INTERPRETATION  OF  DEPARTMENT  DATA 

	EXPLANATIONS OF COLUMNS

The explanations below are based on standard statistical procedures and definitions which have been used by Institutional Research since the early 1970s.   

Year:	The year for credits generated is identical to the financial year, beginning with summer and ending with spring term.   The year for graduates (# of degrees granted) includes December, June, and August through the end of the quarter calendar system.   Starting with 2001-2002 under the semester calendar, graduates are counted as August, December, and May.

	TABLE 1.  MULTI-YEAR ENROLLMENT DATA

Col. 1-A,B,C:	 Semester Credits Generated.

Credits are recorded after the end of the official drop/add period each term for on-campus courses.  Beginning in 2000-2001, these credits are recorded upon Census Day (one week following the end of Drop/Add).   Credits at international extension sites are not included.   For departments offering graduate programs, the credits are displayed for both undergraduate and graduate level courses.   If a graduate student takes a swing undergraduate course, the credits will show as being at the graduate level.   Col. 1-A is total credits generated.  Col. 1-B shows undergraduate credits; Col. 1-C shows graduate credits

Note:  For undergraduate departments who deliver general education courses these credits have been added to the appropriate column.  SAGES general education credits were added beginning in 2002-03.     

Col. 2:	FTE Faculty

The actual FTE budget lines for the department have been used, excluding non-instructional salaried personnel.   FTE Faculty represents total regular faculty cost only.   It does not include contracts.

Col. 3A, 3B, 3C:     FTE Students

FTE Students are obtained by dividing the credits generated by a standard figure used as an average credit load.  This standard figure is used by the federal government Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for all academic data reports.  The figure 31 semester credits for undergraduate students and 24 quarter credits for graduate students. Col 3A shows undergraduate FTE students calculated by dividing the total undergraduate credits (Col. 1B) by 31.  Col 3B shows graduate FTE students calculated by dividing the total graduate credits (Col 1C) by 24.   Col 3 is the sum of the previous two columns.    

Col. 4:	Student/Faculty Ratio

This commonly used efficiency ratio is calculated by dividing FTE students by FTE faculty.    A reasonable target for undergraduate classes (except where professional accreditation standards dictate) would be 16.  

Col. 5-A,B,C:	Departmental Majors (Headcount) 

Number of students at registration (determined on Census Day) who have indicated that they are seeking one of the degree programs in the department as their major or degree sought.  The number indicating a major in both fall and spring semester registrations is determined and the highest count for the year is used for the final major headcount. This number includes those who may have a double major which includes a program within the department.     Col. 5-A gives total number of students taking programs in the department; Col. 5-B gives undergraduate majors; Col. 5-C gives graduate students.      

Col. 6:	Departmental Graduates

Number of students recorded in one of the three completion dates (December, May, and August) as having obtained a degree  from the department in that year.

	TABLE 2.  MULTI-YEAR PRODUCTIVITY INFORMATION
	
NOTE:	All financial data are entered after the closure and auditing of the fiscal year.

Col. 1:	Credits Generated

Total semester credits using the same definition as in Table 1 above.  

Col. 2:	Productivity Ratio

The ratio of Total Income to Total Expense is known as the productivity ratio.  This displays how the department or school is contributing to the overhead support costs of the university.  Productivity is obtained by dividing the sum of all revenue associated with the department (tuition-share, fees, sales) by the sum of all departmental costs (salaries, wages, (including student labor), benefits, and operational costs (supplies, travel, equipment, etc.).   Notes on a department spreadsheet will indicate what has been excluded in consideration in these calculations.  Transfers are not included in the expense calculations in order to demonstrate actual operating costs.  In order to support school and university overhead costs, the desired target for departmental productivity would be a minimum of 2.0.    

Col. 3:	Non-Tuition Income

Includes all forms of departmental income not represented by tuition from credits generated: application fees, laboratory fees, workshop income, sales, etc.   

Col. 4:	Tuition Income

This is calculated by multiplying the total credits generated by the department in a particular year by a standard factor for the school which represents a standard tuition rate per credit for that year.   This is a blended rate which does not separate out undergraduate or graduate tuition/credit.   The standard tuition rate is unique to the school in that year and differs from the rates published in the University Bulletin for that fiscal year.   

Standard tuition rate is calculated by adding all school-based instructional income + subsidies and subtracting total financial aid provided (undergraduate aid and graduate grants and scholarships).  Thus this figure represents the discounted income available to the school.   

Col. 5:	Total Income

The sum of columns 3 and 4.

Col. 6:	Total Expense

The total of personnel costs and operational costs for the department in that year.

Col. 6B shows total cost per credit (Col. 1).  This represents the direct instructional cost for dept.

Col. 7:	Personnel Costs

All faculty (both regular, part-time, and contract faculty) and staff costs (salaries, wages, and benefits) and student labor.   Corresponds to the Salaries/Wages line on end-of-year financial statements for personnel costs.

Col. 7B: Personnel Costs per Credit

Column 7 divided by credits (Col. 1).  This corresponds to the Personnel Expense line on end-of-year financial statements.

Col. 8:	Operational Costs

All non-personnel costs such as travel, supplies, duplicating, postage, telephone, equipment, repairs, etc.   Corresponds to the Non-Personnel Expense line on end-of-year financial statements.

Col. 9:	Operational Costs per Credit

Column 8 (Operational Costs) divided by credits.   May be used to estimate costs beyond faculty costs for offering a given course.   See separate procedure for calculating course efficiency.

TABLE  3.  SUMMARY OF SMALL CLASSES

Using the standard requiring at least 10 students to be enrolled in a lower division undergraduate class, and 5 students to be enrolled in upper division or graduate classes, this table summarizes how many classes in the academic year were below the standard.  All classes shown here are lecture classes.  Excluded are courses which are laboratory, practicum, project, thesis or dissertations.  Classes which do not enroll a minimum of the standard enrollment are not financially viable and should be cancelled if at all possible.

TABLE  4.  DIVISION OF UNDERGRADUATE CREDITS

This table displays the proportion of undergraduate credits provided to Majors vs. credits provided as General Education or cognate service credits.  Due to the manner in which Banner provides this breakout, the % has not been adjusted for IDSC general education courses or SAGES (HONS) courses.