1. Dave Hughes, Brock University
CACS/AIC Survey 2015/16
Dave Hughes, Brock University

2. Survey Approved by CACS/AIC AGM 2011
To develop a “state of discipline”
Help set directions for CACS/AIC
Position to answer questions
2015/16 survey unchanged from 2014/15

3. 2015/16 Survey Held in May/June, 2015 Excel Spreadsheet
CACS/AIC Mailing List
Responses
20 respondents

4. Respondents
Acadia University Bishop’s University Brock University University of Calgary Dalhousie University Lakehead University Laval University University of Lethbridge University of Manitoba Université de Montréal
University of Ottawa Queen's University Ryerson University Simon Fraser University University of Alberta University of Toronto University of New Brunswick University of Victoria University of Western Ontario University of Windsor

5. Methodology Incomplete data Attempted to get historical data
Only 20of 56 responding (35.7%)
Most fairly complete
Report trends
5-year (2011/12–2015/16)
Attempted to get historical data
Back to 2006/07
Most respondents provided 5 years of data
Building historical data (6 years now)

6. PhD Programs 16 respondents have PhD programs Data collected
Most provided reasonably complete data
Data collected
New students enrolled by gender and nationality
Total number registered by gender
PhDs awarded by gender

7. N=16

8. N=15

9. N=14

10. N=16

11. N=15

12. N=14

13. N=13

14. Observations - PhD New enrolments relatively flat Registrations flat
~25% female (fluctuating)
~67% international (rising)
Registrations flat
~25% female (rising slightly)

15. Graduates reasonably steady
5-year lag
Mostly tracking news in 2006/ /11
Retention or time to completion?
18-27% female and fluctuating

16. MSc Programs 20 respondents have MSc programs
19 Thesis, 14 Course Work (non-thesis)
Thesis: 20 provided reasonably complete data
CW: 9 provided reasonably complete data
5 new 1 suspended in last 5 years
Data collected (Thesis, CW)
New students enrolled by gender and nationality
Total number registered by gender
MScs awarded by gender

17. N=20

18. N=19

19. N=18

20. N=20

21. N=19

22. N=20

23. N=19

24. N=9

25. N=8

26. N=6

27. N=9

28. N=8

29. N=9

30. N=8

31. Observations - MSc New thesis enrolment dropping slowly
~30% female (rising)
~60% International (fluctuating)
New coursework enrolment rising
~30% female (rising slowly)
67-85% international but maybe declining
Thesis registrations flat
~28% female (rising slowly)
Coursework registrations rising
71-67% female but declining slowly

32. Thesis graduates rising
2-year lag?
Significant increase in news 2011/ /14 not really reflected in graduations 2013/ /16?
~25-30% female (fluctuating)
Coursework graduates rising
Lag?
22-32% female (declining)

33. Undergraduate Programs
19 provided reasonably complete data
Data collected
New students enrolled by gender and nationality
Majors by year/level
UG Degrees awarded by gender
Total UG semester-courses (incl. service)

34. N=19

35. N=14

36. N=20

37. N=15

38. N=15

39. N=19

40. N=17

41. N=18

42. N=14

43. N=14

44. N=9

45. N=9

46. Observations - UG Enrolments increasing
both new and total
new ~15% female (rising slowly)
Majors evenly distributed by year
Attrition balanced by conversion?
Graduates
~12% female 11/12–14/15 but 23% in 15/16?
Success rate
4-year lag?
Class of 2011/12: 1499/2239 = 66.9%

47. Service teaching increasing
Semester course enrolments increased 61%
Faculty complement unchanged
Number of sections steady (8% increase)
Implies class sizes and FSR increasing
Service teaching increasing
SCE year I (61%) increased faster than majors (56%)

48. Faculty Demographics 20 provided reasonably complete data
Data collected
Type
Gender
Rank
Status
Positions advertised and filled by type

49. N=20

50. N=20

51. N=20

52. N=19

56. N=12

57. Observations - Faculty
Number fairly static
Tenure-track static at 87%
No improvement in gender equity (19% female - steady)
Decline in % Associate (aging) but some increase in Assistant (replacement?)
Hiring
Slow increase
Tenure-track increasing at similar rate
Positions not being filled?
but healthy PhD numbers and many Post-docs

58. Post Docs Volatile Positions not advertised? Tracks PhDs awarded
Due to lack of hiring?
Positions not advertised?
Appointed from within?

59. Research Funding 14 provided reasonably complete data Data collected
NSERC Discovery
NSERC Equipment
Other NSERC
Other Research
Industrial

66. Observations - Funding
NSERC Discovery
# declining but faculty complement static
Fewer awards
~ 31% of funding
Higher for small schools?
Non-NSERC funding ~ 46%
Location dependent?
Harder for small schools to attract?

67. Graduate Student Funding
New questions lastyear
To answer the question “How attractive are programs financially” (competitive)
9 (PhD) and 11 (MSc) provided reasonably complete data
Data collected (domestic/international)
Total cost of program (tuition+fees)
Total grant money
Total employment money

68. Reporting
Maximum, median and minimum
Tuition
Income
Residual

73. Observations – Grad Funding
Presented based on residual
Highest, median and lowest
Complete package for highest & lowest
Tuition varies considerably
Provincial jurisdiction over PSE
Significant variation in hours worked
Definite disparity in residuals
Appears to be provincial as well

74. Survey Questions Timing? Reporting Do we need all? Do we need others?
Analysis

75. Future Results Data Completion 2016/17 Survey
Return aggregate data to schools
Data Completion
Buy-in from remaining departments
esp. those who responded in past but not this year
Have 5 years data from about 20 schools
desire historical data from rest
2016/17 Survey
Current survey data returned for verification
Supply one year of new data
Provide historical data where missing