Measuring and Managing Academic Operations Presented by: Dr. Sally McMillan, Assoc Provost, UT-Knoxville Amanda Vasquez, Assoc Registrar, UTEP Ellen Robbins, Senior Consultant, Ad Astra

Agenda Introductions Ad Astra’s Research University Tennessee, Knoxville experience University Texas, El Paso experience Summary Question and Answer

2010 Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey Top 2 Greatest Challenges for College Students: –Access to classes through registration –Classes offered at convenient times Of more concern to students than to college administration. © 2010 Noel-Levitz, Inc.

Strategic Scheduling Typically academic schedules are created in a decentralized process that is difficult to measure or manage Academic schedules are vitally important –Means of allocating faculty and space –Means of providing students with a path to completion Strategic opportunities to efficiently and effectively allocate academic resources are rarely realized

Outcomes that Matter Student Success: Provide students better access needed courses at registration, thereby accelerating time-to-completion Capacity: Mitigate bottlenecks that otherwise cause schools to cap enrollments Efficiency: Trim unneeded courses that would otherwise increase adjunct costs and clog prime classrooms during prime hours

Ad Astra’s Research A comparative database of KPI’s from various institutions Measures academic indicators Assists with management and tracking of –Operational efficiency –Capacity –Student success Course access Velocity to degree

Acknowledge Complexity: effective allocation of faculty and space to meet students’ needs requires decision-support tools Measure Success Drivers: high-level goals (like improving student outcomes, efficiency, and capacity) are dependant on progress in measurable, manageable “success drivers” –Establish Benchmarks: for each Campus and each academic unit –Establish Goals: determine progress needed in success drivers to achieve high-level goals that are most important to the institution –Track Progress: measure improvement and hold academic units to minimum effectiveness levels on the highest impact initiatives Our Approach

Dashboard Samples

University of Tennessee

About UT UT enrolls 27,379 students from 48 states, two U.S. territories, and over 120 countries. Undergraduates = 21,126 Graduates = 6, academic colleges offer many undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees UT is the flagship research university AND the land grant university in the state of Tennessee University dates to 1794

Background Governor's Challenge: In January 2010, the state challenged UTK to become a Top 25 public research university. VOL Vision: Also in early 2010, the Provost’s office launched a strategic planning effort that involved the whole campus. Convergence: In fall 2010, the plans came together with a focus on five strategic priorities and 12 metrics that compare UTK with the top 25 peers.

Strategic Priorities Undergraduate Education – Recruit, develop, and graduate a diverse body of undergraduate students who through engagement in academic, social, and cultural experiences, embrace the Volunteer Spirit as life-long learners committed to the principles of ethical and professional leadership Graduate Education – Educate and graduate increasing numbers of diverse graduate and professional students who are equipped to address the pressing concerns of their fields, to extend the frontiers of knowledge, and to contribute to the public good through service to the academy or their professions Research – Strengthen our capacity and productivity in research, scholarship, and creative activity to better educate our students; enhance economic, social, and environmental development; support outreach to our various constituencies; and extend the reputation and recognition of our campus. Faculty – Attract and retain stellar, diverse faculty and staff who will proudly represent our campus, execute our mission, embrace our vision, exemplify our values, and collaborate to realize our strategic priorities. Infrastructure and Resources – Continually improve the resource base, including attracting and retaining excellent staff, to achieve campus priorities by carefully balancing state revenues, tuition, and private funding, and by embracing stewardship of our campus infrastructure and a culture that values sustainability.

Areas of FocusIndicators Undergraduate Education ACT Equivalent (75 th /25 th Percentile) Retention Rate (1 st to 2 nd Year) Six-Year Graduation Rate Graduate Education Number of Ph.D. Degrees Number of Master’s and Professional Degrees Research Federal Research Expenditures Total Research Expenditures Faculty Avg. Tenure-Line Salary Range Undergraduate Students/Tenure-Line Faculty Faculty Awards Infrastructure and Resources Teaching and Support Expenditures/Student Endowment/Student Key Metrics 15

Action Plans The undergraduate priorities are supported by 24 action plans focused on graduation, retention, student quality and operational effectiveness. Graduation (15 Action Plans) Expect Graduation in Four Years Summer School UTrack and Course Availability Policy Review Undecided Students Transfer Students General Education Teaching and Learning Modalities Provide Adequate Core Student Support Academic Advising Tutoring One-Stop Student Service Student Counseling and Safety Address Changing Student Profile Honors Programs Undergraduate Research Leadership and Engagement Study Abroad Service Learning First-Year Retention (4 Action Plans) Support Transition into the First Year Transition Programs First-Year Seminars/Life of Mind Peer Mentoring Learning Communities Student Quality (2 Action Plans) Maintain Incoming Student Quality Student Recruitment Scholarships Foundation: Operational Effectiveness (2 Action Plans) Elevate Quality and Use of Student Integrated Undergraduate Student Data Course Scheduling (Systems and Supports)

Data-Challenged Processes Roll the schedule Hope for the best Use “back of envelope” to calculate SCH deficit Wait for student complaints to know where the biggest problems were

Data-Informed Processes Evaluate historical data against proposed schedule Identify –Addition candidates –Reduction candidates –Elimination candidates Share those data with associate deans Support addition candidates with Strategic Instruction Fund

Summer 2012 Case Study Historical analysis as first-step Daily timetable analysis during freshmen orientation Early commitment of SIF to hire lecturers in high- demand areas Added some sections 1 week before classes started – they filled, because the were the “right” classes

Additional Challenges Managing room capacity and scheduling Getting instructors in some areas Making sense of some data –Cross-listed sections –“Capacity anomalies” Getting data based on future, not just past Faculty fears

The University of Texas at El Paso

About UTEP 22,000+ Students Over 70 bachelor’s programs, over 80 master’s programs, and 19 doctoral programs We serve a majority Hispanic, historically underserved student population Emerging Research University 70% of students are not part of our FTIC cohort

Context Texas Closing the Gaps Goals: Increase degrees awarded to historically underrepresented students. Undergraduate Student Success: Increase degrees awarded to all undergraduate students, reduce time- to-degree and reduce the total average SCH for graduating students. Excellence in Graduate Education: 18 characteristics of doctoral programs. Undergraduate student success affects approval of new graduate programs. Space Usage Efficiency: Space usage ratios affect funding for new construction projects.

Enrollment Priorities Room for Growth – We are committed to serving the students of our historically underserved region, with the goal of increasing student enrollment. We also look to the expansion of academic programs, particularly graduate programs and programs in emerging fields. Efficient Management of Resources – There is a need and responsibility to manage classroom space and faculty lines effectively. While Texas experienced budgetary challenges in recent years, we’ve learned how to be strategic to maximize results. Offering Courses that Support Student Success -- We are committed to supporting student success by offering data and guidance that will help departments to offer classes that students need, at the times that students need to take them.

Measuring Success 25 PriorityMeasure Undergraduate Success Degrees Awarded Time-to-Degree Four- and Six-Year Graduation Rates Retention Rates Graduate Success Degrees Awarded Ten-Year Graduation Rate Time-to-Degree Resource Utilization Section-to-Room Capacity Enrollment-to-Room Capacity Time Utilization Prime Time Utilization

Challenges Rolling the class schedule Ownership of Space Legacy class offerings Misinformation and lack of information about student needs Need for tools to gather and compile student data

Data-Informed Solutions Use historical and program data to identify differences in course offerings Use of data to gauge trends in space utilization Coming Soon: Use of simulated registration Also Coming Soon: Use of Student Planner data

Additional Challenges Changing institutional culture Learning how to use data Expanding the sophistication of data that is available to departments

Winter 2011 Check-Up and Next Steps Space ownership is a concern Legacy course assignments are not effective Need to align student needs with course offerings Starting small – working with a few departments and colleges first

Questions? Booth 211

Contact Information Sally McMillan, Vice Provost, U Tenn Knoxville –Phone number: – address: Amanda Vasquez, Assoc Registrar, U Texas, El Paso –Phone number: – address: Ellen Robbins, Consultant, Ad Astra –Phone number: – address: