SUPPORTING STATEMENT - PART A
NDU Master’s Degree Application Form for International Students – 0704-MDIS
1. Need for the Information Collection
This form is used to collect the information required to admit international students to an NDU master’s degree program. Records are maintained in paper and electronic storage media.
The authority by which to collect this information is 10 U.S.C. 2165, National Defense University; 10 U.S.C. 2163, Degree Granting Authority for National Defense University.
2. Use of the Information
The respondents are prospective international students who wish to be admitted to an NDU master’s degree program. They respond to this information collection in partial fulfillment of NDU application and admissions requirements. The collection instrument is a 2-page fillable PDF document, which is handed to them in printed format; they may also request to receive the form electronically. Respondents complete the form either on paper or electronically (by filling and saving the PDF), and return the completed form to the NDU Registrar’s Office in person or via email.
The completed collection instrument is processed by the NDU registrars and a committee of NDU faculty who review the application in consideration of admission to a master’s degree program. Processing includes scanning any printed documents and making all applications electronically accessible to registrars and faculty on a secure network. The successful effect of this information collection is to satisfy NDU master’s degree application requirements for international students so that an admissions decision can be made.
3. Use of Information Technology
Under normal operating conditions, fewer than 10% of forms are collected electronically; those that are collected electronically are received via emailed fillable PDF documents. Paper is this population’s preferred method for providing this information, so there are no future plans to increase the electronic submission rate or the use of information technology. (It should be noted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all application forms for academic year 2020-21 are being collected electronically.) The respondent population is composed of international students, many of whom use English as a second language and experience various challenges with technology (access, technical skills, etc.). Their overwhelmingly preferred method for providing this information is to fill in the paper form while in the presence of an NDU staff person who can guide them through it. Although all forms were collected electronically for the current academic year due to the COVID pandemic, this actually increased the respondent burden in terms of time, accuracy, and stress. We periodically reassess the collection method for this information and will transition to higher rates of electronic collection as appropriate for our student population.
4.
Non-duplication
The information obtained through this collection is unique and is not already available for use or adaptation from another cleared source.
5. Burden on Small Businesses
This information collection does not impose a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses or entities.
6. Less Frequent Collection
This information is collected from international master’s candidates one time, at the beginning of the academic year.
7. Paperwork Reduction Act Guidelines
This collection of information does not require collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines delineated in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).
8. Consultation and Public Comments
Part A: PUBLIC NOTICE
A 60-Day Federal Register Notice (FRN) for the collection published on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. The 60-Day FRN citation is 85 FR 59754.
No comments were received during the 60-Day Comment Period.
A 30-Day Federal Register Notice for the collection published on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. The 30-Day FRN citation is 85 FR 81456.
Part B: CONSULTATION
No additional consultation apart from soliciting public comments through the Federal Register was conducted for this submission.
9. Gifts or Payment
No payments or gifts are being offered to respondents as an incentive to participate in the collection.
10. Confidentiality
A Privacy Act Statement is required for this collection, and is provided to respondents at the top of the form.
This collection has an associated system of records. The SORN can be found on the DPCLTD website at the following link. https://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsIndex/DOD-wide-SORN-Article-View/Article/570570/dndu01/
A copy of the approved PIA, National Defense University (NDU) Enterprise Information System (NEIS), has been provided with this package for OMB’s review.
Individual and class academic records are destroyed after 40 years. Records pertaining to extension courses are held indefinitely before being retired to the National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, MO. Individual training records are destroyed annually; management reports are destroyed when no longer needed.
11. Sensitive Questions
No questions considered sensitive are being asked in this collection.
12. Respondent Burden and its Labor Costs
Part A: ESTIMATION OF RESPONDENT BURDEN
Collection Instrument
[Master’s Degree Application Form for International Students]
Number of Respondents: 120
Number of Responses Per Respondent: 1
Number of Total Annual Responses: 120
Response Time: 15 minutes
Respondent Burden Hours: 30 hours
Total Submission Burden (Summation or average based on collection)
Total Number of Respondents: 120
Total Number of Annual Responses: 120
Total Respondent Burden Hours: 30 hours
Part B: LABOR COST OF RESPONDENT BURDEN
Collection Instrument
[Master’s Degree Application Form for International Students]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 120
Response Time: 15 minutes
Respondent Hourly Wage: $55
Labor Burden per Response: $13.75
Total Labor Burden: $1,650
Overall Labor Burden
Total Number of Annual Responses: 120
Total Labor Burden: $1,650
Respondents are primarily international military officers. Thus, the 2020 US
Military Basic Pay Table (https://militarypay.defense.gov/Portals/3/Documents/ActiveDutyTables/2020%20Military%20Basic%20Pay%20Table.pdf) was used to estimate average salary.
The hourly wage corresponds to the monthly salary of a US officer at grade
O-5 with 20 years of service.
13. Respondent Costs Other Than Burden Hour Costs
There are no annualized costs to respondents other than the labor burden costs addressed in Section 12 of this document to complete this collection.
14. Cost to the Federal Government
Part A: LABOR COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Collection Instrument
[Master’s Degree Application Form for International Students]
Number of Total Annual Responses: 120
Processing Time per Response: 4 hours
Hourly Wage of Worker(s) Processing Responses: $47
Cost to Process Each: $188
Total Cost to Process Responses: $22,560
Overall Labor Burden to the Federal Government
Total Number of Annual Responses: 120
Total Labor Burden: $22,560
Part B: OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE COSTS
Cost Categories
Equipment: $2200
Printing: $24
Postage: $0
Software Purchases: $63
Licensing Costs: NDU Student Profile/OPM Hosting Fees, $97,500
Other: $0
Total Operational and Maintenance Cost: $99,787
Part C: TOTAL COST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Total Labor Cost to the Federal Government: $22,560
Total Operational and Maintenance Costs: $99,787
Total Cost to the Federal Government: $122,347
15. Reasons for Change in Burden
This is an existing collection currently in use without an OMB Control Number.
16. Publication of Results
The results of this information collection will not be published.
17. Non-Display of OMB Expiration Date
We are not seeking approval to omit the display of the expiration date of the OMB approval on the collection instrument.
18. Exceptions to “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Submissions”
We are not requesting any exemptions to the provisions stated in 5 CFR 1320.9.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Kaitlin Chiarelli |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-12 |