Non-Traditional Student Statistics
As part of the Trinity Inclusive Curriculum (TIC) Project data was collated from across the three access initiatives in Trinity
College Dublin (TCD). These are:
-
The Disability Service
-
The Mature Students’ Office
-
Trinity Access Programmes
The results are shown in this document.
Aims
-
To clarify the numbers of students currently studying in TCD from non-traditional backgrounds so as to fit service to
demand.
-
To obtain a breakdown of non-traditional students studying across the faculties and schools of TCD.
-
To gain a picture of the annual figures for new entrants from non-traditional backgrounds entering TCD.
Points of Note:
1. These statistics represent the number of:
a. undergraduate students who entered TCD as mature students,
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b. students who are registered with TAP
c. students registered with the Disability Service,
While it can be assumed that these figures include all undergraduate mature students (under the ‘on age’ category),
they do not include all students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or with disabilities. They are a minimum
estimate. It is unknown how many students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds enter TCD outside of TAP. It is
also unknown how many students choose not to disclose their disability.
2. It is also acknowledged that the figures shown within this document do not include the growing numbers of students
who, while registered as Irish/EU students, have spend some or all of their previous educational experience abroad.
As the children of those who immigrated to Ireland in the 1990s and 00s come to school leaving age this cohort will
grow. These students may face specific difficulties that arise from their experiences of learning through a non-native
language and within a different educational culture.
3. There is cross over between the students within each cohort. There are students who belong to two or more of the
relevant categories, and this leads to duplication. For example, out of the students registered with the Disability
Service there are:
a. 145 students who entered as mature students, via either the mature students’ dispensation scheme or the
CAO.
b. 36 students who entered via the TAP Foundation course.
c. 13 students who entered via the TAP Mature students Foundation course (crossing over between all three
access initiatives).
Going into the future, a shared database could overcome the ambiguity that arises here.
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4. The areas recorded within these statistics have historically worked separately with no shared database or methods for
collecting and categorising data, there are some discrepancies in terminology and modes of data collection.
a. There was ambiguity surrounding the use of certain terminology (for example, ‘progression rate’). An agreed
definition of important terms is given in this document and it is noted anywhere the statistics deviate from this
definition.
5. Whilst TCD calculates completion rates based on cohort (e.g. following a cohort through the four/five years of a
degree programme), these statistics show figures on an annual basis unless otherwise stated. Due to database
limitations it was not always possible to calculate completion based on cohort.
6. Students enter TCD from the different cohorts thus:
a. The majority of TAP students enter TCD via the TAP alternative admission routes (TAP foundation courses,
HEAR, CDVEC courses). Some, however, enter TCD via the CAO and are referred to the TAP service (usually
via the Tutorial Service).
b. Students with Disabilities can enter TCD either via the disability access route or via the common points system.
One’s admission route does not affect one’s right to register with the service upon acceptance of a place in
TCD.
c. Whilst ‘registered’ mature students entered TCD via the mature students’ dispensation scheme, a ‘mature
student’ is one who is twenty three or older at the beginning of the calendar year in which they are admitted to
TCD. Many mature students enter TCD via the common points system. The Mature Students’ Office has limited
access to the data of students who enter via the common points system and so they are not included on all
tables.
7. Students from each cohort study at different levels.
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a. The TAP figure covers level eight undergraduates, students registered on TAP pre-entry foundation courses,
(both in TCD and in the related CDVEC college courses).
b. The Disability Service figure covers all levels of study in TCD,
c. The mature student figure covers certificate/diploma courses and level eight undergraduates,
Terms
Level Eight Programme – This is an honours undergraduate degree programme. It is of at least four years in TCD,
though it can be longer (e.g. medicine).
Mature Student: On age – A student who commenced an undergraduate programme in TCD via any admission route
and was twenty three on, or before, January 1st in their year of admission.
Mature Student – Dispensation Scheme – A student who entered an undergraduate programme in TCD via the Mature
Students’ Dispensation scheme.
Year on Year Increase – The annual numbers of new entrant students registering with the relevant service.
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Table One - Student Numbers
No. of register students
As % of total population
Cert/Dip#
Undergrads (level 8)
Postgrads (levels 9 and 10)
TCD total
Disability
TAP
16747
100%
818
4.9%
56
669
93
639
3.8%
128
511
0
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
391
2.3%
10
381
0
Mature on
age*
1062
6.3%
118
944
0
* including 28 students on the Certificate in Contemporary Living and 24 students on the TAP programme. The Mature Students’ office only counts
those who are studying on certificate/diploma or level 8 undergraduate programmes.
# Cert/Dip includes all courses in TCD below level 8 (e.g. Diploma in Deaf Studies, TAP foundation course, Certificate in Contemporary Living).
Total TCD data as per Student Records on 21/4/11, Disability as per Disability Annual Report 2010/11, TAP as advised by TAP 1/12/10, Mature as
per MSO 09/2/11.
This table has five columns indicating how many students:
-
are currently in TCD and at which level they currently study,
-
are registered with the Disability Service, and their percentage of the total cohort,
-
are TAP students, and their percentage of the total cohort,
-
are undergraduate, mature students, and their percentage of the total cohort, and
-
entered via the Mature Students’ dispensation scheme, and their percentage of the total cohort. This column indicates
those students who qualify as ‘mature students’ based on age and entry route to TCD (via the Mature Students’
Dispensation Scheme).
5
900
800
700
600
500
08/09
400
09/10
300
10/11
200
100
0
Cert / Dip
Degree
Postgrad
Total
Figure 1 - Rise in the numbers of DS students from 08/09 to 10/11
6
700
600
500
400
08/09
09/10
300
10/11
200
100
0
Cert / Dip
Degree
Total
Figure 2 - Rise in the numbers of TAP students from 08/09 to 10/11
7
1400
1200
1000
800
08/09
09/10
600
10/11
400
200
0
Cert / Dip
Degree
Total
Figure 3 - Fluctuation in numbers of Mature students from 08/09 to 10/11
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Table Two - Undergraduate Outcomes:
TCD total
Disability
Level 8 TAP
Completion Rate
94%
85%#
97.6%
Progression Rate
90%**
79%#
90.7%
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
94%
84%
Completion Rate – All level eight final year students who successfully passed their final year assessments in 09/10.
Progression Rate – All level eight students, excluding final year students, who successfully passed their assessments and progressed onto the
next year in 09/10. Except for: ** Refers to JF who completed the year successfully and qualified for the SF year.
Total TCD data as per Senior Lecturer report 09/10, Disability as calculated using information on DIS, December Dec 10, TAP as reported from
TAP Database 1/12/10, Mature as per Mature Students’ Office 09/02/11,
This table shows progress rates for four distinct groups:
-
the total TCD undergraduate community,
-
those registered with the Disability Service,
-
those registered with TAP, on a level eight programme,
-
those who entered a level eight programme via the Mature Students’ Dispensation scheme.
Points of note:
-
While TCD bases the above rates on cohort this was not possible for the access programmes. The Disability Service
database is under four years old and so cannot follow a single cohort over a four year period. Hence the Disability
Service follows the definitions given at the beginning of the document.
9
-
# The Disability has a lower figure of completion and progression that can be attributable to the higher rate of students
that go off books (often for medical reasons) or do medical repeats. 12 of the 16 (75%) final year students who did not
complete in 0910 had deferred their exams by going off books, or had obtained a med cert.
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Table Three – Faculty Breakdown, all levels
Total
Disability
TAP
Mature –
Dispensation
Scheme
Mature - All
Total
16747 (100%)
818 (4.8%)
639
391
1062 (6.3%)
AHSS and TSM
Eng, Maths and
Sys Sci
Health Sciences
Other/Cross
Faculty
6411 (100%)
482 (7.5%)
298 (4.6%)
3470(100%)
163 (4.7%)
77 (2.2%)
3338 (100%)
159 (4.8%)
140 (4.2%)
3528 (100%)
14 (0.4%)
124 (3.5%)
243 (3.8%)
395 (6.2%)
54 (1.6%)
142 (4.1%)
70 (2.1%)
476 (14.3%)
24 (0.7%)
49 (1.4%)
Total as per student records 21/4/11, Disability as per DS Annual Report 2010/11, TAP as advised 1/12/10, Mature students as per MSO
9/2/11.Mature students figure includes 28 Certificate in Contemporary Living students.
Points of note:
The majority of other / Cross Faculty are post grad research students. In April 2011, 512 undergraduates fell within this
category on the SIS system.
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Table Four A - School Breakdown:
Course
School: History and Humanities
Total all /
Undergrad
420/ 230
School:Business
School: Religion and Ecumenics
170
247 / 79
School: Ling, Speech and Comms
271 / 169
School: Drama, Film, Music
219 / 149
School: Lang, Literature and Cultural
(inc European Studies)
School: Education
310 / 225
1404 / 669
School: English
306 / 170
School: Law
564 / 378
School: Psychology
368 / 126
School: Social Science and Philosophy
404 / 184
School: Social Work and Social Policy
363 /224
School: Chemistry
206 / 91
School: Comp Science and Statistics
904 / 386
Disability
29– 7% (23UG
– 10%)
3 (2%)
17 (7%)
(11UG – 14%)
14 – 5% (13UG
– 8%)
18– 8%
(14UG – 9%)
12 – 5% (12UG
– 5%)
22 – 2%
(10 UG - 1%)
16- 5%
(14UG – 8%)
30 – 5% (26UG
– 7%)
29 – 8% (18UG
– 14%)
19 - 5%
(13UG – 7%)
26– 7% (20UG
– 9%)
8 – 4%
(7UG – 8%)
33– 4% (21UG
TAP (%
of UG)
16 (7%)
Mature Dispensation
Scheme (% of UG)
32 (14%)
0
4 (5%)
0
11 (14%)
4 (2%)
17 (10%)
30 (18%)
2 (1%)
8 (5%)
12 (8%)
15 (7%)
8 (4%)
10 (4%)
34 (5%)
0
32 (5%)
10 (1%)
11 (6%)
15 (9%)
31 (8%)
15 (4%)
All Mature
(% of UG)
35 (15%)
0
15 (19%)
23 (6%)
19 (15%)
16 (13%)
21 (17%)
12 (7%)
13 (7%)
14 (8%)
23 (10%)
46 (21%)
65 (29%)
1 (1%)
0
0
8 (2%)
7 (2%)
41 (11%)
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School: Genetics and Microbiology
School: Physics
School: Maths
131 / 53
114/0
143 / 112
School: Engineering
1072 / 621
School: Natural Science
239/28
School: Pharmacy
420 / 268
School: Nursing and Midwifery
1305 / 1004
School: Medicine
1731 / 1229
School: Dentistry
322 / 265
TAP/Interdisciplinary Misc/ ErasmusYear Abroad
– 5%)
3UG (6%)
3– 3%
13 – 9%(12UG
(11%)
32 – 3%
(27UG – 4%)
6– 3% (1UG –
4%)
14 – 3%
(12UG –4%)
75– 6% (69UG
– 7%)
60– 3% (57UG
– 5%)
10– 3%
(9 UG – 3%)
8
2 (4%)
5 (4%)
0
0
2 (2%)
3 (6%)
0
6 (5%)
10 (2%)
9 (1%)
9 (1%)
0
0
0
13 (5%)
12 (4%)
19 (7%)
57 (6%)
0
294 (29%)
59 (5%)
39 (3%)
128 (10%)
9 (3%)
16
27 (11%)
128
0
24
0
Table Four B – Multi-School Programme Breakdown:
Course
Total
Disability
TAP (%)
History and Politics
Sociology and Social Policy
TSM
BESS
B.Mus.Ed
Business and a language
106
99
1341
964
41
155
11 (10%)
12(12%)
105 (8%)
55 (6%)
0
6 (4%)
5 (5%)
12 (12%)
65 (5%)
26 (3%)
1 (2%)
5 (3%)
Mature Dispensation
Scheme (%)
7 (7%)
17 (17%)
75 (6%)
40 (4%)
2 (5%)
3 (2%)
All Mature (%)
8 (8%)
21 (21%)
85 (6%)
50 (5%)
2 (5%)
3 (2%)
13
Law and Business
53
8 (15%)
4 (8%)
2 (4%)
2 (4%)
Law and French
Law and German
Law and Politics
Business and IT
Physics and Chemistry of Advanced
Materials
Certificate in Contemporary Living
Geography and Politics
Human Health and Disease
Common Entry Science
Theoretical Physics
Chemistry and Molecular Modelling
52
54
45
55
44
1 (2%)
2 (4%)
2 (4%)
5 (9%)
1 (2%)
4 (8%)
0
2 (4%)
1 (2%)
0
0
0
2 (4%)
0
2 (5%)
0
0
2 (4%)
0
2 (5%)
45
43
47
1203
116
9
45 (100%)
4 (9%)
5 (11%)
61 (5%)
7 (6%)
1 (11%)
0
3 (7%)
2 (4%)
48 (4%)
3 (3%)
0
0
2 (5%)
3 (6%)
24 (2%)
0
28(62%)
2 (5%)
4 (9%)
30 (2%)
0
Total results as per SIS, 7/12/10 – 7/4/11, Disability as per DIS 4/4/11, TAP as per TAP 1/12/10, Mature as per MSO 9/2/11.
Points of note:
-
Total school populations were calculated using the Undergraduate and Postgraduate flexible lists on SIS. Registered
students, off books - taking exams, and SU sabbatical officers from all levels were included for calculation purposes.
-
There are some interschool programmes. Sometimes they are lists separately on the above table and sometimes they
are included with the primary school. For example:
o
The School of Social Science and Philosophy figure on the above table includes Philosophy, Political Science,
Economics and Social Science.
o
BESS figure includes those who specialised in Business as sophisters.
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Table Five - Year on Year Increase
Year
Total TCD
Disability
TAP
Mature – Dispensation Scheme
Total – Non trad
03
15428
87
77
146
310
04
15264
82
95
177
354
05
15322
131
101
220
452
06
15492
101
110
216
427
07
15716
176
118
239
533
08
16301
195
137
198
530
09
16807
212
114
180
506
10
16747
246
157
206
609
Total as per annual reports 03/04 - 09/10 plus student records for 10 numbers. Disability as per DIS 8/4/10, TAP as per TAP 1/12/10, Mature
as per MSO 9/2/11.
Note that students can register with the Disability Service in any year. While 246 incoming first year students registered, a
further 73 continuing students also registered.
There are four columns here showing the annual figures for:
o the total TCD student population, including all years and levels,
o the new registrations to the Disability Service from incoming first years (both UG and PG),
o students entering TCD through TAP,
o students entering TCD through the Mature Students’ Dispensation scheme.
15
Whilst this table displays the numbers of new entrants only for the non-traditional student categories, the total new
entrants to level eight courses throughout TCD was not available. Thus, the ‘Total TCD’ column indicates all students
registered in TCD in a given year while the other three columns look only at new entrants.
Figure 4 - Year on Year Increase of Non-Traditional Student Entrants
Cross Over
145 students registered with the Disability Service are mature students. Therefore:
 13.97% of mature students are disabled
 17.45% of disabled students are mature students
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There are 36 students currently registered as both TAP and Disability Service Students.
Therefore:
 5.63% of TAP students are disabled
 4.33% of disabled students entered via TAP
(There are currently 831 students registered with the Disability Service
There are currently 13 level 8 students registered with TAP, the Mature Students' Office, and the Disability Service.
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