Running head: ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

To: President Miller

From: Dylan J LeSuer
Date: 12/2/2015
Subject: Adding More Sections to Hamlines Business Courses: A Feasibility Study

Dear President Miller,

The following is report discussing the feasibility of adding more sections to the business
courses at Hamline, completed in fall semester of 2015 as requested by Professor K. Soria.
Research was done through administering a survey to Professor Sorias 9:10 AM class and
through secondary research, utilizing Bush Memorial Librarys database Summons.
My findings show that there is a definite need for an increase in sections for business
courses, and that adding more sections would have a very small effect on each individual
students tuition. From this, we can conclude that adding more sections is absolutely feasible.
The process of creating the report was an interesting learning experience. It greatly
helped me gain a better understanding of both the APA format and how to use the Summons
database.
Sincerely,
Dylan J. LeSuer

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

Adding More Sections to Hamlines Business Courses:

A Feasibility Study
Dylan LeSuer
Hamline University

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

Abstract
The following is a research paper addressing the need and feasibility of Hamline
University adding more sections to its business courses. To address this topic, I surveyed a pool
of Hamline students on their experiences with business courses and did secondary research
regarding student sleep schedules as well as average salaries for professors. The results of this
research indicate that there is a strong need for additional sections to be provided later in the day
and that hiring more professors will impact individual student tuitions by a small enough amount
to be feasible. It would be beneficial to introduce 12 total new sections to the business courses
that are proving the most difficult for students.

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

Table of Contents
Introduction

Methodology...

Primary Research....

Secondary Research....

Results

Primary Research

Secondary Research

Recommendation

11

Conclusion..

11

References..

11

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

The Feasibility of Hamline Adding More Sections to Its Business Courses

Introduction
During the fall semester of 2015 at Hamline University I was asked to research both the
need for and feasibility of adding more sections to Hamlines business courses by Professor K.
Soria as a part of her class on professional writing and rhetoric. The report was worked on
throughout the semester, and the following are my findings.
Methodology
Primary Research
In this paper, I will use one source of primary research. In October of 2015, I
administered a survey to Professor K. Sorias 9:10am Introduction to Professional Writing and
Rhetoric class. The purpose of the survey was to determine if there was or was not a need for
Hamline University to create additional sections for its business courses. Questions in the survey
addressed the demographics of the respondent, number of business courses taken by the
respondents, and experiences of the respondents in regards to registering for classes.
Secondary Research
Using Hamline Universitys Bush Memorial Library search engine, named Summon, I
researched several different peer reviewed articles pertaining to relevant topics, including
College Professor Salaries, Student Sleep Schedules, and Effects of lack of sleep on
College Students.

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

Results
Primary Research
In October 2015, a survey was administered to Professor Sorias 9:10 AM professional
writing and rhetoric class. The purpose of this survey was to determine the need for Hamline
University to add additional sections to each of the schools business courses. Fifteen students
responded to the survey. Of the respondents, nine were female and six were male, and 14 of the
15 students had completed at least two years of courses. Figure 1, which can be found below,
shows the responses to the question Are you a business major? Five of the respondents entered
that they were not business majors, and 10 reported that they were. If we extend this data to
represent the entirety of the Hamlines student body, we can assume that two thirds of the
students are business majors. Such a large portion of the student body majoring in business can
be interpreted to show a need for a very large number of sections for each business course. It is
important to note that this data may be biased, as the course surveyed is itself a business course.

Percentage of Business Majors in Profssor Soria's

9:10 AM Class
Not a Business
Major 33.3%

Business Major
66.7%

Figure 1: Percentage of Business Majors in Professor Sorias 9:10 AM Class

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

Figure 2 displays the results of the question How many business courses have you
taken? The responses indicate that 11 of the 15 students have taken five or more business
courses and that only a single student had not taken any courses. The proportion of students that
have taken five or more courses is representative of the results from Figure 1. This data may also
be used to represent the Hamline student body, and therefore shows a very dire need for many
sections of each business course.

12

Number of Business Courses Taken by Student's in Professor Soria's 9:10

AM Class

10

Numer of students

0
0

1 to 2

3 to 4

5+

Number of courses

Figure 2: Number of Business Courses Taken by Students in Professor Sorias 9:10 AM Class
Figure 3 represents the results of the question What issues, if any, have you face when
attempting to register for business courses? The responses show that only six of the 15 students
have never faced difficulties registering for business courses. As the total number of responses

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

for the three options other than I have never had difficulties registering for classes is over 50%
greater than the number of total students that have faced difficulties registering, it implies that
the majority of students that have faced difficulties have faced more than a single issue.

Issues Faced by Students in Professor Soria's 9:10 AM Class

When Registering for Business Courses
7

Number of Students

0
Not enough space in classes

Classes outside of
availability

Classes overlapping

I have never had difficulties

registering for classes

Issues faced

Figure 3: Issues Faced by Students in Professor Sorias 9:10 AM Class When Registering for
Business Courses
If we take the sum of all these results, we can justifiably assume that, as the majority of
Hamlines students are Business majors, have taken five or more business courses, and have
encountered several different difficulties when registering for classes, there is indeed a relevant
need for Hamline to increase the number of sections offered for its business classes.

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

Secondary Research
Another reason that adding more sections to Hamlines courses would be the negative
ways in which morning classes impact Hamlines students. According to Hamlines spring 2016
course listing, the large majority of Hamlines business courses are clustered in the hours from
8:00am to 2:00pm. There is a small handful of night classes, but classes are disproportionately in
the morning and early hours of the afternoon.
This is not healthy for students. Soper, Buboltz, and Brown (2001) found that not only
does a student getting less than eight hours of sleep have serious effects on their grades, it also
can result in serious mental health issues such as depression, tension, irritability, and an overall
decrease in satisfaction with life. In their article, Soper, et al. (2001) also state the following:

Interestingly, even students who sleep 8 hours nightly but shift their sleep-wake cycle by
2 hours experience increased feelings of depression, reduced affability, and difficulty in
concentrating. Students who regularly sleep significantly later on the weekend than they
do during the week do not adjust to this changed schedule but develop chronic
psychomotor slowing and concentration problems; they also experience increased
irritability and depression. (Soper, et al., 2001, p.1)

Soper, et al. (2001) also surveyed 191 undergraduate students. In their study, they found
that only 11% of the respondents reported a Sleep Quality Index that represented healthy sleep
quality. They also found that insomnia was reported by 18% of men and 30% of women.
The sleep schedule of the average student must also be taken into account. Onyper,
Thacher, Gilbert, and Gradess (2012) administered a survey to 255 undergraduate students at a
liberal arts college on their individual sleep schedules and were then tested on their cognitive

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

10

function. Onyper, et al. (2012) found that, while the average student was getting 7.44 hours of
sleep, weekend bedtimes were often delayed by over an hour and 13.4% reported that they had
gone a full night in the past two weeks without sleep.
When considering the data presented above, it becomes quite apparent that students are
not getting enough sleep and that having classes later in the day to address the students sleep
needs would be beneficial.
However, is the concept of adding additional sections actually a feasible task? To
determine this, I researched the average wages of college professors in the U.S.
Konsor (2010) found that from 2002 to 2008 the average salary of assistant professors
had increased from $47,040 to $57,790, the average salary of associate professors had increased
from $58,230 to $70,970, and the average salary of full professors had increased from $76,890 to
$94,080. If we derive the rate of change in average salary for assistant professors, we find that,
on average, salaries are increasing by $1,790 each year, which would result in a salary in 2016 of
$72,123.33 each year. If we divide that expense by the number of students attending Hamline,
we find that this will only increase each individual students tuition by $32.17. Assuming that the
hired instructor would teach four sections, each section would then only be increasing tuition by
$8.04 for each student.
Taking this into account, assuming that Hamline has room available to house the classes,
it is absolutely feasible for the school to add several more evening sections to its business
courses.

ADDING MORE SECTIONS TO HAMLINES BUSINESS COURSES

11

Recommendation
Taking all of this information into account, I suggest that, providing there is enough
classroom space, Hamline should add a total of 12 total more sections to its busiest courses. To
cover these expenses, the university will increase tuition by $128.68 for each student.

Conclusion
Hamline University has a very real need for more additions to its business courses. This
assertion is backed up by responses of Hamline students as well as research into the sleep cycles
of young individuals. The cost to hire an assistant professor is low enough to not drastically
change tuition, therefore the idea of adding more sections is absolutely feasible.
References

Konsor, K. J. (2010). Determinants of professor salaries at elite liberal arts colleges (Masters
Thesis) Retrieved from UMI Dissertation Publishing, (Accession No. 2010. 1488163)
Soper, B., Buboltz, W., & Brown, F. (2001). Sleep habits and patterns of college students: A
preliminary study.Journal of American College Health, 50(3), 131-135.
doi:10.1080/07448480109596017
Onyper, S. V., Thacher, P. V., Gilbert, J. W., & Gradess, S. G. (2012). Class start times, sleep,
and academic performance in college: A path analysis. Chronobiology International, 29(3), 318335. doi:10.3109/07420528.2012.655868