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Policy and Report Library > Reports > 2008 Performance Measurement Report

Worcester State College

Founded in 1874, Worcester State College (WSC) is dedicated to offering high-quality, affordable undergraduate and graduate academic programs and to promoting global awareness, lifelong intellectual growth and career opportunities. The College values teaching excellence, cooperates with regional businesses, social and cultural resources, and higher education institutions, and develops new programs responsive to emerging community needs.

Program of Distinction
Collaborations
Access Indicators
Affordability Indicators
Student Success and Academic Quality Indicators
Fiscal Effectiveness and Efficiency Indicators

Program of Distinction

The Worcester State College Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement has a mission to treat the world as our classroom and its problems as our curriculum. Not even three years-old, the Center has achieved remarkable success, earning recognition on the 2008 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. We concentrate on three areas: building capacity for community-based learning and research; sponsoring service-learning opportunities; and enhancing community partnerships. On-campus, we offer faculty workshops, grants and fellowships. We also created a resource library and increased the number and quality of service learning courses such as: Spring Break in Nicaragua; Volunteer Tax Assistance; and Homelessness in Urban America. For the community, WSC acts as a clearinghouse for information about volunteer opportunities, and hosts annual open houses and issue-based community group presentations. We also develop community-based scholarship opportunities—most notably a Senior Fellowship for students who intern with the RFK Children’s Action Corp.

Collaborations

Section I: Access to Public Higher Education in Massachusetts

Access Indicators


Fall 2007 Enrollment
Undergraduate Headcount 4,602
Undergraduate FTE 3,645
Graduate Headcount 756
Graduate FTE 293

Fall Enrollment

Over the last three years, fall headcount enrollment has decreased 2.1%.

Over the last three years, fall full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment has remained relatively stable.


Annual 2007–2008 Enrollment
Undergraduate Headcount 6,262
Undergraduate FTE 3,961
Graduate Headcount 2,878
Graduate FTE 636

Annual Enrollment

Over the last three years, annual headcount enrollment has remained relatively stable.

Over the last three years, annual FTE enrollment has increased 2.9%.


Looking Back: Undergraduate and Graduate Fall Headcount Enrollment

Undergraduate and Graduate Fall Headcount Enrollment from 2003/04 to 2007/08

Fall 2007 Minority Enrollment

14.3%

Minority Enrollment

Greater than the Central Region's minority representation of 9.0%.


Fall 2007 Community College Transfer Students

256

Community College Transfer Students

Over the last three years, the number of community college transfer students has increased 26.7%.

Section II: Affordability of Massachusetts Community Colleges

Affordability Indicator


2007–2008 Tuition and Fees as a Percent of Median Family Income

7.5%

% of Median Family Income

Below the Northeast regional average of 9.1%.


Looking Back: Tuition and Fees as a Percent of Median Family Income

FY2004 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008
Worcester State College Tuition and Fees $4,123 $4,579 $5,080 $5,540 $5,866
State Median Family Income $67,527 $68,701 $71,655 $74,463 $78,497
"X" as a Percent of State Median Family Income
X = Worcester State College Tuition and Fees 6.1% 6.7% 7.1% 7.4% 7.5%
X = Massachusetts State Colleges' Average Tuition and Fees 6.7% 7.3% 7.5% 7.8% 7.7%
X = Northeast Average Tuition and Fees 9.2% 9.3% 9.3% 9.1%

Section III: Student Success and Academic Quality

Success and Quality Indicators


Fall 2006 Cohort First-Year Retention Rate

76.0%

Fall Cohort First-Year Persistence

Comparable to the segmental rate of 74.4% and above the institutional peer retention rate of 71.6% and the national rate of 73.6%.


Looking Back: Fall-to-Fall Retention Rate

Cohort
Entering 2002 Entering 2003 Entering 2004 Entering 2005 Entering 2006
Worcester State College Rate 72.7% 71.1% 75.1% 73.8% 76.0%
Peer Rate 71.0% 73.23% 70.9% 71.6%
Massachusetts State Colleges Segment Rate 74.6% 75.2% 76.2% 73.5% 74.4%
National Average 74.3% 74.0% 73.7% 73.6%

1999–2001 Cohort Six-Year Graduation Rate (3-Year Average)

40.1%

Six-Year Graduation Rate

Below the segmental rate of 47.3% but above the institutional peer rate of 35.7%.


Looking Back: Six-Year Graduation Rate

Cohort
Entering 1998
Grad. by 2004
Entering 1999
Grad. by 2005
Entering 2000
Grad. by 2006
Entering 2001
Grad. by 2007
Rolling Average Entering 1999– 2001
Worcester State College Rate 43.2% 43.5% 36.9% 39.9% 40.1%
Peer Rate 33.5% 35.9% 34.9% 36.4% 35.7%
Massachusetts State Colleges Segment Rate 47.6% 47.2% 48.9% 45.9% 47.3%

Total Degrees Conferred in FY2008

1,076

Degrees Conferred

Average degrees conferred per year over the last three years: 1,067


Looking Back: Degrees Conferred

Degrees Conferred From 2004 to 2008

2007 Pass Rate on the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure

100%

Number of Students Passing MTEL

95

Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure Pass Rate

Above the Board of Higher Education's target pass rate of 80%.


Percent of New Students Who Were Special Admits in Fall 2007

6.4%

Special Admissions Students

Meets the Board of Higher Education requirement of enrolling less than 10% special admissions students per year. (See Appendix.)

Section IV: Effective and Efficient Use of Resources

Effectiveness and Efficiency Indicators


Effective Projects and Initiatives


Resource Allocation

Expenditures per Student—Actual, National Peers, and Budget Formula

Expenditures Per Student

Note: This graphic was revised on May 6, 2009. The previously posted graphic displayed the data inaccurately.


FY2008 Primary Reserve Ratio
Unrestricted Reserves (UR) $14,388,882
Total Operating Expenses (TOE) $66,160,705
Primary Reserve Ratio (UR/TOE) 21.7%

Primary Reserve Ratio

Primary Reserve Ratio

Compliance

No materials weaknesses based on annual external independent audit: