Laboratory Fee Modifications

Florida Statute 1009.23(12) (a) grants authority to the Florida College System institutional board of trustees to establish laboratory fees. These fees "shall not exceed the cost of services provided and shall only be charged to persons receiving the service." In compliance with the state statute, Broward College created a specific institutional policy that governs the creation, review, and adjustment of laboratory fees (BC Policy 6.14). The review process includes an analysis of the paid enrollment for the course(s) and the actual allowable expenditures related to the course(s).

All laboratory fees are used to purchase items and equipment specifically related to the student learning outcomes and objectives of a course(s). The fees may also be used to support part-time personnel who work in the laboratories and support students enrolled in the courses.

Fee changes typically occur for three reasons:

1. Fluctuations in Enrollment: The laboratory fee is based on paid student enrollment. Student enrollment has an inverse relationship with the laboratory fee. Therefore, if enrollment in a course decreases, then the laboratory fee increases. The overall expenditure for the course may remain the same but the per-student cost is increased due to the decrease in enrollment.
2. Increases in the Cost of Expenditures: In situations where enrollment remains constant, or slightly increases, the laboratory fee adjustment is the result of increases in the cost of the expenditures related to that course. The college's procurement process requires departments to obtain multiple bids and/or quotes on course resources to evaluate the overall cost of the "goods or service." Systems are in place to ensure that the procurement process secures the necessary course resources at the most affordable cost to the student and the college.
3. Revisions to Curriculum and Courses: If a course is no longer offered at the college, or the curriculum is modified within an academic program, to include the addition of a new course, these changes may impact the percentage of courses that share expenditures. When the number of courses is increased or decreased within a given program or the content of a course changes, the fees for these courses may be impacted.

The proposed fee changes in the table below are a result of a calculation that measures the paid enrollment in these courses against the annual expenditures of resources used to support these courses. In some disciplines, expenditures are shared across multiple courses. The calculation of these shared expenditures is based on a percentage equivalent to the enrollment in these courses, so students are only obligated for the actual cost associated with the specific course for which they are enrolled.

The proposed fee modifications will be presented to the Broward College Board of Trustees on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at the Willis Holcombe Downtown Center, building 33, 12th floor, room 1208.