Non-Traditional Student Statistics

As part of the Trinity Inclusive Curriculum (TIC) Project data was collated from across the three access initiatives in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). These are:

-The Disability Service

-The Mature Students’ Office

-Trinity Access Programmes

Data was also collected from the International Student Affairs Office.

The results are shown in this document.

Aims

-To clarify the numbers of students currently studying in TCD from non-traditional backgrounds so as to better fit service to demand.

-To obtain a breakdown of non-traditional students studying across the faculties and schools of TCD.

-To gain a picture of the annual figures for new entrants from non-traditional backgrounds entering TCD.

Points of Note:

  1. These statistics represent the number of:
  2. undergraduate students who entered TCD as mature students,
  3. students who areregistered with TAP (and current postgraduates who were registered TAP students as undergraduates),
  4. students registered with the Disability Service,
  5. non-EU students studying at TCD at undergraduate level.

While it can be assumed that these figures include all undergraduate mature students (under the ‘on age’ category), they do not include non-EU graduate students, or all students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or with disabilities. They are a minimum estimate. It is unknown how many students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds enter TCD outside of TAP. It is also unknown how many students choose not to disclose their disability. More accurate information regarding non-traditional student numbers may be achievable via the completion of the HEA Equal Access questionnaire at annual registration.

  1. There is cross over between the student within each cohort. There are students who belong to two or more of the relevant categories, and this leads to duplication. For example, out of 585 students registered with the Disability Service there are:
  2. 80 students who entered as mature students, via either the mature students’ dispensation scheme or the CAO.
  3. 16 students who entered via the TAP Young Adults Foundation course.
  4. 15 students who entered via the TAP Mature students Foundation course.

Going into the future, a shared database could overcome the ambiguity that arises here.

  1. This is the first effort to collate data from across all fourstudent cohorts. As all four areas have historically worked separately with no shared database or methods for collecting and categorising data, there are some discrepancies in terminology and modes of data collection.
  2. There was ambiguity surrounding the use of certain terminology (for example, ‘progression rate’). An agreed definition of important terms is given in this document and it is noted anywhere the statistics deviate from this definition.
  3. Whilst TCD calculates completion rates based on cohort (e.g. following a cohort through the four/five years of a degree programme), these statistics show figures on an annual basis unless otherwise stated. Due todatabase limitations it was not always possible to calculate completion based on cohort.
  4. Students enter TCD from the different cohorts thus:
  5. The majority of TAP students enter TCD via the TAP alternative admission routes (TAP foundation courses, HEAR, CDVEC courses). Some,however, enterTCD via the CAO and are referred to the TAP service (usually via the Tutorial Service).
  6. Students with Disabilities can enter TCD either via the disability access route or via the common points system. One’s admission route does not affect one’s right to register with the service upon acceptance of a place in TCD.
  7. Whilst ‘registered’ mature students entered TCD via the mature students’ dispensation scheme, a ‘mature student’ is one who is twenty three or older at the beginning of the calendar year in which they are admitted to TCD. Many mature students enter TCD via the common points system. The Mature Students’ Office has limited access to the data of students who enter via the common points system and so they are not included on all tables.
  8. There is no alternative access route for international students.
  9. Students from each cohort study at different levels.
  10. The TAP figure covers level eight undergraduates, students registered on TAP pre-entry foundation courses, (both in TCDand in the related CDVEC college courses), and TAP alumni who reported that they are currently engaged in postgraduate study in TCD,
  11. The Disability Service figure covers all levels of study in TCD,
  12. The mature student figure covers certificate/diploma courses and level eight undergraduates,
  13. The International student figures covers level eight students.

Recommendations

-It is recommended that uniform data collection procedures be agreed across the areas in order to ensure that data can be collated quickly and accurately in the future.

  • In line with TCD practice, a system should be created to ensure future data is collected on a cohort basis rather than an annual basis.

-Uniform data collection procedures for these student cohorts should be an objective of the College E-strategy.

-Steps should be taken to ensure a higher response rate to the HEA Equal Access Questionnaire at registration.

Terms

Completion Rate – All level eight final year students who successfully passed their final year assessments in 07/08.

Level Eight Programme – This is an honours undergraduate degree programme. It is of at least four years in TCD, though it can be longer (e.g. medicine).

Mature Student: On age – A student who commenced an undergraduate programme in TCD via any admission route and was twentythree on, or before, January 1stin their year of admission.

Mature Student – Dispensation Scheme – A student who entered an undergraduate programme in TCD via the Mature Students’ Dispensation scheme.

Progression Rate – All level eight students, excluding final year students, who successfully passed their assessments and progressed onto the next year in 07/08

Year on Year Increase – The annual numbers of new entrant students registering with the relevant service.

Table One - Student Numbers

TCD total / Disability / TAP / Mature on age / Mature – Dispensation Scheme / International Students##
No. of register students / 16301 / 585 / 581 / 1044 / 432 / 1638
As % of total population / 100% / 4% / 4% / 6% / 3% / 12% from outside Ireland (including N. Ireland)
Cert/Dip# / 279 / 52 / 118 / 35 / 0**
As % of cert/dip population / 100% / 19% / 42% / 13% / 0%**
Undergrads (level 8) / 10918 / 457 / 452 / 1009 / 432
As % of undergraduate population / 100% / 4% / 4% / 9% / 4%
Postgrads (levels 9 and 10) / 5104 / 76 / 11* / 0** / 0**
As % of postgraduate population / 100% / 1% / >1%* / 0%** / 0%**

*TAP does not include postgraduates who originally entered TCD via TAP in their numbers. However, eleven TAP alumni who confirmed that they are current postgraduates in TCD have been included.

** Mature Students’ office only counts those who are studying on certificate/diploma orlevel 8 undergraduate programmes. The figure includes 55 students on parttime postregistration nursing courses.

# Cert/Dip includes all courses in TCD below level 8 (e.g. Diploma in Deaf Studies, TAP foundation course, Certificate in Contemporary Living).

## International Students only include full time students from outside 32 counties. % is % of total full time TCD students (13506)

Total TCD data as per SIS on 01/12/08, Disability as per Disability Database (DIS) 17/04//09, TAP as advised by TAP 6/02/09 (and 23/04/09 for postgraduate), Mature as per MSO 27/11/08 (updated and amended 19/03/09).

This table has five columns indicating how many students:

-are currently in TCD and at which level they currently study,

-are registered with the Disability Service, and their percentage of the total cohort,

-are TAP students, and their percentage of the total cohort,

-are undergraduate, maturestudents, and their percentage of the total cohort, and

-entered via the Mature Students’ dispensation scheme, and their percentage of the total cohort. This column indicates those students who qualify as ‘mature students’ based on age and entry route to TCD(via the Mature Students’ Dispensation Scheme).

Table Two - Undergraduate Outcomes:

TCD total~ / Disability # / Level 8 TAP# / Mature – Dispensation Scheme~
Completion Rate / 97% / 97% / 97% / Unknown
Progression Rate / 91%* / 82% / 91% / 87%**

* JF only

** JF from 06/07 who entered SF in 07/08

# Annual Basis, ~Cohort

Total TCD data as per Senior Lecturer report 07/08, Disability as calculated using information on DIS, November 08, TAP as reported fromTAP Database 6/2/09, Mature progression provisional results from MSO 23/01/09,

This table shows progress rates for fourdistinct groups:

-the total TCD undergraduate community,

-those registered with the Disability Service,

-those registered with TAP, on a level eight programme,

-those who entered a level eight programme via the Mature Students’ Dispensation scheme.

Points of note:

-While TCD bases the above rates on cohort this was not possible for the access programmes. The Disability Service database is under four years old and so cannot follow a single cohort over a four year period. Hence the Disability Service follows the definitions given at the beginning of the document.

Table Three – Faculty Breakdown

Total / AHSS and TSM / Eng, Maths and Sys Sci / Health Sciences / Other/Cross Faculty
Total / 16301 (100%) / 7827 (100%) / 4113 (100%) / 3757 (100%) / 604 (100%)
Disability / 585 (4%) / 358 (5%) / 119 (3%) / 100 (3%) / 8 (1%)
TAP / 570 (3%) / 283 (4%) / 65 (2%) / 114 (3%) / 119 (20%)
Mature–Dispensation Scheme / 432 (3%) / 285 (4%) / 51 (1%) / 94 (3%) / 2 (1%)
Mature - All / 1005 / 410 (5%) / 64 (2%) / 539 (14%) / 31 (5%)

Total as per SIS 01/12/08, Disability as per DIS 17/4/09, TAP as advised 07/04/09 (graduates as advised 23/04/09), Mature students as per MSO 19/03/09. Mature students figure includes 55 students on postregistration nursing courses.

Table Four - Course Breakdown:

Course / Total TCD / Disability / TAP / Mature –Dispensation Scheme / Mature - All
School: History and Humanities / 369 / 17 (5%) / 12 (3%) / 11 (3%) / 13 (4%)
School: Religion and Ecumenics / 232 / 9 (4%) / 5 (2%) / 10 (4%) / 30 (13%)
School: Business / 420 / 8 (2%) / 5 (1%) / 4 (1%) / 6 (1%)
School: Ling, Speech and Comms / 261 / 17 (7%) / 3 (1%) / 13 (5%) / 23 (9%)
School: Drama, Film, Music / 201 / 12 (6%) / 4 (2%) / 17 (8%) / 21 (10%)
School: Lang, Literature and Cultural (inc European Studies) / 282 / 8 (3%) / 15 (5%) / 14 (5%) / 16 (6%)
School: Education / 1931 / 14 (1%) / 43 (2%) / 0 / 41 (2%)
School: English / 256 / 10 (4%) / 6 (2%) / 10 (4%) / 10 (4%)
School: Law / 576 / 27 (5%) / 27 (5%) / 15 (3%) / 21 (4%)
School: Psychology / 386 / 21 (5%) / 21 (5%) / 30 (8%) / 31 (8%)
School: Social Science and Philosophy / 327 / 19 (6%) / 8 (2%) / 11 (3%) / 15 (5%)
School: Social Work and Social Policy / 319 / 19(6%) / 25 (8%) / 41 (13%) / 42 (13%)
History and Politics Programme / 92 / 8 (9%) / 4 (4%) / 7 (8%) / 7 (8%)
Sociology and Social Policy Programme / 101 / 11 (11%) / 12(12%) / 14 (14%) / 17 (17%)
TSM Programme / 1276 / 83 (7%) / 67 (5%) / 66 (5%) / 75 (6%)
BESS Programme / 826 / 38 (5%) / 26 (3%) / 21 (3%) / 29 (4%)
B.Mus.Ed / 39 / 0 / 2 (5%) / 1 (3%) / 1 (3%)
Business and Information Technology / 31 / 1 (3%) / 0 / 1 (3%) / 30 (97%)
Computer Science, Linguistics and a Language / 18 / 0 / 0 / 1 (6%) / 1 (6%)
NIID / 37 / 37 (100%) / 0 / 0 / 12 (32%)
School: Chemistry / 190 / 5 (3%) / 1 (1%) / 2 (1%) / 2 (1%)
School: Comp Science and Statistics / 903 / 24 (3%) / 2 (<1%) / 15 (2%) / 31 (3%)
Biochemistry and Immunology / 64 / 1 (2%) / 2 (3%) / 0 / 0
School: Genetics and Microbiology / 108 / 3 (3%) / 0 / 0 / 0
School: Physics / 223 / 5 (2%) / 2 (1%) / 0 / 0
School: Maths / 138 / 10 (7%) / 4 (3%) / 4 (3%) / 4 (3%)
School: Engineering / 1225 / 25 (2%) / 12 (1%) / 8 (1%) / 12 (1%)
School: Natural Science / 2178 / 44 (2%) / 38 (2%) / 21 (1%) / 28 (1%)
Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials / 35 / 1 (3%) / 1 (3%) / 3 (9%) / 3 (9%)
School: Pharmacy / 436 / 10 (2%) / 11 (3%) / 17 (4%) / 18 (4%)
School: Nursing and Midwifery / 1329 / 40 (3%) / 39 (3%) / 0 / 325(24%)
School: Medicine / 1725 / 47 (3%) / 53 (3%) / 56 (3%) / 150 (9%)
School: Dentistry / 318 / 3 (1%) / 10 (3%) / 19 (6%) / 30 (9%)
TAP/Interdisciplinary Misc/ Erasmus-Year Abroad / 8 / 119 / 0 / 0

Total results as per SIS, 23/2/09 - 25/02/09,Disability as per DIS 17/4/09, TAP as per TAP 19/03/09, Mature as per MSO 19/03/09. Mature students include 55 students registered on postregistration nursing courses.

Points of note:

-Total school populations were calculated using the Undergraduate and Postgraduate flexible lists on SIS. Registered students, those off books and taking exams, and SU sabbatical officers from all levels were included for calculation purposes.

-There are some interschool programmes. Sometimes they are lists separately on the above table and sometimes they are included with the primary school. For example:

  • The School of Businessfigure on the above table includes business and a language.
  • The School of Lawfigure on the above table includes Law and a Language.
  • The Social Sciences and Philosophy figure on the above table includes Philosophy and Politics (listed separately on the SIS system).
  • The School of Chemistryfigure on the above table includes Chemistry with Molecular Modeling.
  • The School of Physicsfigure on the above table includes Theoretical Physics.
  • The School of Natural Sciencefigure on the above table includes TR071.

Table Five - Year on Year Increase

Year / Total TCD / Disability / TAP / Mature – Dispensation Scheme / Total – Nontrad / International Students
03 / 15428 / 87 / 77 / 146 / 310 / Unknown
04 / 15264 / 82 / 95 / 177 / 354 / Unknown
05 / 15322 / 131 / 101 / 220 / 452 / Unknown
06 / 15492 / 101 / 110 / 216 / 427 / Unknown
07 / 15716 / 176 / 118 / 239 / 533 / 547
08 / 16301 / 195 / 137 / 198 / 530 / 457

Total as per annual reports 03/04-07/08 plus SIS for 08 numbers 01/12/08, Disability as per DIS 25/11/08, TAP as per TAP 6/2/09, Mature as per MSO 27/11/08.

There are four columns here showing the annual figures for:

  • the total TCDstudent population, including all years and levels,
  • the new registrations to the Disability Service from incoming first years,
  • students entering TCD through TAP,
  • students entering TCD through the Mature Students’ Dispensation scheme.

Whilst this table displays the numbers of new entrants only for the non-traditional student categories, the total new entrants to level eight courses throughout TCD was not available. Thus, the ‘Total TCD’ column indicates all students registered in TCD in a given year while the other three columns look only at new entrants.

Figure 1 – excluding international students

Other Figures

17% of students are part time.

There are two students from the Travelling Community currently studying on the TAP foundation course.

1