FAQ

About Revenue

• Who sets the price of a seat in a course listed on the exchange?

That depends on which of the following categories apply to the seats.

• Seat Exchange. Most seats fall into this category.  At the annual meeting, the Steering Board sets the “common wholesale price” by credit hour for the upcoming year beginning July 1—one for seats in undergraduate courses and another for seats in graduate courses. These common wholesale prices are ones Teaching Institutions (TI) agree to use in selling excess capacity to Enrolling Institutions (EI). The price includes all institution fees except for materials fees (for books, software, etc.) which a student may pay directly to a third party such as a bookstore. EIs are encouraged to sell these imported seats to their students at the same price as those in its other online courses, but have the ability to adjust the price to cover their costs.

• Course Exchange.  In this category, an EI contracts for a minimum number of guaranteed seats at a "negotiated wholesale price" in a new section or course developed for it by the TI. EIs are encouraged to sell these seats to their students at the same price as those in its other online courses, but have the ability to adjust the price to cover their costs.

• Joint Program.  In this category, participating partners set a "negotiated wholesale price" as well as a common retail price for offering the course to students.

• What if the common wholesale price is lower than our institution’s tuition and fees?
  The Enrolling Institution may keep the difference to use as it sees fit.

• What if the common wholesale price is higher than our institution’s tuition and fees?
  The Enrolling Institution is encouraged to sell the course seats to its students at the same price as seats in its other online courses, but it has the ability to adjust the price to cover its costs.  No instructor costs and FTE subsidies may make it possible to realize a gain even if the common wholesale price is higher than the retail price the EI charges the student.

• What is the WICHE ICE administrative fee?
  The WICHE ICE administrative fee is a fixed percentage charge deducted from the common and negotiated wholesale prices.  The administrative fee is set by the Steering Board each year at the annual meeting.

• Who gets to count the FTE?
  The Enrolling Institution counts the FTE.

• How can we benefit as a Teaching Institution if we can’t count the FTE?
  There are several ways. By listing the course in other institutions’ catalogs, you can increase your enrollment revenue and also make a course that you might otherwise cancel viable. You can increase the opportunity for your students to interact with students from other institutions and parts of the country.  You can increase the recognition for the quality of your course and the credentials of your faculty member as the course is approved and recommended by faculty at other member institutions.  In addition, if you import other courses as an Enrolling Institution, you may achieve a “balance of trade” as you count the FTE for students you enroll in those exchange courses.

• How can we as an Enrolling Institution benefit if we must pay the Teaching Institution for enrollments?
  There are several ways.  Although you must pay the Teaching Institution the agreed upon common wholesale price, you can count the FTE, and save expenditures for the instructor and others for the development and teaching of the course.  By selecting quality courses to supplement your offerings—assuring the student of transfer and articulation in advance—you can build a stronger relationship with the student, increasing chances for student success and retention.  You might want to use any extra FTE to fund the position of the ICE PIC so that individual has more time to devote to importing and exporting courses with the goal of establishing a balance of trade for your institution.  

For Faculty

• What is WICHE ICE?
  The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s Internet Course Exchange (WICHE ICE) is a set of policies, procedures, and support systems for sharing seats in online courses among regionally accredited two-year and four-year institutions in 15 WICHE member states and beyond. These members also participate in other collaborative activies such as the joint development of online courses and programs where there is common need and interest.

• How does a faculty member get a course onto WICHE ICE?
  Once an institution becomes a member of WICHE ICE, a steering board member, usually an upper level administrator, is selected to serve on the Steering Board overseeing the ICE policies and procedures.  The member institution also appoints an ICE Program Information Coordinator (PIC) to work with its colleges and departments on a Course Offering Plan.  The plan directs the work of the ICE PIC who also loads your institution’s courses into the ICE database. 

• Tell me more about a Course Offering Plan.
  A Course Offering Plan is developed by a particular college, department, or even faculty member.  It gives the ICE PIC information about the courses to be offered, when they are to be offered, and how many “seats” for students are to be made available to other WICHE ICE institutions.  The Course Offering Plan is integral to successful sharing.

• How do students from another institution get into my class?
  Student information is accessed from the enrolling institution by the ICE PIC through WICHE ICE.  Students are loaded into your class either by hand or put into a “shadow” course that automatically dumps into your course.

• How do I give grades to WICHE ICE students?
  At most institutions, you would give grades the way you give them to your students on your campus.  It is the responsibility of the ICE PIC to load the grades into the ICE database (an encrypted, password protected site).  An ICE PIC from the student’s institution puts the grade into their institutional system.

• What if the semester schedule at my institution differs from the schedule at the student’s institution?
  You follow your institutional schedule for start date, end date, and holidays.  You may, however, be asked to provide a grade a bit early.  You would know early in the semester if that request had been made.

• Who is my ICE PIC and is there a document that gives me complete information about WICHE ICE?
  Contact information for your ICE PIC can be found on our website.  Check out our Getting Started or the Operations Manual for more information about how ICE operates.

About Collaborative Initiatives

• What are the advantages to my institution to participate in ICE Collaborative Initiatives?
  In addressing common needs with shared resources, participating institutions have the opportunity to jointly develop and deliver higher quality and more robust online courses and programs than they could on their own. By aggregating the supply of students across the region, certain courses may be financially viable that would not be so if offered by a single institution.

• Why would faculty members want to participate in ICE Collaborative Initiatives?
  Most faculty members really enjoy the opportunity to work with their colleagues at other member institutions. It gives them a chance to grow professionally as they share their expertise. This is especially true for faculty in small departments and those teaching in niche subject areas.

• How are Collaborative Initiatives funded?
  This varies with the initiative. Some share existing resources, while others work with WICHE staff to prepare grant proposals.

• How are Collaborative Initiatives organized?
  In general, each participating institution identifies an individual to serve on the leadership team for an initiative. The team, headed by a Chair, meets on a regular basis to plan activities and identify faculty members and other staff at their institutions to involve in them. WICHE staff provides support for these groups.

• Are ICE members required to participate in Collaborative Initiatives?
  No. Although some institutions are not directly involved in an initiative, they may still benefit from its outcome such as by enrolling students in courses developed and offered by initiative members.

• Can non ICE members participate in its Collaborative Initiatives?
  No, all must be members to participate in WICHE ICE Collaborative Initiatives.  Membership may not be required for some of WICHE ICE Affiliated Initiatives.

• How can I start a new one?
  Start by contacting the ICE director to discuss your ideas and identify what information and steps are needed to approach the Steering Board and ICE PICs about participating in a new initiative.