This resource guide is to assist academic units with Summer Session planning and the completion of the planning form and Banner course setup.
Summer Session is defined as a finite and specific collection of individual course offerings made available to all eligible members of the campus community and general public.
Summer Course Considerations
Summer Session planning highlights:
- Planning deadline is February 3 schedules are due to Outreach and Continuing Education from the colleges.
- Banner is open for Summer Session 2025 course input from December 2, 2024, through February 4, 2025.
- Summer Session website and ClassFinder/Browse Classes will be available in mid-February.
- Review the CBA – WWU and United Faculty of Western Washington 2023-2027 for the latest updates about summer session faculty compensation.
- Review the Academic Coordinating Commission information for guidelines and requirements.
Online courses and enrollment continue to grow year after year. Gaining in popularity, departments are encouraged to consider and/or increase the number of online sections in Summer Session 2025 to provide students with maximum flexibility in their schedules.
High demand courses – courses during the academic year that fill quickly quarter after quarter, create bottle necks for students trying to advance in their major/minor, or just popular with students are great options for summer offerings. Offering high demand sections in the summer reduces and relieves pressure for students and can also make an impact on overall enrollment.
UFWW/WWU Collective Bargaining Agreement
The CBA between WWU and United Faculty of Western Washington September 16, 2023 through September 15, 2027 should be reviewed; specifically, sections 16 and 22 as they relate to Outreach and Continuing Education, Summer Session, and Compensation.
General Planning Guidelines/Process
Refer to the Planning Form Key for step-by-step guidelines (can be located on the web at the staff resources link at the bottom of the page).
- Run Banner report SWRSCHT (Schedule Term) for Summer Session 2025 (202530) for a full listing of courses and CRNs for your department.
Most courses that were offered in Summer Session 2024 and rolled to Summer Session 2025 are listed on your department’s Summer Session 2025 Planning Schedule document.
Individual independent study classes from 2024 have been removed from Banner.
Note: All courses default to the nine-week session dates. If you have six-week courses, you will need to update Banner to reflect the six-week session dates.
- Delete any courses from Banner that you will not be offering in Summer Session 2025.
- Add any courses to your Summer Session 2025 Planning Schedule document that you would like to offer.
- Update the planning schedule form with courses that will be offered in Summer Session 2025 and verify CRNs from SWRSCHT (Schedule Term Report).
Note: Please verify that CRNs are accurate and note any cross-listed course offerings, this may impact contracting. - Your course schedule should adhere to the Summer Session block schedule guidelines or to exceptions approved by your college. Courses deviating from the block schedule, especially GURs, should be scheduled outside of the busy class times (after 12 noon). The block schedule is also available on the staff resource web page.
- Check estimated enrollment for each course – Is it in line with previous historical information?(Historical information is available at: FactBook (wwu.edu)
If not, attach justification for the anticipated increase or decrease in enrollment. Outreach and Continuing Education may contact the College Dean’s office for this information. - Is this a new course, historically under enrolled course, or course with limited enrollment history available?
Enrollment details for all courses is established and approved by the department or college.
Cancellations and Minimum Enrollments
Departments/Colleges are responsible for ensuring minimum enrollments are monitored and cancellation decisions are made based on the CBA between WWU and United Faculty of Western Washington September 16, 2023 through September 15, 2027.
Excluding study abroad, no Summer Session course with more than five students may be canceled without the consent of the faculty member. If a Summer Session course enrolling five or fewer students is to be canceled, the faculty must be notified in writing by the chair or Dean that the contract is cancelled a minimum of two weeks prior to the first day of Summer Session. A faculty member may choose to cancel a Summer Session course with more than five students for pedagogical reasons, but must do so no later than two weeks prior to the first day of Summer Session (June 24, 2025).
Regardless of actual enrollment, Outreach and Continuing Education does not make the decision to cancel a course. If a class is canceled, it is the responsibility of the department to contact registered students in the canceled course. Students should be provided options for the canceled course if available.
Decisions to offer low enrolled courses may reduce the amount of revenue distributed to a college at the end of Summer Session. However, it is understood that that departments and colleges do not (and should not) make decisions on what to offer based solely on revenue maximizing criteria. Departments might also choose to evaluate their entire departmental offering holistically rather than focus on the performance of a single class. Only the department and college can properly weigh the alternatives and determine when to go forward with a low enrollment course and when it might be better to cancel the section.
Summer Session Compensation
Compensation formulas and information is provided below based on the CBA.
Any deviation from Summer Session compensation types 12.A or 12.B above requires the written consent of the dean.
Compensation Method A: Per-Credit
For Summer Session courses faculty are paid one forty-fifth (1/45th) of AY salary per credit. For Summer Session courses enrolling over fifteen (15) students, faculty are paid one forty-fifth (1/45th) of the AY salary per credit plus $54 per SCH for 16 students and above.
WWU/UFWW CBA, Section 22.15.1.1
Compensation Method B: Per SCH
Individually-supervised credit-bearing activities, such as independent studies, field research/experience, practicum, and internships in the summer will generally be paid at a per SCH rate. Deans may choose to offer faculty the salary per credit rate of pay (described in 22.15.1.1 above) for independent studies and internships. Per SCH pay is recommended for activities with nine (9) or fewer students, salary per credit is recommended for activities with ten (10) or more students. For each academic year of this Agreement, the minimum per SCH rates for these undergraduate and graduate courses will increase by the same percentages as the basic faculty salary increases specified in Section 22.1. Enrollment shall be determined as in section 22.15.1.3.
WWU/UFWW CBA, Section 22.15.1.2
Compensation Method C: No-Pay
No compensation. Pay issued through existing contracts and/or agreements.
Compensation Method D: Administrative
Flat rate compensation. Issued through special agreements and departmental and college review and approval.
Planning Document Routing and Approval
Use the Course Setup & Faculty Assignment Planning Document Authorization E-sign Form to route your planning schedule for approval. All planning schedules must be routed and approved by the department chair and college dean before submission to Outreach and Continuing Education at summer.session@wwu.edu.
The dean, after consulting with departments and with input from Outreach and Continuing Education, determines the Summer Session schedule. Outreach and Continuing Education will do a final review of the planning schedule and contact the appropriate dean’s office for questions or clarification.
Course Schedule Changes and Corrections
Any course changes after February 2 must be submitted via the Outreach and Continuing Education Class Schedule Changes and Corrections eForm and routed to your Dean’s office for review and approval. All forms routed directly to the Summer Session or Registrar’s Office are sent back to the appropriate College for approval. The change form can be accessed on the staff resources link at the bottom of the page.
Budget Codes and Information
Summer Session budget codes can be accessed on the summer resources page, please review for any changes (refer to the link below).
Visit Staff Resources web site for all Summer Session forms and instructions at: https://wp.wwu.edu/eeplanning/summersession/