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BCAIU Data Analysis Fall 2008

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Enrollment in Fall 2008

What proportion of all B.C. post-secondary students were enrolled in BCAIU institutions in fall 2008?

“Just over a quarter (26%) of these students were enrolled in one of the eight BCAIU institutions and an approximately equal proportion were enrolled in B.C. colleges (27%).”

Over 247,000 students were enrolled in the B.C. post-secondary system in the fall of 2008. Just over a quarter (26%) of these students were enrolled in one of the eight BCAIU institutions and an approximately equal proportion were enrolled in B.C. colleges (27%). The highest proportion were enrolled in one of the province’s four research universities (40%) and the remaining 7 percent were registered in Royal Roads University or Thompson Rivers University.


Sources: Research Universities’ Council of British Columbia & Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development

Distribution of BCAIU headcount based on a 2008 fall snapshot

How was student enrolment distributed among BCAIU institutions in fall 2008?

“Together, BCIT (33%) and Kwantlen Polytechnic University (18%) accounted for just over half of the total 64,511 fall 2008 heacount for BCAIU institutions.”

Together, BCIT (33%) and Kwantlen Polytechnic University (18%) accounted for just over half of the total 64,511 fall 2008 heacount for BCAIU institutions. A further 28 percent of BCAIU enrolments were made up in equal parts by the Vancouver Island University and the University of the Fraser Valley (both 14%).


Source: Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Central Data Warehouse

Distribution of BCAIU headcount based on the 2008-09 academic year

How was student enrolment distributed among BCAIU institutions during the 2008-09 academic year?

“the Justice Institute tends to offer more frequent, short-term courses”

Over the course of the 2008-09 academic year, there were a total of 145,591 students enrolled in BCAIU institutions. The Justice Institute accounts for a much higher proportion of overall BCAIU enrolment during the 2008-09 academic year (21%) than in the fall 2008 snapshot (3%). This is because, relative to other institutions, the Justice Institute tends to offer more frequent, short-term courses.


Source: Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Central Data Warehouse

Gender

“females comprised 48 percent of the student population”
“Across all institutions that submit data to the Central Data Warehouse, 53 percent of the student population was female in 2008-09.”

What is the gender mix at BCAIU institutions?

Across all BCAIU institutions, females comprised 48 percent of the student population in the 2008-09 academic year. This proportion ranged from a low of 37 percent at BCIT, to a high of 69 percent at ECUAD and NVIT. At all BCAIU institutions except BCIT and the Justice Institute, females made up more than half of the student population in 2008-09. Across all institutions that submit data to the Central Data Warehouse, 53 percent of the student population was female in 2008-09.

Source: Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Central Data Warehouse

Program of Study

What programs of study are offered by BCAIU institutions?

“over 40 percent of students were enrolled in Applied and Professional programs at ECUAD (52%), Kwantlen Polytechnic University (46%), and Vancouver Island University (41%).”

During the academic year 2008-09, BCAIU offered a range of educational programming, including applied and professional programs, arts and sciences, continuing education, and developmental studies. It is difficult to assess the distribution of programs across BCAIU institutions because the Justice Institute and BCIT code a high proportion of their students to “undeclared programs” when they submit data to the CDW. BCIT codes 43 percent and the Justice Institute codes 69 percent of their students to this undeclared category. According to the Data Warehouse Coordinator at ALMD, for BCIT, the undeclared category includes students who are taking courses, but have not yet declared a program. The same applies to some extent to the Justice Institute, however, another reason is that business practices at the Justice Institute do not allow for program identification for the CDW. The Justice Institute is working on improving data quality in this area.

“The Census identifies that the Cariboo and Malaspina college regions have relatively low levels of educational attainment and participation in the general population.”

For the other BCAIU institutions, over 40 percent of students were enrolled in Applied and Professional programs at ECUAD (52%), Kwantlen Polytechnic University (46%), and Vancouver Island University (41%). A relatively high emphasis is placed on Arts and Sciences programs by two of the BCAIU universities: Kwantlen Polytechnic University (40%) and the University of the Fraser Valley (35%). Continuing Education programs are emphasized at ECUAD (47%) and Capilano University (33%). The Census identifies that the Cariboo and Malaspina college regions have relatively low levels of educational attainment and participation in the general population. This is reflected in an emphasis on Developmental programs at both the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (29%) located in the Cariboo college region, and the Vancouver Island University (35%), which is located in the Malaspina college region.

Student Headcount by Program, Academic Year 2008-09


1. Data is from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development’s (ALMD) Central Data Warehouse (CDW). The counts include domestic and international students. The headcounts are higher for each institution than reported because some students take more than one program in a given year.
2. Programs are defined by ALMD as follows:
Applied and Professional programs are generally designed to lead to employment in a specific field.
Arts and Sciences programs consist of courses in the liberal arts, humanities, and social or physical sciences
Continuing Education encompasses a variety of courses and programs, depending on the business practices of the institution
Undeclared includes students who are identified as having an undeclared program.
3. BCIT and the Justice Institute both have a high proportion of their students in undeclared programs. For BCIT, this category includes students in General Studies programs (e.g., students who are just taking courses and have not declared a program). The same applies to the Justice Institute, but another reason is that business practices at the Justice Institute do not allow for program identification for the CDW. The Justice Institute is working on improving data quality in this area.

Aboriginal Students

How many Aboriginal students were enrolled at BCAIU institutions during the 2008-09 academic year and how were they distributed across the institutions?

A total of 6,481 students of Aboriginal descent were enrolled at BCAIU institutions during the 2008-09 academic year. This is about 31 percent of all Aboriginal students enrolled in colleges, institutes and teaching universities. Among BCAIU institutions, Vancouver Island University had the highest number of Aboriginal students (1,819) and these students made up approximately 10 percent of the student body at that institution. With over-three quarters of its domestic headcount made of students of aboriginal descent, the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology had the highest proportion of Aboriginal students of all the BCAIU institutions. Students are classified as Aboriginal if they self-declared in the province’s K-12 system, or if they identified themselves as Aboriginal at any B.C. post-secondary institution that submits data to the Central Data Warehouse (i.e., all but research universities).

Source: Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Central Data Warehouse