We are currently refining our definitions for student progression, retention
and non-continuation, and attempting to develop aggregated cohort analysis
for all courses in the university. I have to say, we are experiencing
difficulty in the detail of algorithms, in agreeing how to treat internal
versus external transfers, those who have not yet been assessed, etc etc.
The Cooke Report (HEFCE 02/15 Information on quality and standards in higher
education) calls for 'Student progression and retention data for each year
of each course/programme, differentiating between failure and withdrawal' to
be available in all HEIs. It also states that it sets out 'what definitions
should apply to secure consistency between institutions in assembling the
information' both that to be published and to be made available in
institutions. However I cannot find those definitions. With inevitable
comparisons between institutions likely to be made by stakeholders, it very
important that we try to use consistent definitions across the sector.
I have looked at the HEFCE PI technical notes and although the data is
explained, the algorithms to arrive at the PIs do not appear to be stated -
I suspect they are very complex, and not easily able to be reproduced by a
non-statistician. I'm also not sure whether we are alone, in that the field
of OWNPSD is not populated so we couldn't reproduce the PI by course in any
case from this data.
I would be very interested to hear how other institutions are either
currently calculating their progression and retention, or how they are
proposing to comply with the Cooke Report recommendations in this aspect.
Fiona Taylor
Planning Support Officer
Academic Registry
Leeds Metropolitan University
F107 City Site
Calverley Street
Leeds LS1 3HE
* 0113 283 2600 extension 5462 * [log in to unmask]
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