I. Data Brief: Student Success

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1 I. Data Brief: Student Success No student ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him: it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction. - Charles Kendall Adams Data Brief: Key Takeaways SUNY Excels provides a targeted framework through which SUNY can focus its commitment to access, completion, success, inquiry and engagement. SUNY continues to show slight year-to-year improvement in its four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students. The Fall 2007 cohort surpasses those of national public institutions overall and by sector. SUNY s comprehensive colleges perform on par with national private institutions in six-year graduation. Four-year graduation rates at the associate level have been essentially flat (from 28.5% to 28.6%). When considering transfers out as part of student success, performance improves. Over the past ten years, the retention rate at SUNY Technology Colleges has increased from 60.5% to 70.4%, a 9.9 percentage point improvement. In just the past five years, the retention rate has increased 7.9 percentage points. For both the baccalaureate and associate degree cohorts, for every time period examined, Pell recipient students graduate at a markedly lower rate than their non-pell recipient peers. SUNY is participating in a new nation-wide initiative to effect progress here. There is currently a significant difference between the percent of native students who graduate within four years and incoming transfer students with an associate s degree who graduate within two years. SUNY s Seamless Transfer policy (effective fall 2015) will provide the opportunity for transfer students to achieve on-time graduation rates comparable to those of native students. Students who transfer from a SUNY community college having earned an Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Sciences (AS) have the highest graduation rates, followed by students with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or an Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS), and then by those transferring with no degree. Many campuses have not tracked student data for online students apart from their traditional face-to-face cohorts, so available data around success in the online setting is not as robust as we would like it to be at this time. Overall, students in hybrid or blended classrooms (where 50% of the instruction is online) perform similarly to those in the traditional classroom. There is a slight drop in credit earned (~3%) at the state-operated campuses and a larger decrease (~10%) at the community college level for students taking coursework 100% online. The student and faculty supports of Open SUNY+ are designed to address these gaps. Applied learning and multi-cultural experiences can significantly contribute to student success. Both will be featured in future reports to the Board of Trustees.

2 A. The Many Measures of Student Success Through SUNY Excels, SUNY has clarified its commitment to student success to both hold itself accountable for continuous improvement and to better highlight where additional resources would have the most impact. In so doing, SUNY has identified multiple supports that contribute positively to success (access to courses, alignment of degree programs with market need, applied learning opportunities, international experiences, etc.). Also part of SUNY Excels is recognition that the definition of success itself varies to include not just completion but also transfer and persistence; to not just obtaining a job with a livable wage but also job satisfaction. On the eve of the formal adoption of SUNY Excels, this data brief will: Provide an update to the September 2013 SUNY Graduation Rates and Student Success data brief; Provide baseline data about the performance of transfer students (from a SUNY twoyear institution to a SUNY four-year institution) as compared to native students who start at a SUNY four-year institution; Provide requested information on Open SUNY and student success; Preview upcoming reports on Applied Learning and Student Success and on Global Affairs and Student Success; and Highlight successful campus initiatives in several categories identified by SUNY Excels as meaningful to student success. B. Updating the September 2013 SUNY Graduation Rates and Student Success Data Brief The September 2013 data brief examined in detail SUNY s graduation and retention rates in the context of campus mission and select student demographics. The report included data through Fall This current brief provides an update to many of the topics presented in the September 2013 one as well as a few new, related topics (i.e. retention rate trends, transfer out rates for associate degree students, graduation rates for Pell recipients vs. non-pell recipients, and Access to Success (A2S) data at the associate level). Due to the timing of the reports, updated data for two years is able to be shared here. Note, however, that the latest year s data for graduation rates is preliminary pending receipt of outstanding summer degree submissions from six campuses. The preliminary as of Fall 2014 graduation rates will, if anything, increase slightly when finalized. For purposes of this data brief, you will see SUNYIT (SUNY Poly) among the listed campuses. This recognizes this year s merger between SUNYIT and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, but reflects the fact that for all of the cohorts we look at in this report, the students were enrolled in only programs that were offered through SUNYIT. Office of the Provost Page 2 of 52 January 2015

3 Figure 1: Four-, Five-, and Six- Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 56.7% 59.6% 61.9% 64.7% 62.3% 64.9% 61.9% 64.4% 63.2% 65.5% 50% 46.9% 47.8% 47.4% 48.8% 40% 41.3% 30% 20% 10% 0% Four Five Six Four Five Six Four Five Six Four Five Six Four Five Six Fall 2000 Cohort as of Fall 2006 Fall 2005 Cohort as of Fall 2011 Fall 2006 Cohort as of Fall 2012 Fall 2007 Cohort as of Fall 2013 Fall 2008 Cohort as of Fall 2014* * preliminary SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 18, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse Figure 1 shows graduation rate data for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students enrolled at SUNY. For comparison purposes, the latest four years worth of data is shown (i.e. Fall 2005 through Fall 2008 cohorts) along with data for the Fall 2000 cohort to illustrate what the change has been over a longer period of time. Key Observations SUNY continues to show slight year-to-year improvement in its four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students. In less than ten years, SUNY s average four-year graduation rate has increased 7.5 percentage points (from 41.3% to 48.8%), the five-year rate has increased 6.5 percentage points (from 56.7% to 63.2%), and the six-year rate has increased 5.9 percentage points (from 59.6% to 65.5%). See Appendix A for a table displaying the latest three years worth of four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students by individual campus. As mentioned, the latest graduation rate figures are preliminary and may show a further slight increase as the remaining summer degrees are reported. Office of the Provost Page 3 of 52 January 2015

4 Figure 2: National Benchmarks at the Baccalaureate Level Six- Graduation Rate Benchmarks for the Fall 2007 Baccalaureate Entering Cohort as of Fall 2013 National Benchmark Groups Determined by Carnegie Class SUNY National Publics National Privates Four- Five- Six- Four- Five- Six- Four- Five- Six- All Institutions 47.4% 61.9% 64.4% 33.0% 52.1% 57.5% 53.4% 63.7% 65.8% Research/Doctoral 55.0% 68.2% 70.6% 39.8% 59.4% 64.4% 64.7% 76.7% 79.2% Comprehensive Colleges 41.9% 57.7% 60.1% 23.0% 41.2% 47.4% 49.0% 58.7% 60.7% Technology Colleges 25.5% 40.5% 44.1% 16.9% 31.6% 35.9% 28.1% 33.1% 35.0% Sources: SUNY Data Warehouse and IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey SUNY System Administration, Office of Institutional Research, December 22, 2014 Figure 2 compares SUNY s graduation rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students to national benchmarks as reported to IPEDS, for the Fall 2007 cohort as of Fall 2013 (the latest available). SUNY s four-, five-, and six-year rates are compared to national public institutions and national private not-forprofit institutions overall and by sector. Key Observations SUNY s four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates for the Fall 2007 entering cohort of first-time, full-time baccalaureate students all surpass those of National Public Institutions overall and by sector. System-wide, SUNY s four year graduation rate is 14.4 percentage points higher than the National Publics. At six years out, while the difference has narrowed, it still remains quite significant at 6.9 percentage points. The rather significant differences between SUNY s graduation rates and the National Publics graduation rates extend to each individual sector as well. The Doctoral sector sees four- and six-year percentage point differences of 15.2 and 6.2, respectively. The Comprehensive sector sees percentage point differences of 18.9 and 12.7, respectively. And the Technology sector sees differences of 8.6 and 8.2, respectively. Conversely, SUNY s four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates are below those of national private institutions. However, by six years out, the overall rates are quite comparable 64.4% for SUNY and 65.8% for the privates. Of special note is the comparability of graduation rates in SUNY s comprehensive sector with those of the private sector peers. Looking at the six-year rates, there is only a 0.6 percentage point difference, with SUNY s Comprehensive rate being 60.1% whereas the National Privates rate is 60.7%. Office of the Provost Page 4 of 52 January 2015

5 Figure 3: Six- Graduation Rates by Campus, Fall 2006 and Fall 2008 Cohorts Six- Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students, Fall 2006 Cohort as of Fall 2012 Six- Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students, Fall 2008 Cohort as of Fall % 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Cornell, % Cornell, % Binghamton, % Binghamton, % New Paltz, % New Paltz, % Geneseo, % Geneseo, % DOCTORAL, % Oneonta, % Ceramics, % DOCTORAL, % Stony Brook, % Brockport, % Cortland, % Stony Brook, % Brockport, % Purchase, % ESF, % ESF, % Oneonta, % Ceramics, % Buffalo Univ, % Cortland, % STATE-OPERATED, % Fredonia, % Fredonia, % Albany, % Albany, % STATE-OPERATED, % Plattsburgh, % Buffalo Univ, % COMPREHENSIVE, % Oswego, % Morrisville, % COMPREHENSIVE, % Purchase, % Plattsburgh, % Oswego, % Alfred, % Delhi, % Delhi, % Alfred, % Potsdam, % Potsdam, % Morrisville, % Cobleskill, % Maritime, % Buffalo College, % Cobleskill, % Farmingdale, % Buffalo College, % TECHNOLOGY, % TECHNOLOGY, % Maritime, % SUNYIT/POLY, % Old Westbury, % Farmingdale, % SUNYIT/POLY, % Old Westbury, % Canton, % Canton, % Empire State, % Empire State, % SUNY System Office of IR :: Dec 22, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse SUNY System Office of IR :: Dec 22, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse Figure 3 is comprised of two separate graphs to be considered in conjunction with one another. The graph at left reflects the six-year graduation rates of first-time, full-time baccalaureate students at SUNY s state-operated institutions, Fall 2006 cohort as of Fall 2012, as reported in the September 2013 data brief. The graph at right provides the update, reflecting the same information but updated for the Fall 2008 cohort as of Fall The data is displayed by sector and by individual campus and, for each year, is arrayed from the highest to lowest six-year graduation rate. For additional informational purposes, the size of the initial cohort is listed by each campus s name on the vertical axis. This is particularly important when looking at SUNY s technology colleges, who have quite small cohorts at the baccalaureate level. Office of the Provost Page 5 of 52 January 2015

6 Key Observations There continues to be a wide variance of graduation rates across the system. For the Fall 2008 cohort, the rate ranges from a low of 13.4% (at perhaps SUNY s most non-traditional four-year institution, Empire State College) to a high of 94.4% (at SUNY s statutory colleges at Cornell), a spread of 81 percentage points. While the variance in graduation rates is to a certain extent reflective of the differing missions of the campuses that comprise SUNY, there continues to be room for improvement. Removing the two outlying endpoints of Empire and Cornell, the spread decreases to 47.9 percentage points. For state-operated campuses overall, a negligible increase in six-year graduation rates of 0.6% (from 64.9% to 65.5%) has been realized between the two-year period. The Doctoral sector has seen no change in the six-year graduation rate between the two years but maintains the highest rate (approximately 71%) of any sector. The Comprehensive and Technology sectors have seen increases of 1.9 percentage points (from 60.3% to 62.2%) and 0.4 percentage points (from 43.9% to 44.3%), respectively. At the campus level, while there has been some shifting, most have remained relatively consistent regarding their position on the spectrum. Notable exceptions to this are Oneonta, Purchase, Oswego, and SUNYIT (SUNY Poly), all of whom have seen particularly large increases. SUNY New Paltz and Geneseo continue to be the highest performing comprehensive colleges on this measure, and Cornell and Binghamton lead the doctoral campuses. Again, see Appendix A for a table displaying the latest three years worth of four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time baccalaureate students by individual campus. Office of the Provost Page 6 of 52 January 2015

7 Figure 4: Two-, Three-, and Four- Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Associate Degree Students 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 25.6% 30.5% 22.8% 28.1% 23.7% 28.5% 23.5% 28.2% 23.9% 28.6% 20% 10% 13.0% 11.5% 11.6% 11.5% 11.9% 0% Two Three Four Two Three Four Two Three Four Two Three Four Two Three Four Fall 2002 Cohort as of Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Cohort as of Fall 2011 Fall 2008 Cohort as of Fall 2012 Fall 2009 Cohort as of Fall 2013 Fall 2010 Cohort as of Fall 2014* * preliminary SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 18, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse Figure 4 shows graduation rate data for first-time, full-time associate degree students enrolled at SUNY. For comparison purposes, the latest four years worth of data is shown (i.e. Fall 2007 through Fall 2010 cohorts) along with data for the Fall 2002 cohort to illustrate what the change has been over a longer period of time. Key Observations SUNY s two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time associate degree students are all generally steady, fluctuating only a percentage point or less over the four year period of entering cohorts Fall 2007 to Fall All three graduation rates (i.e. two-, three-, and four-year) lag the rates of the cohort which entered in Fall In comparing the eight year period, the two-year rate is down 1.1 percentage points (from 13.0% to 11.9%), the three year rate is down 1.7 percentage points (from 25.6% to 23.9%), and the four year rate is down 1.9 percentage points (from 30.5% to 28.6%). See Appendix B for a table displaying the latest three years worth of two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time associate degree students by individual campus. As mentioned at the beginning of the report, the latest graduation rate figures are preliminary and may show a slight increase as the remainder of summer degrees are reported. Office of the Provost Page 7 of 52 January 2015

8 Figure 5: National Benchmarks at the Associate Level Three- Graduation Rate Benchmarks for the Fall 2010 Associate Entering Cohort as of Fall 2013 National Benchmark Groups Determined by Carnegie Class Community Colleges SUNY National Publics Two- Three- Two- Three- 10.9% 22.9% 9.4% 19.3% Sources: SUNY Data Warehouse and IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey SUNY System Administration, Office of Institutional Research, December 22, 2014 Figure 5 compares SUNY s graduation rates for first-time, full-time associate degree students to national benchmarks, as reported to IPEDS, for the Fall 2010 cohort as of Fall 2013 (the latest available). SUNY s two- and three-year rates are compared to National Publics in the Community College sector. Key Observations SUNY s two- and three-year graduation rates both exceed those of National Publics. SUNY s two-year graduation rate is 1.5 percentage points higher, whereas the three-year rate is 3.6 percentage points higher. Note that the SUNY rates displayed in Figure 5 differ from those in Figure 4 because Figure 5 represents strictly the SUNY community colleges and Figure 4 represents all associate degree students at SUNY, which includes both the community colleges and some of the technology colleges. Office of the Provost Page 8 of 52 January 2015

9 Figure 6: Four- Graduation Rates by Campus, Fall 2008 and Fall 2010 Cohorts Four- Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Associate Students, Fall 2008 Cohort as of Fall % 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Four- Graduation Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Associate Students, Fall 2010 Cohort as of Fall % 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Fashion Institute, 1104 Columbia-Greene, 274 Alfred, 1038 Delhi, 919 Jamestown, 959 Herkimer County, 930 Broome, 1173 Niagara County, 1262 Jefferson, 628 Finger Lakes, 1283 TECHNOLOGY, 5289 Fulton-Montgomery, 480 Corning, 812 Cayuga County, 699 Genesee, 975 Clinton, 395 Cobleskill, 884 Monroe, 3899 Hudson Valley, 2623 SUNY OVERALL, Rockland, 1279 COMMUNITY COLLEGES, Canton, 666 Suffolk County, 4269 Tompkins-Cortland, 879 Morrisville, 1069 Schenectady County, 574 Farmingdale, 713 Mohawk Valley, 1382 Erie, 2671 Adirondack, 760 North Country, 290 Dutchess, 1568 Orange County, 1356 Ulster County, 508 Sullivan County, 459 Onondaga, 1630 Nassau, 4846 Westchester, % 44.5% 39.0% 34.8% 33.8% 33.6% 33.1% 33.0% 32.9% 32.8% 32.5% 32.4% 31.9% 30.6% 29.6% 29.3% 28.9% 28.9% 28.5% 28.1% 27.9% 27.8% 27.7% 26.8% 26.8% 26.7% 25.8% 25.6% 25.3% 25.1% 24.8% 24.8% 23.0% 22.2% 20.7% 20.4% 20.3% 15.4% 72.1% Fashion Institute, 1051 Alfred, 1068 Delhi, 888 TECHNOLOGY, 4707 Cobleskill, 646 Jamestown, 1122 Columbia-Greene, 355 Canton, 563 Rockland, 1490 Genesee, 1064 Broome, 1526 Niagara County, 1493 Fulton-Montgomery, 643 Herkimer County, 1066 Farmingdale, 515 Finger Lakes, 1462 Corning, 803 SUNY OVERALL, Jefferson, 761 COMMUNITY COLLEGES, Hudson Valley, 2619 Dutchess, 1940 Morrisville, 1027 Ulster County, 587 Suffolk County, 4779 Nassau, 4882 Monroe, 4019 Tompkins-Cortland, 1075 Mohawk Valley, 1554 Sullivan County, 468 Erie, 2648 Cayuga County, 705 Onondaga, 2228 Orange County, 1271 Adirondack, 785 North Country, 325 Schenectady County, 679 Clinton, 404 Westchester, % 40.4% 36.8% 36.7% 36.4% 33.5% 31.8% 31.2% 31.1% 31.0% 30.7% 30.0% 29.5% 29.3% 29.1% 29.0% 28.6% 28.4% 27.8% 27.4% 27.3% 27.3% 27.3% 27.0% 26.9% 26.0% 24.6% 24.5% 24.1% 23.8% 23.4% 23.3% 23.1% 23.1% 22.8% 22.1% 21.0% 18.7% 77.5% SUNY System Office of IR :: Dec 22, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse SUNY System Office of IR :: Dec 22, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse Figure 6 is comprised of two separate graphs to be considered in conjunction with one another. The graph at left reflects the four-year graduation rates of first-time, full-time associate degree students at SUNY, Fall 2008 cohort as of Fall 2012, as reported in the September 2013 data brief. The graph at the right reflects the same information, updated for the Fall 2010 cohort as of Fall The data is displayed by sector and by individual campus and, for each year, is arrayed from the highest to lowest six-year graduation rate. For additional informational purposes, the size of the initial cohort is listed by each campus s name on the vertical axis. You will see that the Technology Colleges have much larger cohorts at the two-year level than they did at the baccalaureate level; however, taken together they still comprise a comparatively small percentage of SUNY s associate level students. Office of the Provost Page 9 of 52 January 2015

10 Key Observations Similar to the baccalaureate cohorts, there is a wide variance of graduation rates at the associate level. For the Fall 2010 cohort, the rate ranges from a low of 18.7% (at one of SUNY s largest and most urban community colleges) to a high of 77.5% (at SUNY s selective and highly-specialized Fashion Institute of Technology which requires students to earn an associate degree before continuing on to its baccalaureate programs). This equates to a spread of 58.8 percentage points. If one were to remove FIT s atypically high rate for this sector, the spread decreases to 30.6 percentage points. Four-year graduation rates at the associate level have been essentially flat (from 28.5% to 28.6%). While we do not see forward movement here overall, there are a number of completion efforts targeted at the associate level that will first take effect in Fall 2015, such as enhancements to the non-credit remedial program and the cumulative impact of SUNY s reverse transfer effort (to award the associate degree to students who transferred before completion but at a baccalaureate institution earn sufficient credits to meet the two-year degree requirements). In addition, as will be discussed in greater detail below, transfer and persistence can also be considered hallmarks of student success. Nearly nine out of every ten associate degree seeking students at SUNY attend one of the University s community colleges (with the other one percent attending a technology college). Therefore, the fouryear graduation rates for the community college sector heavily influences SUNY s overall rate. When one looks specifically at the Technology College sector, however, four-year graduation rates have increased by 4 percentage points (from 32.8% to 36.8%) during this two-year period. Again, see Appendix B for a table displaying the latest three years worth of two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time associate degree students by individual campus. Beyond Graduation Rates at the Associate Level A very large number of students enroll at SUNY two-year institutions and/or in two-year (associate) programs not intent on full-time, continuously enrolled study toward an associate's degree. Many are balancing family and job responsibilities, and many face financial constraints. As such, it is not uncommon for these students to fluctuate between full-time and part-time status or to stop out as necessary, both of which increase the length of time it takes to earn a degree. Furthermore, many students enrolled in two-year programs have as a plan to transfer into a four-year program at another institution, with or without actually receiving the two-year degree. SUNY has long been aware of this and developed a series of Educational Outcomes reports over ten years ago to better understand the movement of associate degree students through the SUNY system and through their academic careers. This information, in overview and summary fashion, has been shared in the past with the board and is also part of SUNY s Report Card. At the national level initiatives such as SAM (Student Achievement Measure) and a new IPEDS survey on Outcomes Measures have been developed to better capture the outcomes and success of students enrolled in two-year programs (and those in four-year programs as well). While the new IPEDS survey is Office of the Provost Page 10 of 52 January 2015

11 Community Colleges Technology Colleges SUNY Total mandatory, SAM is a voluntary endeavor, and in response to the Chancellor s strong interest in this topic, SUNY was the first higher education system in the country to have all of its institutions agree to participate. Moreover, it has recently been announced that this type of expanded educational outcomes measure is being considered as part of the President s forthcoming Postsecondary Institution Ratings System (PIRS). While it is beyond the scope of this document to go into detail about these new nation-wide initiatives and efforts, we will take a brief look at how, at the associate degree level, transferring out comes into play. Figure 7: Two-, Three-, and Four- Graduation and Transfer Out Rates for First-time, Full-time Associate Degree Students, Fall 2009 Cohort as of Fall % 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% % 10.7% 6.8% 29.2% Graduating with any degree from initial institution % 12.3% 8.8% 45.0% Transferring to another SUNY insitution without a degree % 12.9% 9.6% 51.4% Transferring to a non-suny institution without a degree % 19.7% 8.0% 48.2% % 21.2% 10.0% 63.8% % 21.8% 10.7% 69.7% % 9.7% 6.6% 27.1% % 11.3% 8.6% 42.8% % 11.9% 9.5% 49.4% SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: Dec 26, 2014 Sources: SUNY Data Warehouse and National Student Clearinghouse Figure 7 provides a snapshot of graduation and transfer-out rates for the Fall 2009 cohort of first-time, full-time associate degree students. The graduation rate and transfer-out rates are shown at two-, three-, and four-years out. The first portion of each bar represents the percent of students who received any degree at the initial institution. Note this also includes students who may have continued on at the initial institution to obtain a bachelor s degree without obtaining the associate s degree they were initially reported as seeking. The second portion represents the percent of students who transferred to another SUNY institution without earning a degree. And the third portion represents the percent of students who transferred to a non-suny institution without earning a degree. At the end of each bar is the sum of the graduation and transfer-out rates. Office of the Provost Page 11 of 52 January 2015

12 Key Observations By looking at the chart above, it is clear how big of a role transferring out plays for our first-time, fulltime associate degree students. In fact, in several instances, the percentage of students who have transferred out for a given time frame is greater than the percentage of students who have graduated during the same time frame. For SUNY overall, after two years, this particular cohort saw 11.7% of its members graduating and 17.5% transferring out to a different institution (10.7% to a SUNY and 6.8% to a non-suny), making for a combined graduation/transfer-out rate of 29.2%. After four years, those rates increase to 28.9% and 22.5%, respectively, for a combined rate of 51.4%. At the technology colleges, after four years, while 37.2% of this cohort earned a degree, another 32.5% transferred out to another institution, for a combined rate of 69.7% either graduating or transferring. And at the community colleges, after four years, while 28.0% of this cohort earned a degree, another 21.4% transferred out to another institution, for a combined rate of 49.4% either graduating or transferring. This data will inform ongoing work on seamless transfer and reverse transfer and will also inform related goals for SUNY Excels. Figure 8: Graduation Rates of Pell Recipients vs. Non-Pell Recipients 100% Graduation Rates of Pell Recipients vs. Non-Pell Recipients *, Fall 2008 Cohort of First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students and Fall 2010 Cohort of First-Time, Full-Time Associate Degree Students 80% 65.2% 67.2% 60% 51.2% 53.5% 56.6% 40% 20% 37.6% 7.8% 12.2% 18.6% 25.7% 23.2% 30.9% 0% First-Time, Full-Time Baccalaureate Students First-Time, Full-Time Associate Degree Students * Note that Stony Brook, Maritime, and FIT are excluded from this chart. SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 26, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Repository Tables * Due to limitations in obtaining the requisite data for this analysis at the time of this writing, Stony Brook, Maritime, and FIT are not included. Office of the Provost Page 12 of 52 January 2015

13 Figure 8 illustrates the completion rates of Pell recipients vs. non-pell recipients for a cohort of firsttime, full-time baccalaureate students and for a cohort of first-time, full-time associate degree students. Key Observations For both the baccalaureate and associate degree cohorts, for every time period examined, Pell recipient students graduated at a markedly lower rate than their non-pell recipient peers. At the baccalaureate level, the 4-year gap is 13.6 percentage points, and that gap decreases slightly to 10.6 percentage points by the 6-year mark. At the associate level, the 2-year gap is 4.4 percentage points, and that gap increases to 7.7 percentage points by the 4-year mark. SUNY is addressing this challenge, in part, through the Access to Success and Taking Student Success to Scale initiatives, discussed below. Access to Success Initiative Access to Success (A2S) is a partnership initiative between the Education Trust and the National Association of System Heads (NASH). SUNY has been one of twenty-two public higher education systems participating in the initiative, all of whom had pledged to cut the college-going and graduation gaps for low-income and minority students in half by Generally speaking, the A2S initiative saw notable improvements in its access component, thereby seeing more Pell recipient and under-represented minority (URM) enrollments and graduates, but fell short in regards to its success component, especially in reducing the gap between Pell and non-pell graduation rates and between URM and non-urm graduation rates. Building on what was learned from the A2S effort, NASH is set to embark on a new initiative, Taking Student Success to Scale, in which fourteen higher education systems have already signed on for and in which SUNY will be playing a leadership role. The new effort calls for following evidence based interventions that will contribute to the completion goals [of 350,000 more college graduates by 2025]. (NASH Press Release National Association of System Heads Calls For At Least 350,000 More College Graduates in 10 s, December 4, 2014). The initial strategies to be employed include Guided Pathways Using Predictive Analytics, Redesigning the Math Pathway, and High Impact Practices for All Students. In the September 2013 data brief, we shared the A2S six-year graduation rates for first-time baccalaureate students for SUNY versus the aggregate of the other participants, up through the Fall 2005 cohort. SUNY recently received a portion of the latest, and final, round of data for this initiative, and a select summary of this information will be illustrated and discussed below. Office of the Provost Page 13 of 52 January 2015

14 6-year graduation rate (%) Figure 9: Access to Success: Six- Graduation Rates for First-time Baccalaureate Students, URM Students Compared to Non-URM Students 100 Six- Graduation Rates for First-Time Baccalaureate Students Under-Represented Minority (URM) Students Compared to Non-URM SUNY Compared to All Access-to-Success (A2S) Participating Systems State University of New York Upper bar = Non-URM rate Lower bar = URM rate difference (achievement gap) shown in red numbers Fall Cohort A2S Systems Aggregate n/av SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 23, 2014 Source: Education Trust Figure 9 compares SUNY s six-year graduation rates for first-time baccalaureate students, broken down by under-represented minority (URM) and non-urm status, to the aggregate rates for all systems participating in Access to Success (A2S). Note that the cohorts include both full-time and part-time students, and the graduation rates include graduation from any college in each system, not just at the initial institution of enrollment. While this reflects two years worth of updated data for SUNY, only one year of updated data was available at the time of this writing for the A2S Systems Aggregate. Key Observations SUNY s six-year graduation rates for first-time baccalaureate students, for the entering cohorts Fall 2002 through Fall 2006, exceed the rates for the aggregate of all A2S participating public higher education systems for both URM and non-urm students. In reviewing the Fall 2002 entering cohort through the Fall 2007 entering cohort, one notes that the sixyear graduation gap between URM and non-urm students persists between 10% and 12%. This gap is an improvement over the base year of the 1999 entering cohort (15%) and also runs 4 to 5 percentage points narrower than the gap for the aggregate of all A2S participating public higher education systems. Office of the Provost Page 14 of 52 January 2015

15 4-year graduation rate (%) Figure 10: Access to Success: Four- Graduation Rates for First-time Associate Degree Students, URM Students Compared to Non-URM Students 100 Four- Graduation and Transfer Out Rates for First-Time Associate Degree Students Under-Represented Minority (URM) Students Compared to Non-URM SUNY Compared to All Access-to-Success (A2S) Participating Systems Upper bar = Non-URM rate Lower bar = URM rate difference (achievement gap) shown in red numbers n/av State University of New York A2S Systems Aggregate Fall Cohort SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 23, 2014 Source: Education Trust Figure 10 compares SUNY s four-year graduation rates for first-time associate degree students, broken down by under-represented minority (URM) and non-urm status, to the aggregate rates for all systems participating in Access to Success (A2S). Note that the cohorts include both full-time and part-time students, and the graduation rates include graduation from any college in each system, not just at the initial institution of enrollment. While this reflects two years worth of updated data for SUNY, only one year of updated data was available at the time of this writing for the Systems Aggregate. Key Observations With the exception of one cohort (2006), SUNY's four-year graduation rates of both first-time associate degree URM students and non-urm students entering between 2001and 2008 exceeded the rates for the aggregate of all public higher education systems participating in A2S. However, unlike the baccalaureate cohorts (Figure 9), the gaps between the URM and non-urm completion rates for the associate degree cohorts are slightly wider than the A2S Systems Aggregate gaps, consistently running 1 to 2 percentage points wider. SUNY is absolutely committed to improvement here and as noted above is taking a leadership role in NASH s Taking Student Success to Scale initiative. The NASH collaboration will involve: Office of the Provost Page 15 of 52 January 2015

16 Common definitions of success, built on existing metrics; Flexibility in implementation approaches, to accommodate the diversity of campuses and student populations; Networked communities of both system and campus representatives; Discussions informed by data, which focus on sharing best practices and collectively identifying and overcoming barriers; Significant system leadership support; and Strong interest from a substantive number of campuses in each system, accounting for variability in system size and institutional diversity. The collaboration has already identified three evidence-based interventions currently being scaled up in at least one NASH system: 1) Guided Pathways Using Predictive Analytics (Tennessee Board of Regents) - to provide the ability to map interventions to specific student needs. 2) Redesigning the Math Pathway (State University of New York) this is the Quantway/Statway method of mathematics instruction that have been previously presented to the Board. 3) High Impact Practices for All Students (California State University) - which makes high engagement learning experiences such as undergraduate research and community-based learning part of every student s pathway another element in the playbook of interventions. Figure 11: First- Retention Rates for First-time, Full-time Students in a Program, Ten- Trend Fall 2004 to Fall 2005 Fall 2005 to Fall 2006 Fall 2006 to Fall 2007 Fall 2007 to Fall 2008 Fall 2008 to Fall 2009 Fall 2009 to Fall 2010 Fall 2010 to Fall 2011 Fall 2011 to Fall 2012 Fall 2012 to Fall 2013 Fall 2013 to Fall 2014 SUNY Total 69.6% 69.6% 69.7% 69.1% 70.9% 69.1% 68.3% 68.4% 69.7% 70.4% State Operated Institutions Doctoral Degree Granting Comprehensive Colleges Technology Colleges Community Colleges 78.3% 78.9% 79.2% 78.7% 80.1% 80.2% 80.9% 80.4% 81.1% 81.8% 87.8% 87.4% 87.7% 87.2% 88.4% 88.4% 88.8% 88.1% 88.0% 87.4% 78.7% 79.4% 79.4% 79.3% 80.8% 81.3% 81.3% 80.1% 81.0% 81.4% 60.5% 60.4% 60.5% 61.0% 62.8% 62.5% 64.2% 64.8% 66.3% 70.4% 62.8% 62.2% 62.1% 61.7% 63.9% 61.7% 59.9% 60.0% 61.4% 61.9% Office of the Provost Page 16 of 52 January 2015

17 Typically speaking, an improvement in graduation rates is preceded by an improvement in retention rates. When new initiatives are introduced that are focused on improving the completion aspect of student success, one could expect to see the success of the initiatives and efforts to be first reflected in higher retention rates. This, then, is an important early stage indicator that ultimately may have a subsequent influence and effect on graduation rates and one that will be watched closely as SUNY continues to implement student success initiatives. Figure 11 presents the first-year retention rates for first-time, full-time matriculated students entering in Fall 2004 through Fall 2013 for SUNY overall and by sector. Key Observations At the system level, for all first-time, full-time students enrolled in a degree program, retention rates for the past ten years have hovered between 68% and 70%, displaying little year-to-year variability. The Doctoral sector has seen the highest retention rates with very little variability, consistently hovering around 88%. At the comprehensive colleges, retention rates have shown slight, steady improvement from 78.7% for the Fall 2004 cohort to 81.4% for the Fall 2013 cohort. While for the first half of the time period being examined, the technology colleges saw a sector-level retention rate consistently between 60% and 61%, significant increases have been realized the past several years. During the ten-year period, the retention rate has increased from 60.5% to 70.4%, a 9.9 percentage point improvement. In just the past five years, the retention rate has increased 7.9 percentage points. Campuses that have seen a notable increase over the past three years include Canton (10.0 percentage points), Morrisville (9.4 percentage points), and Empire (9.2 percentage points). The community colleges, as a sector, have retention rates that hover consistently around 62% to 63%. To put these numbers into perspective in a national context, the latest readily available first-year retention figures for first-time, full-time students in a program are for the Fall 2011 entering cohort as of Fall 2012 and are as follows: 79.2% for four-year National Publics and 80.3% for four-year National Privates (vs. SUNY s 80.4%) and 58.2% for two-year National Publics (vs. SUNY s 60.0%). (Source: NCES Digest of Education Statistics, Figure , Retention of first-time degree-seeking undergraduates at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, level and control of institution, and percentage of applications accepted: 2006 to 2012, published January 2014) See Appendix C for detailed first-year retention information for each individual campus for the past three years. Office of the Provost Page 17 of 52 January 2015

18 C. Completions of First-time Students vs. Incoming Transfer Students SUNY has made an unprecedented commitment to the success of transfer students with its Seamless Transfer policy, to be fully implemented for Fall As we monitor the implementation of that policy, it is important to understand the current progress of intra-suny transfer students. Figure 12: Graduation Rates for Full-Time Incoming Transfer Students from a SUNY Community College Into a SUNY Baccalaureate Program in Fall 2010, Status as of Fall % 4- Native rate: 47.1% 5- Native rate: 62.0% 6- Native rate: 64.3% 80% 69.8% 63.7% 64.0% 61.8% 61.2% 60% 55.6% 55.3% 51.3% 40% 34.9% 31.1% 26.9% 22.1% 20% 0% Total AA or AS AAS or AOS No Degree Total AA or AS AAS or AOS No Degree Total AA or AS AAS or AOS No Degree Graduating within 2 years, post-transfer Graduating within 3 years, post-transfer Graduating within 4 years, post-transfer SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 23, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Repository Tables * Note that due to limitations with obtaining Cornell s complete data necessary for this analysis, the campus has been excluded. Figure 12 illustrates the two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates for full-time students transferring into a SUNY baccalaureate program in Fall 2010 from a SUNY community college, as of Fall The data is displayed overall and broken down by the type of degree that had been earned at the time of transfer (AA/AS, AAS/AOS, or no degree). For comparative purposes, the corresponding graduation rates for first-time, full-time students are displayed in a text box at the top of the chart. Office of the Provost Page 18 of 52 January 2015

19 Key Observations Overall, for transfers from a SUNY community college into a SUNY baccalaureate program, the threeyear graduation rate is nearly double the two-year graduation rate (55.6% from 26.9%). This is followed by an additional 8.4 percentage point increase in the four-year graduation rate (64.0%). Students who transfer from a SUNY community college having earned an Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Sciences (AS) have the highest graduation rates, followed by students with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or an Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS), and then by those transferring with no degree. By four years out, the graduation rates for transfer students with an AAS/AOS degree and with no degree are nearly identical (61.8% and 61.2%), whereas the graduation rate for transfer students with an AA/AS is notably higher at 69.8%. While the data show that SUNY transfer students perform well after four years relative to native students, significant efforts are underway to support and improve their success and foster timely completion particularly via policy and advising tools. Notably, the State University s Board of Trustees Resolution , Seamless Transfer Requirements, adopted on December 17, 2012, is currently being implemented for students entering Fall, The goal of seamless transfer is to enable students to complete their intended program of study on time, without unnecessary costs or duplication of effort. The policy will ensure completion of the general education requirement of the first two years of most associate programs; sets credit caps for all associate and baccalaureate programs, and require programs to clearly define foundational courses in the major that when taken in the first two years facilitate transfer. In addition, SUNY continues to make significant progress with full implementation of its online degree planning and auditing software, Degree Works. See Appendix D for individual receiving campus data. Office of the Provost Page 19 of 52 January 2015

20 Figure 13: Graduation Rates for Full-Time Incoming Transfer Students from a SUNY Community College Into a SUNY Baccalaureate Program in Fall 2010, Status as of Fall 2014 Total SUNY * Doctoral Sector * Comprehensive Sector Technology Sector Post Transfer, Graduating Within Prior Degree Cohort Size 2 s 3 s 4 s Total 8, % 55.6% 64.0% AA or AS Degree 2, % 63.7% 69.8% AAS or AOS Degree % 55.3% 61.8% No Degree 5, % 51.3% 61.2% Total 2, % 58.9% 66.2% AA or AS Degree 1, % 62.1% 68.2% AAS or AOS Degree % 59.2% 65.1% No Degree 1, % 56.3% 64.7% Total 5, % 55.0% 63.6% AA or AS Degree 1, % 66.2% 71.8% AAS or AOS Degree % 53.0% 58.6% No Degree 3, % 49.8% 60.4% Total % 49.6% 59.9% AA or AS Degree % 50.0% 60.0% AAS or AOS Degree % 59.5% 70.9% No Degree % 48.1% 58.3% * In this comparison table, Cornell is excluded due to limitations in obtaining the appropriate completion data for the full time transfer-in cohort. SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 23, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Repository Tables Figure 13 displays the two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates for students transferring into a SUNY baccalaureate program in Fall 2010 from a SUNY community college, as of Fall 2014, by sector. Key Observations Overall, students transferring into a SUNY baccalaureate program at a doctoral institution have the highest two-, three-, and four-year graduation rates. This also holds true for the two-year rates for each prior/incoming degree type (i.e. AA/AS, AAS/AOS, and no degree). Taking an extended look at four years out, the comprehensive colleges have the highest graduation rate for transfer students coming in with an AA/AS degree (71.8% vs. 68.2% and 60.0% at the doctoral and technology colleges, respectively). The technology colleges have the highest graduation rate for transfer students coming in with an AAS/AOS degree (70.9% vs. 65.1% and 58.6% at the doctoral and comprehensive colleges, respectively). At four years out, the doctoral institutions retain the highest graduation rates for transfer students coming in with no degree (64.7% vs. 60.4% and 58.3% at the comprehensive and technology colleges, respectively). Again, see Appendix D for individual receiving campus data. Office of the Provost Page 20 of 52 January 2015

21 Figure 14: Graduation Rates for Full-time Incoming Transfer Students from a SUNY Community College Into a Baccalaureate Program (Fall 2010 Cohort) compared to Graduation Rates of First-time, Full-time Students in a Baccalaureate Program (Fall 2008 Cohort), Status as of Fall 2014 Total SUNY * Doctoral Sector * Post-Transfer, Graduating Within Transfer-In Fall 2010 Cohort Cohort Size 2 s 3 s 4 s Full Time Transfers with AA/AS Degree 2, % 63.7% 69.8% Full Time Transfers with AAS/AOS Degree % 55.3% 61.8% First Time Fall 2008 Cohort Cohort Size 4 s 5 s 6 s Full Time First Time (i.e. native) 25, % 62.0% 64.3% Transfer-In Fall 2010 Cohort Cohort Size 2 s 3 s 4 s Full Time Transfers with AA/AS Degree 1, % 62.1% 68.2% Full Time Transfers with AAS/AOS Degree % 59.2% 65.1% First Time Fall 2008 Cohort Cohort Size 4 s 5 s 6 s Full Time First Time (i.e. native) 11, % 66.5% 68.8% Transfer-In Fall 2010 Cohort Cohort Size 2 s 3 s 4 s Full Time Transfers with AA/AS Degree 1, % 66.2% 71.8% Comprehensive Sector Full Time Transfers with AAS/AOS Degree % 53.0% 58.6% First Time Fall 2008 Cohort Cohort Size 4 s 5 s 6 s Full Time First Time (i.e. native) 12, % 59.9% 62.2% Technology Sector Transfer-In Fall 2010 Cohort Cohort Size 2 s 3 s 4 s Full Time Transfers with AA/AS Degree % 50.0% 60.0% Full Time Transfers with AAS/AOS Degree % 59.5% 70.9% First Time Fall 2008 Cohort Cohort Size 4 s 5 s 6 s Full Time First Time (i.e. native) 1, % 41.4% 44.3% * In this comparison table, Cornell is excluded due to limitations in obtaining the appropriate completions data for the full time transfer-in cohort. SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 26, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Repository Tables and Data Warehouse Particular interest has been expressed by the SUNY Board of Trustees in seeing how students from our community colleges do upon transfer to one of our four-year institutions in regards to completion as opposed to students who start at one of our four-year institutions (i.e. native students). Figure 14 lines up corresponding transfer and native cohorts by the time periods typically examined, limiting the comparisons to those transfer students coming in with a two-year degree so that the completion timeframes are comparable with those of the first-time full-time matriculated students. For example, one would ideally expect a full-time transfer student possessing an associate s degree to go on to graduate with a bachelor s degree in two years, and one would ideally expect a first-time, full-time baccalaureate student to graduate in four years. In Figure 14, those groups have been lined up accordingly, and so on for three and five years out for transfer and native students, respectively, as well as four and six years out, respectively. Key Observations System-wide, there is a significant difference between the percent of native students who graduate within four years and incoming transfer students with an associate s degree who graduate within two years (47.1% for the natives compared to 34.9% for transfers with an AA/AS and 31.1% for transfers with Office of the Provost Page 21 of 52 January 2015

22 an AAS/AOS). As previously discussed, the new Seamless Transfer initiative is expected to make the intra-suny transfer process simpler and more efficient from the student perspective. This should have the effect of providing the opportunity for transfer students to achieve graduation rates comparable to those of native students for this ideal timeframe. Looking at one additional year out, the difference in graduation rates all but disappears (and in fact reverses itself) between the native and transfer students with an AA/AS, with the native rate increasing to 62.0% and the transfers with an AA/AS rate increasing to 63.7%. However, the graduation rate for transfers with an AAS/AOS degree lags behind at 55.3%. At two additional years out, the graduation rate for transfer students with an AAS/AOS approaches that of the other two groups (61.8% compared to 64.3% for the natives and 69.8% for the transfers with an AA/AS). D. Open SUNY and Student Success In June 2013, the Provost s Open SUNY Advisory Committee (POSAC) was established as a multi-campus, cross-sector, advisory entity that would support the Open SUNY team in launching SUNY s expansion of online programs and associated student and faculty supports. In consultation with POSAC and through regional conversations with campus leaders, faculty, staff and students, a more robust vision of how Open SUNY could benefit campuses and students began to take shape. This, of course, is critical given SUNY s initiative to continue aggressively expanding its online programs, courses, and student enrollments. Importantly, students and faculty indicated a number of support services and best practices that they believed would help advance student access, completion, and success. Before delving into the specifics of these recommendations, some context in the form of baseline data is presented below. The Baseline Data SUNY has a long history of delivering high-quality educational opportunities to students at a distance. One challenge, however, is that some campuses have not consistently and accurately reported data in a way that distinguishes online students from their traditional face-to-face counterparts, so available data around success in the online setting is not as robust as we would like it to be. Recognizing the importance of the need for more robust data around student success in the online environment, the SUNY Office of Institutional Research is continually working with campuses to improve available data, definitions, and analytics in this area. For the purposes of this analysis, we provide a snapshot of Fall Office of the Provost Page 22 of 52 January 2015

23 Figure 15: Online Activity at SUNY State-Operated Institutions Percent of Sections by Online Status and Campus SUNY State-Operated Institutions, Fall % 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% SUNYIT Empire State Delhi * Canton Alfred State Technology Colleges SUNY Total Comprehensive Colleges Plattsburgh Stony Brook State Operated Total Maritime * Buffalo State Farmingdale Oswego Morrisville Brockport Doctoral Degree Granting Binghamton Old Westbury Albany Downstate Medical Buffalo Univ New Paltz Cobleskill * Cortland Fredonia Envir Sci & Forestry Potsdam Geneseo Oneonta Optometry Purchase Upstate Medical Exclusively Online Hybrid (class and online) * Section breakdowns were not reported in SIRIS and were provided by the campuses for manual input into this table. SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: Dec 20, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse Figure 15 illustrates the extent of online activity taking place at SUNY s state-operated institutions, in regards to section offerings. The data is sorted from the highest percentage of online sections to the lowest. Also shown is the percent of hybrid sections offered that, while are not exclusively taking place online, include an online component (i.e. instruction takes place both in the classroom and online for all students enrolled). Office of the Provost Page 23 of 52 January 2015

24 Key Observations At SUNY s state-operated institutions, roughly 4% of the sections offered in Fall 2013 were reported to be exclusively online. Another 10% were reported as being hybrid (i.e. having some degree of an online component). SUNYIT (Poly), Empire, Delhi, and Canton all report that over 10% of their sections are exclusively online. SUNYIT (Poly), Empire, and Delhi also report varying degrees of significant hybrid activity. Not surprisingly, when Empire s online and hybrid numbers are combined, over 90% of their sections have at least some online component. Another campus of note is Maritime, which has incorporated some type of online component into over 30% of its sections. As a whole, the technology colleges offer the greatest percentage of exclusively online sections, 7%. When the hybrid sections are also considered, the percent of sections having at least some portion of online instructions nearly doubles to approximately 14%. Apart from Empire State College, the comprehensive colleges offer few online sections, consistent with their historical residential traditions. Similarly, the doctoral institutions report few online (or hybrid) sections. As of Fall 2013, Stony Brook is the only doctoral institution reporting any appreciable activity in this area (with 5% online and none hybrid). Recently approved online programs, along with SUNY s extensive faculty development efforts, are expected to generate growth in online sections across sectors. Office of the Provost Page 24 of 52 January 2015

25 Figure 16: Online Activity at SUNY Community Colleges Percent of Sections by Online Status and Campus SUNY Community Colleges, Fall % 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Cayuga County Herkimer County Jefferson Broome Finger Lakes Tompkins Cortland Ulster County Hudson Valley Genesee Suffolk County Corning Onondaga Community Colleges Mohawk Valley Erie Monroe Niagara County Schenectady County Rockland Adirondack Sullivan County SUNY Total Westchester Fashion Institute Clinton Jamestown North Country Nassau Columbia-Greene Dutchess Fulton-Montgomery Orange County Exclusively Online Hybrid (class and online) SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: Dec 20, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse Figure 16 illustrates the extent of online activity taking place at SUNY s community colleges, in regards to section offerings. The data is sorted from the highest percentage of online sections to the lowest. Also shown is the percent of hybrid sections offered that, while are not exclusively taking place online, include an online component (i.e. instruction takes place both in the classroom and online for all students enrolled). Office of the Provost Page 25 of 52 January 2015

26 Key Observations As a sector, the community colleges lead the system in online offerings with many more exclusively online sections reported compared to state-operated campuses. Community colleges indicate that they have 8% of their course sections available fully online (as compared to 4% at the state-operated campuses). While Figure 15 showed that a large number of state-operated institutions are not actively engaged in online offerings, Figure 16 shows that, to some degree, nearly all community colleges are. However, community colleges are reporting relatively few hybrid sections; their sections seem to be either exclusively online or exclusively classroom. A number of community colleges report that at least 10% of their Fall 2013 sections were exclusively online: Cayuga, Herkimer, Jefferson, Broome, Finger Lakes, Tompkins-Cortland, Ulster, Hudson Valley, Genesee, Suffolk, and Corning. Cayuga reports 20%, and Herkimer reports nearly of 20%. Figure 17: Attempted vs. Earned Credit Hours at SUNY by Online Section Indicator, Fall 2013 Section Online Instruction Type Total Credits Attempted Total Credits Earned Earned/Attempted SUNY Total 5,243,266 4,377, % Online 349, , % Not Online 4,817,222 4,051, % Hybrid 76,108 62, % State Operated Total 2,835,896 2,485, % Online 140, , % Not Online 2,645,071 2,324, % Hybrid 49,929 42, % Community Colleges Total 2,407,370 1,891, % Online 209, , % Not Online 2,172,151 1,726, % Hybrid 26,179 20, % SUNY System Administration Office of Institutional Research :: December 17, 2014 Source: SUNY Data Warehouse (Term Section) Figure 17 highlights the number of credits attempted by students compared to the number of credits successfully completed (i.e. earned). Key Observations When looking system-wide at the number of credit hours earned as compared to those attempted, students in traditional courses (non-online) earn the highest percentage of credits (84.1%), followed closely by those in hybrid classes (82.2%), and then online courses (75.2%). At the state-operated campuses, the successful completion of online sections is only slightly lower than that of classroom sections (84.2% credits attempted earned for online and 87.9% for classroom) and nearly identical to that of hybrid sections (84.7%). The community colleges report a significant difference between the credits earned ratio of online Office of the Provost Page 26 of 52 January 2015

27 sections and other sections, with 69.2% of credits attempted in the online sections being earned whereas 79.5% are earned in the classroom sections and 77.5% are earned in the hybrid sections. In the future, we intend to explore further the demographics of those pursuing purely online instruction. Anecdotally, we envision that they have work and family commitments that may impact completion in the absence of enhanced student supports. Figure 18: Attempted vs. Earned Credit Hours of Online Sections vs. Classroom and Hybrid Sections at SUNY by Academic Discipline, Fall 2013 This figure shows credits attempted and credits earned in sections grouped be academic discipline, showing the top ten based on total online credits attempted, organized by highest to lowest. For comparison purposes, the same credits attempted and credits earned data is shown for classroom and hybrid sections. Note that the grand total line includes all sections reported by campuses, not just the ten CIPs whose detail is shown here. Key Observations By far, when considering individual CIPs (Classification of Instructional Programs), more online learning is taking place in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services sections than in any other area. In Fall 2013, the number of online credits attempted in this discipline area was 62,462, over twice as many than the next highest area of English Language and Literature/Letters. Office of the Provost Page 27 of 52 January 2015