RRN 1247
October 2015
CRAFTON HILLS COLLEGE
Research Brief
Potential Impact on FTES when Modifying Course Caps
Prepared by Benjamin Gamboa
Overview
Summary of Findings
 47 courses were identified as
potentially realizing a decrease in
FTES if course enrollment caps
were reduced by 10%.
 Of the courses identified, the
average section cap was 47
students over the last five
academic years.
 72% of identified courses have an
average section cap greater than
35 students.
Implications
Faculty, department chairpersons,
and instructional deans should
consider the possible impact on
FTES when proposing course
enrollment limit modifications for
the following courses:
ACCT-208, AH-090, AH-101,
ANTHRO-100, ANTHRO-102,
ANTHRO-106, ART-100, ASL101, BUSAD-100, BUSAD-200,
BUSAD-210, CD-105, CD-112,
CD-115, ECON-200, ECON-201,
EMS-020, EMS-103, GEOG-110,
HEALTH-102, HIST-100, HIST101, HIST-170, HUM-140, JAPN101, KIN/F-168A, MARKET-100,
MATH-108/110, MATH-903,
MCS-110, MUSIC-100, MUSIC103, PHIL-101, PHIL-103, POLIT100, PSYCH-100, PSYCH-102,
PSYCH-103, PSYCH-110,
PSYCH-111, PSYCH-118,
RELIG-100, RELIG-113, SOC-100,
Course enrollment limits, also referred to as course caps, are established in the course
outline of record by faculty through the curriculum process. The Academic Senate is
considering a policy for establishing and modifying course and section caps. Primarily,
faculty use pedagogical approaches to determine a course enrollment limits that best
supports student learning. As Crafton Hills College continues to grow in 2015-2016, the
impact on the number of students and full-time equivalent student (FTES) calculations
becomes a concern if course caps are reduced for certain courses. As the campus
continues discussions on the proposed policy, the Office of Instruction requested the
Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Planning to analyze the possible
impacts of reducing caps on courses. Specifically, does reducing course caps have a
negative impact on the number of students enrolled and FTES? If so, which courses
would witness this negative impact and to what degree?
The findings of this study are intended to inform decisions regarding policy, and should
be used in conjunction with student learning and teaching techniques utilized in each
discipline when establishing and modifying the appropriate enrollment limit for each
course.
Methodology
Course data including course caps, the number of sections, enrollment at census, and
FTES at census for courses offered during the Fall and Spring terms only over the last
five (5) academic years was downloaded from the Executive Information System (EIS).
Data was aggregated to smooth out enrollment trends, and courses not offered over
the last two academic years was excluded. Additionally, honors sections were combined
with general sections, repeatable courses were combined together into a single section,
and LRC-900 was excluded from the dataset. Reduced section caps were estimated at a
10% reduction truncated to a whole number. Potential FTES calculations were estimated
using the average FTES generated per student per course over a five (5) year period.
Findings
Table 1a and 1b on pages 2 and 3, respectively, list courses identified with projected loss
of FTES if course caps are reduced by 10%. Forty-seven courses could potentially realize
a decrease in FTES. For example, PSYCH-100 would realize a decrease of 56.90 FTES
over five years if the course cap were reduced by 10%, SOC-100 would realize a
decrease of 46.17 FTES, and HIST-100 would realize a decrease of 27.90. Additionally,
the average section cap is 47 students, and 72% of identified courses have an average
section cap of 35. Table 1a is sorted by potential loss in FTES in descending order, and
Table 1b is sorted by course name in ascending order.
SOC-105, SOC-130, SPAN-101
Page 1 of 3
CRAFTON HILLS COLLEGE
Research Brief
Possible Impact on FTES when Modifying Course Caps, October 2015
Table 1a.: Courses with projected loss to FTES if course caps reduced (sorted by potential loss to FTES)
Course
Name
PSYCH-100
SOC-100
KIN/F-168A
HIST-100
SPAN-101
CD-105
HEALTH-102
MUSIC-103
ACCT-208
BUSAD-100
HIST-101
BUSAD-210
MUSIC-100
ASL-101
AH-101
EMS-020
MATH-108/110
SOC-105
ART-100
GEOG-110
AH-090
PHIL-101
PSYCH-103
ECON-200
PSYCH-111
ANTHRO-102
JAPN-101
SOC-130
PHIL-103
PSYCH-102
MARKET-100
PSYCH-110
PSYCH-118
HIST-170
ANTHRO-106
CD-112
MATH-903
POLIT-100
EMS-103
RELIG-113
HUM-140
BUSAD-200
MCS-110
ANTHRO-100
RELIG-100
ECON-201
CD-115
TOTAL
Number of
Sections
81
68
33
48
55
40
68
20
22
24
51
19
16
35
24
33
42
12
19
10
6
33
4
18
28
10
15
7
24
4
6
4
2
7
7
5
16
67
10
1
2
4
4
2
9
18
5
1,038
Average
Section Cap
46
57
39
61
35
39
55
48
39
55
55
44
50
37
47
41
37
52
51
44
52
48
45
57
41
60
35
52
36
45
43
45
45
65
58
36
35
63
41
35
35
43
39
58
48
57
40
47
Enrollment
at Census
3,880
3,923
1,389
2,911
1,848
1,571
3,530
1,022
890
1,316
2,636
853
829
1,238
1,092
1,210
1,402
624
942
453
409
1,446
213
971
1,088
585
490
363
806
195
263
193
104
429
381
170
512
3,827
364
36
67
156
139
105
390
919
181
48,361
FTES at
Census
394.95
398.11
146.08
299.74
317.63
160.78
357.60
105.34
118.67
135.44
271.20
87.31
86.19
164.62
103.03
432.45
188.26
65.00
96.87
46.89
18.96
148.27
22.35
95.78
107.70
60.89
83.47
35.91
80.86
20.44
26.30
19.95
11.09
44.59
39.32
17.92
26.88
394.53
50.84
3.84
6.37
15.60
14.83
11.20
38.96
92.47
18.01
5,483.49
Reduced Section
Cap (-10%)
41
51
34
55
31
34
49
43
35
49
49
39
45
33
42
36
32
46
46
39
46
42
40
51
37
54
31
46
32
40
38
40
40
58
52
32
31
57
36
31
31
38
34
51
43
51
36
41
Potential
Loss in FTES
56.90
46.17
28.08
27.90
24.58
21.59
20.06
16.70
16.00
14.41
14.09
11.46
11.33
11.04
7.93
7.86
7.79
7.50
6.99
6.52
6.17
6.15
5.56
5.23
5.15
4.68
4.26
4.06
3.81
3.67
3.50
3.41
2.56
2.39
1.75
1.05
0.84
0.82
0.56
0.53
0.48
0.40
0.32
0.32
0.30
0.10
0.10
433.09
Potential Loss
in Funding
($259,748.50)
($210,766.05)
($128,185.20)
($127,363.50)
($112,207.70)
($98,558.35)
($91,573.90)
($76,235.50)
($73,040.00)
($65,781.65)
($64,320.85)
($52,314.90)
($51,721.45)
($50,397.60)
($36,200.45)
($35,880.90)
($35,561.35)
($34,237.50)
($31,909.35)
($29,763.80)
($28,166.05)
($28,074.75)
($25,381.40)
($23,874.95)
($23,509.75)
($21,364.20)
($19,446.90)
($18,533.90)
($17,392.65)
($16,753.55)
($15,977.50)
($15,566.65)
($11,686.40)
($10,910.35)
($7,988.75)
($4,793.25)
($3,834.60)
($3,743.30)
($2,556.40)
($2,419.45)
($2,191.20)
($1,826.00)
($1,460.80)
($1,460.80)
($1,369.50)
($ 456.50)
($ 456.50)
($1,977,055.85)
Note: Data is aggregated over five (5) years to smooth out enrollment trends.
Page 2 of 3
CRAFTON HILLS COLLEGE
Research Brief
Possible Impact on FTES when Modifying Course Caps, October 2015
Table 1b.: Courses with projected loss to FTES if course caps reduced (sorted by course name)
Course Name
Number of
Sections
Average
Section Cap
Enrollment
at Census
FTES at
Census
Reduced Section
Cap (-10%)
ACCT-208
AH-090
AH-101
ANTHRO-100
ANTHRO-102
ANTHRO-106
ART-100
ASL-101
BUSAD-100
BUSAD-200
BUSAD-210
CD-105
CD-112
CD-115
ECON-200
ECON-201
EMS-020
EMS-103
GEOG-110
HEALTH-102
HIST-100
HIST-101
HIST-170
HUM-140
JAPN-101
KIN/F-168A
MARKET-100
MATH-108/110
MATH-903
MCS-110
MUSIC-100
MUSIC-103
PHIL-101
PHIL-103
POLIT-100
PSYCH-100
PSYCH-102
PSYCH-103
PSYCH-110
PSYCH-111
PSYCH-118
RELIG-100
RELIG-113
SOC-100
SOC-105
SOC-130
SPAN-101
TOTAL
22
6
24
2
10
7
19
35
24
4
19
40
5
5
18
18
33
10
10
68
48
51
7
2
15
33
6
42
16
4
16
20
33
24
67
81
4
4
4
28
2
9
1
68
12
7
55
1,038
39
52
47
58
60
58
51
37
55
43
44
39
36
40
57
57
41
41
44
55
61
55
65
35
35
39
43
37
35
39
50
48
48
36
63
46
45
45
45
41
45
48
35
57
52
52
35
47
890
409
1,092
105
585
381
942
1,238
1,316
156
853
1,571
170
181
971
919
1,210
364
453
3,530
2,911
2,636
429
67
490
1,389
263
1,402
512
139
829
1,022
1,446
806
3,827
3,880
195
213
193
1,088
104
390
36
3,923
624
363
1,848
48,361
118.67
18.96
103.03
11.20
60.89
39.32
96.87
164.62
135.44
15.60
87.31
160.78
17.92
18.01
95.78
92.47
432.45
50.84
46.89
357.60
299.74
271.20
44.59
6.37
83.47
146.08
26.30
188.26
26.88
14.83
86.19
105.34
148.27
80.86
394.53
394.95
20.44
22.35
19.95
107.70
11.09
38.96
3.84
398.11
65.00
35.91
317.63
5,483.49
35
46
42
51
54
52
46
33
49
38
39
34
32
36
51
51
36
36
39
49
55
49
58
31
31
34
38
32
31
34
45
43
42
32
57
41
40
40
40
37
40
43
31
51
46
46
31
41
Potential
Loss in
FTES
16.00
6.17
7.93
0.32
4.68
1.75
6.99
11.04
14.41
0.40
11.46
21.59
1.05
0.10
5.23
0.10
7.86
0.56
6.52
20.06
27.90
14.09
2.39
0.48
4.26
28.08
3.50
7.79
0.84
0.32
11.33
16.70
6.15
3.81
0.82
56.90
3.67
5.56
3.41
5.15
2.56
0.30
0.53
46.17
7.50
4.06
24.58
433.09
Potential Loss
in Funding
($73,040.00)
($28,166.05)
($36,200.45)
($1,460.80)
($21,364.20)
($7,988.75)
($31,909.35)
($50,397.60)
($65,781.65)
($1,826.00)
($52,314.90)
($98,558.35)
($4,793.25)
($ 456.50)
($23,874.95)
($ 456.50)
($35,880.90)
($2,556.40)
($29,763.80)
($91,573.90)
($127,363.50)
($64,320.85)
($10,910.35)
($2,191.20)
($19,446.90)
($128,185.20)
($15,977.50)
($35,561.35)
($3,834.60)
($1,460.80)
($51,721.45)
($76,235.50)
($28,074.75)
($17,392.65)
($3,743.30)
($259,748.50)
($16,753.55)
($25,381.40)
($15,566.65)
($23,509.75)
($11,686.40)
($1,369.50)
($2,419.45)
($210,766.05)
($34,237.50)
($18,533.90)
($112,207.70)
($1,977,055.85)
Note: Data is aggregated over five (5) years to smooth out enrollment trends.
Page 3 of 3