Engaging Community Colleges A First Look

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CCSSE 2008 Course Master Data File Conference Call
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• When should course master data files be
  created?Course master data files should reflect
  course offerings and enrollment at the twelfth
  class day.

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• What is included in the course master data file
  (formats in parentheses)?a. Campus location
  (string) b. Section number (string) c. Course
  number (string) d. Course name (string) e.
  Building (string) f. Room (string) g. Meeting
  days (string) h. Instructor first name (string)
  i. Instructor last name (string) j. Actual
  number enrolled (numeric) k. Start date (date)
  l. End date (date) m. Start time (time) n.
  End time (time) o. Department (string)p. Email
  (string) format important

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Example Course Master File
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• Which classes are NOT included in the course
  master data file?
• a. distance learning classesb. labs associated
  with a coursec. non-credit classesd. all but
  the top level ESL classese. individual study or
  self-paced classesf. dual-enrollment courses
  offered entirely to high school students

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• The sample creation process
• a. CCSSE cleans file and standardizes the
  formatb. Courses meeting at the same time,
  place, and date are automatically combined into a
  single course. c. The sampling frame is
  established by CCSSE from the course master data
  file containing courses eligible to be
  sampledd. A sample is pullede. The sample is
  sent to collegesf. College reviews file within
  two days and if changes are necessary, then
  repeat step c through fg. Final sample is
  establishedh. CCSSE creates class packets

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• Frequently asked questions
• a. Can I replace courses in the sample with other
  courses? Noin order to assure that all samples
  are obtained in the same manner, all samples have
  to be randomly selected by CCSSEb. What if an
  instructor refuses to participate? Instructors
  have the prerogative to decline and they will not
  be included or replaced. CCSSE provides 160 of
  the target number, which based on data from
  earlier years, is adequate for obtaining the
  target sample.

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• c. What should I do if my registrar isnt able
  to create the course master data file in the same
  manner as the example? Contact your liaison and
  CCSSE will work with you to modify the file.
  Avoid extensive hand-editing.d. Do we submit it
  as a spreadsheet for the Course Master Data File?
  Most any standard file format will suffice
  however, Excel is preferred.

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• e. Should self-paced classes where there is an
  instructor, but the instructor serves mainly as a
  tutor be included in the Course Master Data File?
  As long as there is a set meeting time with the
  instructor, yes, please include.
• f. What happens when courses that should have
  been excluded appear in the sample? If these
  courses are identified prior to the assembly of
  survey packets, colleges can submit a new course
  master file. Note that this is a change from
  previous years when CCSSE would attempt to purge
  the data files of such courses. If packets have
  been assembled, surveys should not be
  administered to these classes.

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Questions?