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CCHE Quality Indicator System
Results for CU-Boulder, fall 2001

As of February 15 2002, CCHE has not issued final point tallies for funding.

In preliminary tallies released in late January, CU-Boulder received 110.6% of "possible" or "base" points - the highest percentage of all the 4-year schools, with the next highest 104.7% at Southern Colorado. Several two-year schools are also at 109-110% of base, with none exceeding UCB's 110.6%.

CU-Boulder received the highest number of points on tests scores (measure 4), administrative expenses (tie with Adams State, measure 5), class size (measure 6), and graduation rates (measure 1). The three measures where CU-Boulder does not score highest (retention overall and minority graduation and retention rates, measures 2 and 3) both feature a new submeasure on retention/graduation in the entire Colorado public higher education system, which we do not regard as a goal of Boulder programs.

Boulder's QIS funding will be determined by the Board of Regents. The Regents' allocation will depend upon a) the points earned by CU-system schools (Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs only) relative to other state institutions, and b) the total amount CCHE receives and designates for performance funding. Based on the prelimary tallies, the CU-system will receive 27.67% of the entire QIS amount, vs. 27.08% had all schools state-wide scored exactly at base. Thus the CU-system will earn 2.2% more for performance than if all schools had scored the same.

Last year total QIS funding was around $16 million. The figure for 2002-03 has not yet been determined.

The remainder of this document covers CU-Boulder performance relative to benchmarks and to other public institutions in the state (except Colorado School of Mines, no longer under QIS).

Tables of detailed results are also available (in Excel).

Measures 1, 2, and 3 all relate to graduation and retention rates - at the original institution or statewide, for all freshmen or minority only.

• Benchmarks for rates at the original institution are the predicted rate for the institution given entering-student academic preparation and national norms, plus or minus 2 percent points
• Benchmarks for rates at any Colorado public are, per CCHE, "Most recent two years. If increasing, highest rate. If decreasing, average rate."

Graduation and one-year retention rates of full-time first-time freshmen at the original institution. Benchmarks come from national data. CU-Boulder meets or exceeds all benchmarks with rates at or among the highest in the state on all measures.

• All freshmen: 4, 5, and 6-year graduation rates highest in the state. Meet benchmarks for 4- and 5-year rates; exceed for 6-year rate.
• All freshmen: Retention rate highest in state. Meet benchmark.
• Minority freshmen: 6-year graduation rate (the only one used) highest in the state. Meet benchmark.
• Minority freshmen: Retention rate 0.2 points under CSU’s high. Meet benchmark.

Graduation and one-year retention rates of full-time first-time freshmen at any Colorado public institution (not only the original institution). This measure is designed to acknowledge the role of transfer among 4-year institutions. Students graduating from institutions outside Colorado are not counted. This is a non-standard measure, so benchmarks come from internal Colorado comparisons. CU-Boulder exceeds benchmarks on 3 measures, is under benchmark on 3, with graduation rates the highest in the state.

• All freshmen: 4, 5, and 6-year graduation rates highest in the state. Exceed benchmarks for 4- and 5-year rates; under benchmark for 6-year rate (by 0.2).
• All freshmen: Retention rate under CSU’s high. Under benchmark.
• Minority freshmen: 6-year graduation rate (the only one used) highest in the state. Exceed benchmark.
• Minority freshmen: Retention rate under CSU’s high. Under benchmark.

Measure 4, Achievement scores on licensure, professional, graduate school admission, and other examinations taken by seniors and graduates

• Tests for CU-Boulder: GRE (3 parts), Fundamentals of Engineering, CPA, and four content areas of the Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators (PLACE).
• We meet 2 benchmarks, exceed 7. Benchmarks are state or national averages.
• We are highest in the state on all parts of the GRE, on the Fundamentals of Engineering, and on elementary education and secondary social studies PLACE exams.
• We are second or third in the state on all other measures.
• We exceed the benchmark but are under UCD and USC on CPA

Measure 5, Institutional support expenditures (administrative costs) per student FTE. Benchmark from a set of public institutions with similar enrollment.

• CU-Boulder’s $1,104 is only 63% of benchmark (good because lower costs per student are desirable).
• Cost per SFTE at other 4-year schools range from $613 to $1405, from 48% to 104% of benchmark.

Measure 6, Undergraduate class size. Benchmarks from public institutions nationwide, selected by CCHE.

• 45% of CU-Boulder undergraduate classes have fewer than 20 students. This is the highest among all Colorado public universities (vs. colleges), and exceeds the benchmark of 39%.
• Almost 15% of CU-Boulder undergraduate classes have 50 or more students. This is well under CSU and UNC but still exceeds the benchmark of 14%.

Measure 7, Undergraduate programs requiring no more than 120 credit hours

• CU-Boulder and all other institutions meet the benchmark of 100%. Programs governed by accreditation or professional association guidelines, such as those in engineering, may require additional hours (to 128 at CU-Boulder).

Measure 8, Average weekly in-class teaching hours of full-time faculty. This item is not part of performance funding, but informational only. There is no benchmark.

• CU-Boulder faculty average 6.4 hours per week in the classroom, with additional time in preparation, grading, advising, supervision of individualized instruction, curriculum planning, and the like. CU-Boulder's 6.4 hours per week exceeds the 5.8 hours per week reported for the University of Wisconsin at Madison for fall 1999 (most recent available) in "Achieving Excellence, the University of Wisconsin System Accountability Report 2000-01," February 2001.

Measures 9 and 10 are specified by the institution and don't count in performance funding. For CU-Boulder see

• Measure 9, Undergraduate participation in special academic opportunities
• Measure 10, State appropriations for undergraduate programs, per resident bachelor’s degree

Last revision 03/28/06