Community College Instructional Costs and Productivity: The Kansas Study The Kansas Study is supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)

The Kansas Study  Community College instructional costs and productivity  Modeled on the Delaware Study  Collects, analyzes, and reports data at the discipline level

Kansas Study History Summer 2002 FIPSE project approval and grant award Fall 2002-Fall 2003 Advisory committee identifies data elements, designs processes, and conducts two pilot studies Winter 2004 Year 1 project implementation – 50 institutions provided data Fall 2004 Aggregate reports distributed; web site opened for peer comparisons Winter 2005 Second- year implementation – 90 colleges enrolled

How Kansas Study Works  Data Collection Web data entry Data verification: Missing data and logical errors Partial data OK (min. 10 disciplines) Confidentiality assured  Annual Reports National norms and institutional data Access to Kansas Study website for peer comparisons

Web Site  Kansas Study Website ( Public information General information Enrollment form Sample data collection template Sample report tables Advisory committee Participating institutions Information available to participants only Log in & password National norms by discipline Peer comparisons

2004 Reporting Institutions  Location Urban38% Suburban36% Rural26%

2004 Reporting Institutions  Size Less than 5,000 students36% 5,000 to 9,999 students36% 10,000 or more students28%

2004 Reporting Institutions  Institution Type Single campus 42% Multi-campus54% Multi-college district 4%

2005 Kansas Study Timeline February 1 Data Collection Starts May 15 Data Verification Process Initiated July 15 Participant Institutional Data Due August 1 Data Verification Reports Sent August Data Analyses Begin Early Fall Results Available; Database Opened for Peer Comparisons/Benchmarking

Institutional Perspective: Benefits to the Institution 1.Meaningful data for internal comparisons –Credibility of a national model –Methodology specifically adapted for the community college context. 2.National data for making external comparisons –Particularly advantageous when the college has no peers within the state (by size, geographical location, program mix, etc.).

Institutional Perspective: Data Collection Issues Various costs may be budgeted at the institutional, area, or divisional level rather than by specific program/discipline. Personnel may wear multiple hats –Teach in more than one discipline –Have administrative assignments –Receive released-time or/and extra pay for “institutional” duties not related to a specific program/discipline.

Institutional Perspective: RECOMMENDATION Prorate expenditures so that true program/discipline costs are calculated.  salaries  benefits  overload pay  costs of released-time  etc.