UNF Faculty Association

Faculty Association	March 2, 2000

US News & World Report - Best Colleges and Universities
Ad Hoc Committee Report

Office of Enrollment Services

MEMORANDUM

DATE: February 25, 2000

TO: Steve Shapiro, Ph.D.
President, UNF Faculty Association

FROM: C. Nick Wilson, Ph.D., FACHE
Lynda M. Lewis, Assistant Provost

SUBJ: US News & World Report Ad Hoc Committee Report

The Ad Hoc Committee on Moving UNF into the First Tier of Regional Southern Schools in the US News & World Report-Best Colleges and Universities is attached. This Committee has worked for over five months to accomplish and complete its task.

The Committee accomplished several tasks:

1. Reviewed the criteria for selection that US News & World Report uses to include colleges in its final rankings

2. Reviewed how the US News & World Report awards points for the individual criteria that are used in the final rankings

3. Reviewed UNF=s criteria in relationship to other Tier One southern regional colleges and universities

4. Established UNF goals to move UNF into the rankings with other Tier One southern regional colleges and universities

5 Designated responsible parties to monitor and report on UNF=s progress to move UNF into the rankings with other Tier One southern regional colleges and universities in the US News & World Report

The Committee believes that UNF not only has a better grasp of how US News & World Report calculates their rankings, but also feels that in the one- to three-year period, UNF will be included as one of the top universities in Tier One Southern Regional Colleges and Universities as ranked by US News & World Report. These recommendations (attached) will assist UNF in meeting this goal.

A special thanks is due to the Committee members listed in the final attached report. Please share this information with all university faculty.

U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT 1999 RANKING

Task Force Members:

Nick Wilson, Co-chair; Lynda Lewis, Co-chair; A. David Kline, Deborah Kaye, Ron Natherson, Lise Amundrud, Karen Reedy, Otis Owens, Aretha Jones, Judy Sherburne, Sharon Martin.

Background:

The University of North Florida is currently listed in the 1999 U.S. News and World Report College Rankings as a Tier Two Southern Regional University. The highest ranking UNF can obtain is a Tier One Southern Regional University. There were no state universities in Florida listed as a Tier One Southern Regional University. The Southern Region has four tiers--Tier One is the highest ranking.

Academic Reputation: indicator weight--25%

Peer institutions are surveyed and rank each other on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the highest. Tier One Peer Rank was 3.5 vs. a 3.0 peer rank for UNF. This survey is sent to Presidents, Provosts and Deans of Admissions at each peer university.

Tier One Peer Rank Tier Two UNF Rank

3.5 Avg. 3.0 Avg.

Recommendations:

UNF should send each Southern region peer university material that highlights accomplishments and indicators of academic excellence. Example: FTIC (First-Time-In-College Profile)

Responsible Party: Office of Admissions, Academic Affairs & News & Publications

Retention: indicator weight--25%

This area uses data from six-year graduation rates and FTIC first-year retention rates. Part-time students are not used in the calculations. Academic failure is not a primary reason for student retention problems. Over 42% of the FTIC who do not return transfer to another university or college. The main reasons for the other students not returning are changes in employment and family issues. The Task Force reviewed the role of the retention office. The Office of Retention Services continues to educate the university community, faculty and students, about the services that they offer. The staff has met with the deans of each college and will be meeting with the advisors as well. They also have a web site where students and faculty can learn about the office and their services. There is a university retention committee that provides oversight for retention services and tracks student progress. The retention committee is working on a recommendation to include a Study Skills course as a one credit-hour course for freshmen.

The Center for Freshman & Sophomore Advising is responsible for monitoring and tracking all students admitted to the Academic Potential Program throughout their college experience at UNF. Data is reviewed and analyzed to incorporate persistence strategies for these students; i.e., Math Workshop, Learning Communities and Mandatory Study Skills.

Tier One Peer Rank Tier Two UNF Rank

Retention 80% 77%

Recommendations:

Continue to use the Records & Registration Withdrawal surveys that identify why UNF students withdraw from school and why UNF FTICs do not re-enroll after their first year.
Continue with the existing Math Workshop for Academic Potential Program.
Continue to offer Freshman Interest Groups (FIGS).
Continue to monitor progress of Summer Academic Potential Program.

Responsible Party: Office of Student Retention Services

Faculty Resources: indicator weight--20%

This area is comprised of the following measures by the U.S. News & World Report: class size, faculty salary, terminal degrees, student-faculty ratio, and full-time faculty. These were the percentiles awarded for each area.

Tier One Peer Rank Tier Two UNF Rank

% of undergraduate classes below 20 50.9% 33%

% of undergraduate classes above 50 2% 6%

Faculty Salary * *

Terminal Degrees * *

Student/Faculty Ratio 17/1 17/1

Full-Time Faculty 82.5% 76%

*Data is used for ranking purposes but not available from U.S. News and World Report.

The historically large freshman lectures are gradually being reduced. We formerly had freshman lectures sections capped at 400+. We now have lecture sections capped no larger than 230 students. The percent of adjuncts is declining.

Recommendations:

Increase number of class sections with 15 or less.
Establish a university goal that will increase the number of full-time instructional faculty to 80%.

Responsible Party: Academic Affairs

Student Selectivity: indicator weight--15%

This area was comprised of the following measures: SAT/ACT test scores, High School Rank, Acceptance Rate, Yield Rate.

Tier One Peer Rank Tier Two UNF Rank

Comparison: SAT/ACT Range 935-1216 1020-1200

Rank 47% 53%

Acceptance Rate 76% 84%

Yield Rate * *

*Data is used for ranking purposes but not available from U.S. News and World Report.

The SAT range for UNF is within the range of the Tier One schools. The acceptance rate can be improved by capturing the students who have applied for Fall term, but who have been offered Summer term. Historically the Summer admits have not been counted in as Fall applications and could have been counted. The admission file program has been modified to capture these applications. This will improve the selectivity rate percentages for First-Time-In College.

Recommendations: None.

Responsible Party: Executive Director of Enrollment Services

Financial Resources: indicator weight--10%

Average spending per student on instruction, research, student services, and related educational expenditures during the 1997 and 1998 fiscal year.

The task force was unable to secure information from the U.S. News and World Report staff to compare data of the peer institutions.

Recommendations:

UNF should increase the proportion of E & G spending on Instruction, Research & Student Services. There are state accountability measures that support this recommendation.

Responsible Party: Academic Affairs

Graduation Rates: indicator weight--0%

This indicator is not a factor in Tier One Regional Ranking, but does show the University is improving graduation rates.

Tier One Peer Rank Tier Two UNF Rank

Graduation Rate 57% 45%

Recommendations: None necessary

Alumni Giving: indicator weight--5%

The percentage of undergraduate alumni who gave to their school is an indicator of alumni satisfaction. The committee recognized that UNF was an upper-division and graduate university until 1984, which impacts the pool of undergraduate students who can be counted.

Tier One Peer Rank Tier Two UNF Rank

Alumni Giving 4% 6%

Recommendations:

Include those undergraduate alumni who participate and donate during the faculty/staff drive
Identify and include those undergraduate alumni who purchase UNF license plates

Responsible Party: Institutional Advancement/Annual Giving