Update for Instruction Commission February 18, 2016 ENROLLMENT COUNTING WORK GROUP

Representatives from:  Admission & Registration Council  Instruction Commission  Student Services Commission  Business Affairs Commission  Research and Planning Commission  Council for Basic Skills  Workforce Education Council  SBCTC Staff MEMBERSHIP

“Implementation of the new allocation formula that uses college enrollment levels as one of the factors for distributing state operating funds to the colleges will put more attention on consistent enrollment counting and reporting among colleges, especially for basic skills and high demand/high cost courses.”  Proposed changes to WACTC by spring  WACTC final recommendations to SBCTC May PURPOSE

 March 2015WACTC Executive Committee discusses work plan  Spring 2015Work plan and timeline reviewed with commissions  Summer-Work group meetings Fall 2015 Progress reports to commissions, councils, and WACTC  Winter 2016Draft recommendations completed by the work group Review draft recommendations with commissions  March 17Work group meeting-final recommendations  April/MayRecommendations to WACTC  June 2016Recommendation to SBCTC TIMELINE

 Promote consistent and equitable enrollment reporting.  Develop understandable and straightforward language.  Update and maintain policies, guidelines, and definitions.  Address how enrollments are generated through multiple modes of instruction.  Incorporate external regulatory requirements.  Reflect other mission areas and funding mechanisms.  Result in verifiable enrollments reported to SBCTC and audited for accuracy. DRAFT PRINCIPLES

 What is reportable for State FTEs?  State versus contract  Short courses  International students  College in the high school QUESTIONS ADDRESSED

 How are contact hours converted to credits/FTEs?  Differences for similar courses  Lecture/lab conversion  Clinical, seminar, co-op/work- based learning  Online/hybrid courses  Flipped classrooms  Basic skills  Non-traditional learning assessment (e.g. PLA)  I-Best  Multi-level (bucket) courses  Commonly numbered courses and consistency QUESTIONS ADDRESSED

 When do students count?  Registration (e.g. open enrollment)  Adding/dropping students  Count (census) date  Apprenticeship students  Course retakes  Federal financial aid implications QUESTIONS ADDRESSED

 Faculty contracts, consider potential impact but not driver for FTE definitions.  Variable number of weeks of instruction among colleges. ISSUES NOT TACKLED

 Use federal definition as base, focused on student effort.  Lean towards student learning outcomes.  Use Consistent credits for courses with similar learning outcomes as means for addressing multiple modes of instruction (e.g. face to face, online, hybrid, competency based). DO CREDITS MEASURE STUDENT EFFORT OR FACULTY EFFORT?

Credit hour: Except as provided in 34 CFR 668.8(k) and (l), a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than— (1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or (2) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 34 EDUCATION, PARTS 400 TO 679

 Enrollment counting policies divided into fund source, definitions for credits, and student counts.  Terms are defined and used consistently across policy areas.  Special rules for basic skills are eliminated. RECOMMENDATIONS

 Clarify criteria, include in SBCTC Policy Manual  Require state funded classes to have syllabi on file by census date by July  Seek statute change to include following waivers to count as state-funded enrollments:  Long-term unemployed or underemployed  Residents sixty years of age or older  State employees and educational employees FUND SOURCE

 Federal/NWCCU definitions guide.  Assume three hours student effort per week per credit.  Theory, Guided Practice, Field-based Experience categories changed and redefined.  Work-based learning combined with Field- based experience.  Incorporate current instructional modalities. CREDIT DEFINITIONS

 Clarify definitions including continuous and sequential classes, census dates, tuition payment, drops and withdrawals.  Update credits versus enrollment language. STUDENT COUNTS

 SBCTC will audit college enrollments for consistency.  New polices in effect summer quarter  Training on enrollment policies provided in  Annual follow-up trainings. IMPLEMENTATION

 Enrolling counting for ungraded courses (e.g. apprenticeship, parent education).  Commonly numbered courses with different credit values.  Associate degrees with high credit requirements.  Recommendations for college enrollment audit process. REMAINING ISSUES