Wyo. Code R. 057-0001-5
General Agency, Board or Commission Rules
Chapter 5: Funding
Effective Date: 12/14/1993 to 04/20/2000
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 057.0001.5.12141993
Section 1. Authority. The State Commission is required by law to “insure uniform accounting of full-time equivalency and financial data of the community colleges.” (W.S. 21-18202(a)(ix))
The State Commission is required by W.S. 21-18-202(a)(xiv) to establish a formula for the distribution of state assistance to community colleges.
Section 2. Applicability. This chapter will govern college applications for state assistance based on the funding formula.
Section 3. Eligible Activities. The State Commission will provide funding according to the formula for student credit hours earned in approved classes which are taught by colleges maintaining State Commission sanction.
(a) Courses which are approved by the State Department of Education for teacher certification or recertification will be eligible for formula funding if they are on the State Commission’s taxonomy of approved courses.
(b) A current syllabus/course outline detailing course requirements shall be on file in the local district for each course listed in the State Commission’s approved taxonomy. The outline will be available to Commission staff upon request.
(c) Concurrent/dual enrollment courses may be conducted in high school settings. If colleges propose to claim concurrent/dual enrollments for formula funding, they must notify the school district in the process of developing an articulation agreement.
Section 4. Ineligible Activities. Ineligible Credit Hours: below are examples of activities which will not be counted toward FTE generation. No hours thus earned will be submitted or approved for FTE generation. Colleges will provide appropriate documentation to identify the types and levels of activities being claimed for FTE.
(a) Effective June 30, 1994, colleges may not count students taking the same class more than twice. No credit hours will be submitted for FTE generation which are the result of a student repeating a course which appears twice on the student’s transcript.
(b) No credit hours will be submitted which result from instructional activities in which an instructor was not generally present during the entire time, except for television, independent study, co-op experience, internships, audio and video bridges, and computer-augmented courses.
(c) No credit hours will be submitted unless the classes are taught by personnel employed by the college. Exceptions may be approved by the executive director.
(d) No credit awarded on the basis of examination or prior experiential learning will be submitted.
(e) When a class meets for fewer than 750 minutes of lecture, or 1500 minutes of laboratory time (see Chapter 1), FTE will not be submitted.
(f) Continuing education and community services activities shall not be counted (W.S. 21-18-203(b)). ABE, GED, ESL, and contract educational offerings shall not be counted.
Section 5. Special Topics/Temporary Courses. In order to recognize innovation in curricular development, the State Commission will fund special topics/temporary courses that have been approved by local curriculum processes. However, to ensure that the state system of community colleges is operated in an effective and efficient way, the State Commission wishes to bring them into the taxonomy on a timely basis.
(a) In order for their special topics/temporary courses to qualify for FTE, a college must maintain a list of special topics/temporary courses and their syllabi for State Commission staff or auditor review.
(b) FTE will not be submitted for any topics course taught more than two (2) terms.
Section 6. Faculty. FTE may be submitted for courses taught by qualified faculty who teach no more than twenty-one (21) credit hours in a single term (exclusive of concurrent courses).
(a) For academic and general education classes, the recommended standard is at least a master’s degree, or an equivalent combination of a bachelor’s degree and experience in the discipline being taught, or a closely related discipline.
(b) For vocational classes, it is recommended that all faculty have one of the following:
(i) An appropriate bachelor’s degree and one (1) year’s bona fide work experience in the field; or
(ii) An appropriate associate’s degree and four (4) years’ bona fide work experience in the field; or
(iii) A minimum of five (5) years’ bona fide, documented work experience in the field.
(c) Nothing in (a) and (b) above shall prevent a college from the application of its own standards above and beyond the recommended minimum.
Faculty who are already employed by a college will be encouraged to meet recommended minimum standards.
Section 7. Formula. The funding formula adopted by the State Commission is the official method of allocating state aid to colleges. The formula will be reviewed and revised as necessary by the State Commission.
Section 8. State Commission Action. Further investigation is warranted when there is significant indication that a district has either failed to comply with reporting standards or has violated rules and regulations defining limitations on counting FTE.
A district shall be given opportunity to present information which might mitigate or refute a citing selected for further investigation.
If after reviewing a district's response, the State Commission finds that there is need for corrective action, the Commission may require the district to do one or more of the following:
(a) correct the database used to generate formula funding;
(b) implement procedures to ensure future compliance with state statute and State Commission Rules; and/or
(c) report periodically to the State Commission on the status of actions taken to comply. Failure to comply with (a) through (c) above may result in loss of State Commission sanction.