I. INTRODUCTION AND REMARKS

Marion DilbeckMarion Dilbeck

I. INTRODUCTION AND I. INTRODUCTION AND REMARKSREMARKS

Reintroduce OurselvesReintroduce Ourselves

Purpose of UDS CoordinationPurpose of UDS Coordination – Advise the State Regents Office in Advise the State Regents Office in

management of the UDS system.management of the UDS system.– Point of contact in revising, correcting and Point of contact in revising, correcting and

updating the UDS system.updating the UDS system.

Renewing Acquaintance and Moving Forward

– We have not met formally for several years. We have not met formally for several years. Issues have accumulated that must be Issues have accumulated that must be addressed.addressed.

– Regulatory changes from Washington bear on Regulatory changes from Washington bear on our data collection and require us to reexamine our data collection and require us to reexamine our dataset and methods. our dataset and methods.

– Our new administration at the State Regents Our new administration at the State Regents Office wants more timely and specific Office wants more timely and specific information.information.

– New internal auditor.New internal auditor.– Technology evolves.Technology evolves.

II. IPEDS UPDATE

Michael YeagerMichael Yeager

III. NATIONAL III. NATIONAL STUDENT UNIT STUDENT UNIT

RECORDS UPDATERECORDS UPDATE

– UDS was one of the first student unit record UDS was one of the first student unit record systems in the country. Only California's and systems in the country. Only California's and Wisconsin's State University Systems antedate Wisconsin's State University Systems antedate ours. In comprehensiveness of elements ours. In comprehensiveness of elements collected and institutions included, UDS is still collected and institutions included, UDS is still among the best. among the best.

– NCHEMS/Lumina Foundation study: NCHEMS/Lumina Foundation study: http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/files/publihttp://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/files/publications-critical_connections-010107.pdfcations-critical_connections-010107.pdf

Peter Ewell’s Peter Ewell’s Presentation

Statewide Unit Record Databases in Higher

Education: Growth and Application

Peter EwellNational Center for Higher Education Management

Systems (NCHEMS)

PESC Annual MeetingApril 29, 2008

State-Level “Unit Record” Databases in Higher

Education Established and Maintained by Public University System and Established and Maintained by Public University System and

SHEEO OfficesSHEEO Offices

Several Decades of Experience at this PointSeveral Decades of Experience at this Point

Originally Designed to Drive State Funding Formulas for Designed to Drive State Funding Formulas for Public University SystemsPublic University Systems

Used More Recently to Calculate Student Retention and Used More Recently to Calculate Student Retention and Graduation Rates for Accountability Purposes (“Student Graduation Rates for Accountability Purposes (“Student Right to Know”), and to Track Students from One Institution Right to Know”), and to Track Students from One Institution to Another (“Enrollment Swirl”)to Another (“Enrollment Swirl”)

Federal Unit Record Proposal for Postsecondary Education Federal Unit Record Proposal for Postsecondary Education

State Unit-Record Database Inventory

Updated a Previous Inventory Conducted in 2003Updated a Previous Inventory Conducted in 2003

Looked at 49 Databases in 42 StatesLooked at 49 Databases in 42 States

Contents Contents Cover 81% of Nation’s Headcount 81% of Nation’s Headcount EnrollmentEnrollment

Growing Number of Independent Colleges are Growing Number of Independent Colleges are IncludedIncluded

Reasonably Compatible Data Structures and Reasonably Compatible Data Structures and Definitions for Core Data Elements (Largely Based Definitions for Core Data Elements (Largely Based on IPEDS and the “Common Core of Data”)on IPEDS and the “Common Core of Data”)

Some Common Features Across States

Multiple Databases in Some States

Growing Experience with Linking Data to Other State Databases (K-12, UI-Wage, DMV, etc.), but this is Still a “Frontier” to be Explored

Virtually All Still Use SSN in Some Form as Key Link

FERPA and Privacy Issues are Major and Growing Concerns

Many Systems Getting Old and Hard to Maintain, and State Money to Do This is in Short Supply

Some Specific FeaturesSome Specific Features

23 SURs Contain Transcript-Level Detail

17 SURs Have Data on Placement Test Scores and Participation in Developmental Education

25 SURs Have Contain Financial Aid Records

23 SURs Now Have Mode of Delivery Indicators (e.g. Distance Delivery, etc.)

Commonly-Reported Challenges

Data Quality and Data Audit Functions

Lack of Analytical Capacity and Analytical Staff

Non-Credit Activities

Non-Traditional Calendars and Teaching/Learning Environments

Political and Organizational Issues

Typical Reports Generated Through SURs Basic IPEDS Reporting

Multi-Institutional Retention and Graduation Reports (In-State Only)

Reports on the Effectiveness of Developmental Education

High School Feedback Reports

Reports on Workforce Placement, Earnings, and Return on Investment

SUR System Components Needed for Effective

Longitudinal Tracking Broad Coverage of the State’s Postsecondary

Institutions (2-Year, 4-Year Public, Independent)

Agreed-Upon “Key Links” for Merging Term Records to Create Longitudinal Data Files (and the People to Do This)

The Data Elements Needed to Construct Key Performance and Outcome Measures

Paths to Link Longitudinal Data with External Databases (e.g. High School, Employment)

Data Element Contents Needed for Effective

Longitudinal Tracking Basic Enrollment and Completion Data (Credits

Attempted and Earned, GPA, Program Enrollment, Developmental Enrollment, Degrees Awarded)

Requires Census Date and End of Term Extracts

Demographic Data of Interest for Disaggregation (Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Age, Location [Income])

Transcript-Level (Class-Level) Data is the “Gold Standard” for Effective Tracking

Some State Examples of Using SUR Data

Florida K-20 Data Warehouse and Associated FLCCS Studies on High School and College Performance

Washington SBCTC Studies on Pathways to Success for Low Skilled Adult Students

Validating Placement Testing Policies for North Carolina Community Colleges

Data Sharing Among High Schools, Community Colleges, and Four-Year Colleges (CalPASS)

Some Lessons from Experience

Data Systems Can Acquire a “Logic of their Own”

Data Use Drives Data Quality

Just “Having Good Data” Doesn’t Guarantee Good Policy

Secondary and Postsecondary SUR Development Still on Parallel Independent Tracks

At the national level:At the national level:

– FERPA regulations have been relaxed FERPA regulations have been relaxed somewhat. This leads us to expect that we can somewhat. This leads us to expect that we can enhance our data exchanges within our own enhance our data exchanges within our own system.system.

– K-12-Postsecondary alignment. This is a matter K-12-Postsecondary alignment. This is a matter of growing interest nationwide. We need to of growing interest nationwide. We need to work on this.work on this.

– State systems are grappling with the State systems are grappling with the semester/quarter/other categories. The semester/quarter/other categories. The standard model doesn't describe new methods standard model doesn't describe new methods of delivery and course scheduling practices of delivery and course scheduling practices very well.very well.

– Everything is being done in XML.Everything is being done in XML.

IV.IV.UDS UPDATEUDS UPDATE

When in the course of technical events it becomes necessary to update out system and to dissolve the bands which connect us to the punch card and mainframe past…

We haven’t had a significant update to our formatting for 15 years. The change from 80-column punch card format to 200 column was discussed in 1993 and 1994 and first collected as 200 columns records in 1995. Accumulated issues and technical advancement call for another change now.

RECORD 1

– Full first name and middle name.Full first name and middle name.– Full birth date.Full birth date.– College code of last college attended: quit College code of last college attended: quit

using FICE and use only IPEDS unitid codes.using FICE and use only IPEDS unitid codes.– Financial aid: allow more than 5 codes and add Financial aid: allow more than 5 codes and add

amounts. Collect as a new record type.amounts. Collect as a new record type.– Degrees conferred: uncouple from Record 1 Degrees conferred: uncouple from Record 1

and collect as a new record type.and collect as a new record type.– WAVE student identifier. What can be done?WAVE student identifier. What can be done?

RECORD 2 (3,4)RECORD 2 (3,4)

Carthago delendum est.Carthago delendum est.In 146 B.C. the Roman Senator Cato declared In 146 B.C. the Roman Senator Cato declared

that that “Carthage must be destroyed,” launching the “Carthage must be destroyed,” launching the Third Third Punic War. Today I sayPunic War. Today I say

HEGIS delendum est.HEGIS delendum est.– Replace HEGIS with CIPReplace HEGIS with CIP– Bring the use of CIP up to CIP 2000 everywhere in Bring the use of CIP up to CIP 2000 everywhere in

our system. We still find some CIP 1990 codes. our system. We still find some CIP 1990 codes. NCES is working on the next edition of CIP codes, NCES is working on the next edition of CIP codes, which may be released in the next couple of which may be released in the next couple of years. When it is, we need to adopt that.years. When it is, we need to adopt that.

– End the repeated fields.End the repeated fields.

RECORD 0 0

– Increase size of course number and section Increase size of course number and section number fields?number fields?

– No more redefined fields.No more redefined fields.– Examine method of delivery code set.Examine method of delivery code set.– New meeting time field to describe non-New meeting time field to describe non-

semester-based courses?semester-based courses?

RECORD 8

From numerous questions and discussions with From numerous questions and discussions with institutions, we suspect that our model may not institutions, we suspect that our model may not describe campus employment practices as well as describe campus employment practices as well as it used to. Updating the model probably needs to it used to. Updating the model probably needs to be done, but that is a large project in itself, so be done, but that is a large project in itself, so we’ll defer that until other changes are we’ll defer that until other changes are accomplished.accomplished.

SCHEDULES AND REFORMATTING

– Can we replace the preliminary enrollment Can we replace the preliminary enrollment report with a preliminary UDS run? This would report with a preliminary UDS run? This would have no grades and no degrees conferred.have no grades and no degrees conferred.

– Can we separate financial aid and degree Can we separate financial aid and degree reporting? Financial aid would be its own record reporting? Financial aid would be its own record type. Degrees conferred would be its own type. Degrees conferred would be its own record type and if necessary could be due record type and if necessary could be due slightly later than the rest.slightly later than the rest.

Join Record 0 and Record 2Join Record 0 and Record 2This would resolve the ambiguity we encounter This would resolve the ambiguity we encounter when joining these tables ourselves. We could when joining these tables ourselves. We could generate from such records a course list (like generate from such records a course list (like Record O), a course roster and reports on Record O), a course roster and reports on enrollment by location. These last two are enrollment by location. These last two are currently difficult and error-prone.currently difficult and error-prone.

STUDENT RECORD:STUDENT RECORD:– Like the current Record 1, but without financial aid or Like the current Record 1, but without financial aid or

degrees.degrees.

ENROLLMENT RECORD:ENROLLMENT RECORD:– Record 0 plus SSN, grade and credit. There would be one Record 0 plus SSN, grade and credit. There would be one

of these records for each student enrolled in each section.of these records for each student enrolled in each section.FINANCIAL AID RECORD:– Inst, semester, year, SSN, financial aid type, amount. One

record for each award to each student.

DEGREE RECORD:DEGREE RECORD:– Demographic information and degree information Demographic information and degree information

sufficient to report from directly, without joining to other sufficient to report from directly, without joining to other tables. One record for each degree conferred.tables. One record for each degree conferred.

PROFESSIONAL STAFF:PROFESSIONAL STAFF:– Unchanged for now. Is there any enthusiasm for an Unchanged for now. Is there any enthusiasm for an

eventual change to all staff along with an examination of eventual change to all staff along with an examination of the employment model?the employment model?

SCHEDULE

– Preliminary: two weeks after the end of Preliminary: two weeks after the end of add/drop?add/drop?

– Final: same as current UDS collections except Final: same as current UDS collections except degrees.degrees.

XMLXML

And format it in XML. There’s no doubt And format it in XML. There’s no doubt whatever that if we were creating the UDS whatever that if we were creating the UDS system now, it would use XML. Adopting XML system now, it would use XML. Adopting XML is adhering to accepted best practices.is adhering to accepted best practices.

HOW DO WE DO ALL THIS AND ON WHAT

SCHEDULE?– TRPs (Technical Review Panels) on each topic, conferring TRPs (Technical Review Panels) on each topic, conferring

by year’s end with the goal of producing a new UDS by year’s end with the goal of producing a new UDS Data Request Manual by December 31Data Request Manual by December 31stst. The TRPs . The TRPs would be composed of State Regents and institutional would be composed of State Regents and institutional staff. staff.

– New Format first due date would be October 2009 for New Format first due date would be October 2009 for summer 2009 data.summer 2009 data.

Student Record TRP: Student Record TRP:

Enrollment Record TRP: Enrollment Record TRP:

Degree Record TRP: Degree Record TRP:

XML TRP: XML TRP:

The TRPS would report their conclusions to UDS The TRPS would report their conclusions to UDS Coordinators.Coordinators.

OEIS APPLICATIONSOEIS APPLICATIONS

Web-based OAS (Oracle Applications Server)

Reports, graphs, some queries.Tools:

Discoverer, a BI application;

Forms, an insert/delete/update application;

Reports.

V. DISCUSSION

VI. ADJOURNMENT