Enrollment Counting
April 29, 2016
Purpose:
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. As a result, during the March 2015 WACTC meeting the presidents
requested a taskforce be convened to examine enrollment counting in the community and
technical college system. Potential issues included:
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Reportable for State FTES
Conversion of contact hours to credits and FTES
When students count for State FTES reporting
Length of degree programs
Considerations
The system work group was asked to examine current practices and recommend proposed
changes in enrollment counting and reporting rules to WACTC through the WACTC Education
Services Committee by Spring 2016. WACTC will recommend any proposed changes to
SBCTC by May 2016.
Participants:
Representatives from Instruction, Student Services, Business Affairs. Research and Planning,
Admissions and Registration, Basic Skills, Workforce Education, State Board staff.
Timeline:
March 2015
Discuss work group proposal with WACTC Executive Committee
May 5
Convene work group, discuss work plan and timeline, identify areas of analysis
Spring
Review work plan and timeline with commissions
Progress report to WACTC Education Committee
Summer-Fall Work group meetings
Progress reports to commissions, WACTC
June 29
July 23
Sept 29
Work group meeting – principles, fund sources
Work group meeting – fund sources, credits for classes
Work group meeting – credits for classes
October
Commission, Council meetings
Oct 26
Nov 19
January 21
Work group meeting – credits for classes, when do students count
Work group meeting – credits for classes, when do students count
Work group meeting – Complete draft recommendations
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Winter 2016 Draft recommendations completed by work group
Review draft recommendations, areas for further work with commissions
Feb-Mar
Commission, Council meetings – provide feedback on draft recommendations
February 22
Work group meeting – Revise draft recommendations
Progress report to WACTC Education Services Committee
March 17
Work group meeting –Final recommendations
Progress report to WACTC Education Services Committee
April/May
Recommendations to WACTC
June 2016
Recommendations to SBCTC
Principles developed by the Enrollment Counting Work Group:
Policies, guidelines and definitions regarding enrollment reporting:
• Promote consistent and equitable enrollment reporting among colleges
• Are understandable and straightforward so that they can be implemented by colleges
without workarounds
• Are updated and maintained
• Address how enrollments are generated through multiple modes of instruction including,
but not limited to, online and hybrid courses, competency based education, prior learning
assessment and adult basic education.
• Are created with consideration of external regulatory requirements
• Reflect other mission areas and funding mechanisms
• Will result in verifiable enrollments that are reported to SBCTC and audited for accuracy
Proposed recommendations:
Overview:
• Proposed enrollment counting policies are divided into fund source, definitions for
credits, and student counts.
• Terms are defined and used consistently across the policy areas.
• Special rules for basic skills are eliminated. Basic skills enrollments are treated like
transfer and workforce education enrollments and Integrated into overall enrollment
policies.
Fund source:
1. Clarify criteria for determining the funding status of classes and students and include in
the SBCTC Policy Manual.
2. Require state funded classes to have syllabi on file by the census date of the class,
beginning July 2017.
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3. Seek a change in statute to allow students enrolled in state funded classes for credit
and using the 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.
Credit definitions:
1. Federal and accreditation definitions are used as starting point.
2. Definitions assume three hours student effort per week per credit.
3. Change categories from Lecture, Lab, Worksite and Other to Theory, Guided Practice,
and Field-Based Experience with revised definitions that reflect current modes of
instruction.
4. Combine work-based learning categories (Worksite and Other) with Field-Based
Experience.
5. Add instructional modalities including online, hybrid, flipped classrooms and competency
based classes.
Student counts:
1. Clarify definitions, including continuous and sequential classes, census dates, tuition
payment, drops and withdrawals.
2. Update credits versus enrollment language.
Implementation recommendations:
1. SBCTC will audit college enrollments for consistency with enrollment rules.
2. New policies are effective Summer quarter 2017 if approved.
3. Training on enrollment policies will be provided to college staff in 2016-17.
4. Annual trainings will be provided in subsequent years.
Remaining issues:
1. Common courses with different credits values reported among colleges. It is proposed
that common courses have common credit values. It is recommended that the
Instruction Commission and Articulation and Transfer Council examine the data and
recommend policy to WACTC and SBCTC by Spring 2018.
2. Associate degrees with high credit requirements. The work group found significant
variations in credit requirements among colleges for similar degree programs. It is
recommended that the Instruction Commission and Workforce Education Council
examine the trends and report findings.
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Enrollment Counting Work Group
Spring 2015
Admission & Registration Council
Anne White
Steve Ashpole
Mike Singletary
Campus
Emai l
South Seattle
Green River
Bates Tech
Frank.Ashby@seattlecolleges.edu
sbean@greenriver.edu
hwoodmansee@bates.ctc.edu
Green River
Renton Tech
Tacoma
ccantrell@greenriver.edu
jnovotny@RTC.edu
kward@tacomacc.edu
Wenatchee
Spokane Falls
Clover Park Tech
cschiffner@wvc.edu
jim.minkler@spokanefalls.edu
joyce.loveday@cptc.edu
Clark
Olympic
Big Bend
sdiehl@clark.edu
skenesson@olympic.edu
ValerieP@bigbend.edu
Clark
Big Bend
North Seattle
wbelden@clark.edu
bobm@bigbend.edu
marci.myer@seattlecolleges.edu
Olympic
Bates Tech
Shoreline
ahatfield@olympic.edu
brogers@bates.ctc.edu
dfey@shoreline.edu
Pierce
South Puget Sound
Whatcom
awhite@pierce.ctc.edu
sashpole@spscc.edu
msingletary@whatcom.ctc.edu
Business Affairs Commission
Frank Ashby
Shirley Bean
Holly Woodmansee
Council for Basic Skills
Catherine Cantrell
Jodi Novotny
Kim Ward
I nstruction Commission
Carli Schiffner
Jim Minkler
Joyce Loveday
Research & Planning Commission
Shanda Diehl
Summer Kenesson
Valerie Parton
Student Services Commission
Bill Belden
Bob Mohrbacher
Marci Myer
Workforce Education Council
Amy Hatfield
Brandon Rogers
Dan Fey
SBCTC staff
Jan Yoshiwara
Carmen McKenzie
Cindy Wilson
David Prince
Denise Graham
Devin Dupree
Joe Holliday
John Ginther
Jon Kerr
Joyce Hammer
Kendra Hodgson
Mike Scroggins
Nancy Dick
Nick Lutes
Scott Copeland
jyoshiwar@sbctc.edu
cmckenzie@sbctc.edu
cwilson@sbctc.edu
dprince@sbctc.edu
dgraham@sbctc.edu
ddupree@sbctc.edu
jholliday@sbctc.edu
jginther@sbctc.edu
jkerr@sbctc.edu
jhammer@sbctc.edu
khodgson@sbctc.edu
mscroggins@sbctc.edu
ndick@sbctc.edu
nlutes@sbctc.edu
scopeland@sbctc.edu
R:/edxchng/enrollment counting