Institutions are constantly balancing the demand to meet student needs and promote success, against an imperative to make the best possible use of resources. This challenge is particularly evident when determining class sizes. With instructor salaries making up the bulk of departmental costs, small classes represent a substantial investment, so it’s critical to ensure that each small class is designed to provide benefits to students, and not the result of low enrollment.
An analysis of data from Academic Performance Solutions (APS), though, shows that most small classes are not intentionally small. This brief examines ways to address unintentionally small and low-enrollment classes, including a guide to identify your institution’s small classes using the APS platform.