DECLINE OF 622 FTSE IN SIX YEARS; DECLINE OF 222 IN LAST ACADEMIC YEAR
Yavapai Community College measures its enrollment using two figures: One is called the “headcount” and the most recent headcount analysis appears in a previous Blog posting. The analysis in this posting involves the Full-Time-Student-Equivalent number. FTSE is an acronym that generally refers to a standardized measure of student enrollment at a department, division, or institution. A full-time student taking 12 credits is generally considered one FTSE.
While the actual number of students attending Yavapai Community College by headcount has fallen by a little over 6,000 in the past ten years, the FSTE has showed a slower decline in the total number of classes being taken. The difference between headcount and FTSE has been explained by the College as “fewer students taking more classes.” By taking more classes, the FTSE percentage of decline has been slowed.
However, this past academic year of 2015-16, the FTSE decline was put at 220 in data furnished the Blog by Mr. Tom Hughes, Yavapai Department of Institutional Research on August 3, 2015. The decline is at least partly to blame on the Veterans Administration cracking down on Yavapai’s Veterans aviation program, which it found in violation of VA regulations. With the crackdown, Yavapai has apparently lost a significant number of students in that program.
Note: In order to obtain the data, a formal public document request was made by the Blog to the President’s office. Employees are not allowed to share this information with the public unless it has been first funneled past the President.
