has a budgeted expenditure forecast of about $12.1 million for the fiscal year 2011. Out of this, the original state budget is around $7.8 million (DMI Line 2000). The school also receives close to $3.5 million in Gifts, Grants and Contracts (U of I Budget Summary for Opertions 2011).
 * Budget **

It must be noted that GSLIS does not treat LEEP as a separate cost center. LEEP is simply an alternate mode of class instruction (Estabrook, 2001). Since LEEP is completely within the control of GSLIS, the revenue obtained through the state's budget and the funds generated internally through tuition are fungible and can be used with discretion by GSLIS.

Back in 1995-96, the Institution granted the LEEP program, a seed money of around $600,000 to start-up. After the initial launch of LEEP, the school has been responsible for all the costs internally. The school retains the tuition amount generated by LEEP and has the flexibility to use the funds as required.

LEEP used an in-house LMS to start with, which was more recently replaced by Moodle, an open-souce option. LEEP has its own instructional design team and hence there are no costs associated with outsourced groups to develop and manage e-learning content. Resources within GSLIS (faculty, infrastructure, etc) are used interchangeably between the on-campus and online programs. Since the revenues are generated and used internally within GSLIS, the School does not keep precise budget figures for costs pertaining to LEEP (Estabrook, 2001).

During the 1998-1999 academic year, Dr. Mensah conducted a return on investment analysis for LEEP graduates (Estabrook, 2001). If the graduate remained in Illinois as a librarian, their return on investment was $15.23 per dollar invested over the remaining life of the individual. This figure was significantly higher, $29.52, for those who later worked in non-library occupations.
 * Return on Investment**

Other budget information reported by Estabrook for FY1996 to FY2002 shows that in 1996 the GSLIS budget was $1.1 million and in 2002 it grew to $3.3 million, directly attributable to LEEP. During that same time, the school’s percent of the academic budget doubled from .4 to .8 percent. (2001, pg 78) In 2010-2011, GSLIS’s LEEP students represented 25% of all online graduate students at UIUC with a $300 cost per instructional unit (IU).

There were other returns on investment that weren’t monetary, but represented important benefits to students. The five benefits detailed by Estabrook (2001, p 77) are the following: (1) LEEP students rapidly gain distance technology skills. (2) Asynchronous technologies enrich GSLIS teaching and learning for all students. (3) With LEEP-generated funds, students have access to more courses from additional faculty hired from around the country. (4) All GSLIS students benefit from the diverse and international perspectives of LEEP's international student body. (5) All students benefit from the extracurricular activities such as workshops and and lectures that are taped for the LEEP students.

In addition, Estabrook (2001, p 78) described five important benefits to the school. (1) All GSLIS faculty have become quickly proficient in asynchronous technologies, making LEEP the only LIS degree program recognized with the Sloan-C award for the Most Outstanding Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN) in 2001. (2) On-campus students have access to courses via the ALN that they would otherwise not have. (3) There is a cost savings of 3-4 additional course sections because on-campus and Fridays-only students enroll in LEEP courses. (4) The LEEP budget supports faculty computer upgrades every 2-3 years. (5) The retention of 3-5 students per year is due directly to the high quality of the LEEP technology staff.

UI is a research university and GSLIS currently has $16M in research grants in progress with funding from a wide range of government funders, private foundations and corporate partners. A review of the GSLIS 2010 Showcase of Research Abstracts shows that many of them are related to technology and learning, such as broadband technology and iPhone applications. In addition, one multi-year grant started in 2007 is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the development of the Information in Society concentration at GSLIS. As LEEP is a scheduling option and not a cost center, it directly benefits from the research and development funded by these grants.
 * // Additional money for long term planning of eLearning //**

Resources

=Budget=
 * U 0f I 2011 Budget Summary for Operations - http://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=954470
 * State Budget for GSLIS - Campus Profile, Division of Management Information []
 * //Bourne, John. Moore, Janet C. (editors) // Elements of Qualit y Online Education, Volume 3 in the Sloan-C Series (2001) “ Rethinking Cost-Benefit Model of Distance Learning” by Estabrook, Leigh S. pp 71-80. (See Institutional Issues for long URL to Google books.)

= Return on investment = > > >
 * // Bourne, John. Moore, Janet C. (editors) //Elements of Quality Online Education, Volume 3 in the Sloan-C Series (2001) **“**Rethinking Cost-Benefit Model of Distance Learning” by Estabrook, Leigh S. pp 71-80. (See Institutional Issues for long URL to Google books.)
 * Sloan-C award from GSLIS Past, Present, and Future presentation on Nov 29, 2010 [] Slide 8
 * 2010-2011 data from GSLIS Past, Present, and Future presentation on Nov 29, 2010 [] Slides 9 and 15

=Long term planning=
 * grants information from GSLIS Past, Present, and Future presentation on Nov 29, 2010 [] Slide 16
 * 2010 Showcase of Research Abstracts []