Evaluating Academic Productivityand Making Data-driven Decisionsin Colleges of Arts and Sciences

Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW)

Regional Public Comprehensive > 14,000 students

Six Colleges and SchoolsCOAS 63% of Credit Hours

Most MajorsMost Graduates

~ 66% of Scholarly Products

IPFWAcademic

AffairsStudentAffairs

FinancialAffairs

Arts & SciencesSchool of Education Dormer School

of Business

Health &Human Services

Engineering,Technology & CS

Visual &Performing Arts

Social Sciences HumanitiesSciences &Mathematics

AnthropologyCSD (Audiology)Political Science

PsychologySociology

BiologyChemistryGeologyPhysics

Mathematics

CommunicationEnglishHistory

ILCSPhilosophy

COAS – 15 Departments, Humanities, Social Sciences, Science and Mathematics

Environmental Conditions:July 1, 2009 Started as Dean

System Mandated Salary Freeze10% Enrollment GrowthFive New Tenure Track Lines Added (12 Total)

The Question:Where to place the lines?

Requests from Departments:

13 Requests from 11 Departments(Geosciences, Physics,

Poly Sci & History)

Quantitative Analysis: The Criteria

Enrollment (=) Credit HoursCrHrs/Section

% Enrollment Capacity Filled% Upper Division Capacity Filled

# of MajorsBA/BS Degrees Conferred

% Faculty FTE Instruction & ResearchBA/BS Degrees / FTE

Enroll & CrHr/Sec Enroll Up Div Bach Deg Net % Bach DegDept Credit Hr Effi ciency Capacity Capacity Majors Conferred FTE per FTE Sum Rank

Anth 13 3 13 12 12 10 4 7 74 11Biol 5 13 6 2 1 3 15 4 49 3

Chem 9 10 4 14 9 14 8 15 83 14Comm 3 8 5 4 3 2 6 3 34 2

CSD 15 9 1 1 7 6 12 1 52 4Eng 2 11 2 8 4 4 11 11 53 5

Geos 11 1 3 3 14 15 5 14 66 8Hist 8 5 10 9 8 11 2 10 63 7ILCS 10 12 14 5 10 9 9 8 77 12Math 1 7 9 7 5 5 13 9 56 6Phil 6 4 8 11 13 12 10 12 76 10Phys 14 15 11 15 15 13 1 13 97 15Poly 12 14 15 13 6 8 7 5 80 13Psyc 4 2 7 6 2 1 3 2 27 1Soc 7 6 12 10 10 7 14 6 72 9

Departmental Rankings Based on Quantitative Analysis

As with all Quantitative Data

GIGO

Major Flaw:Counting Double Majors

Qualitative Analysis: (High, Moderate, Low)

Tradition/Possibility of External FundingGraduate Enrollment

Possibility for Regional Partnerships (Engagement)History of Degrees Granted

Buy in to Assessment/Program ReviewStudent Success & Retention

External Grad Regional Degrees Assess StudentDept Funding Enroll Partnerships Granted Prog Rev Retention Rank

Anth Mod Low Mod High Low Mod 5Biol High High Mod High Mod High 1

Chem High Low Mod Low Mod High 4Comm Low High High High High Mod 2

CSD Low Low Mod High Mod Mod 5Eng Low Mod Low Low Mod Low 13

Geos Mod Low Mod Low Low Mod 10Hist Low Low Low Mod Mod Low 13ILCS Low Low Mod Low Low Mod 13Math Low Mod Mod Low Mod Low 10Phil Low Low Mod Mod High Low 7Phys Mod Low High Low Low Mod 7Poly Low Low Mod Mod Mod Mod 7Psyc Mod Low Mod High Mod High 3Soc Low Low Mod Mod Low Mod 10

Results of Qualitative Analysis of Departments

One Other Factor…

… Curricular Need

Recommendations for New Lines

1) Biology #3 Quant / #1 Qual2) Communication #2 Quant / #2 Qual3) Psychology #1 Quant / #3 Qual4) CSD* #4 Quant / T#5 Qual 5) Anthropology #11 Quant* / T#5 Qual6) English #5 Quant / T#13 Qual7) Mathematics #6 Quant / T#10 Qual8) Philosophy #10 Quan / T#7 Qual

VCAA TT Line Allocations

1) Biology2) Communication3) Psychology4) (CSD)

5) (Anthropology)

6) English7) (Mathematics)

8) Philosophy

Lessons Learned

Understand the DataInvest in your Winners

Be TransparentInsist on a Face-to-face Meeting

Have the Courage of your ConvictionsQ-TIP

Shameless Plug:

Drummond, C.N., 2006, Visualization of Academic Efficiency and Productivity, Planning in Higher Education, April-June, v. 34, n. 3, p. 18-26.