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Products and Capabilities
We have aligned our research services to match UCEAP's role as
the University of California’s platform for international academic
exchanges. In short, the research service we provide are encompassed
in the following subject areas:
UCEAP Participant Statistics &
Trends:
The Research unit maintains a database of EAP participants, and
from it creates statistical data that is published on the UCEAP
website. These reports
are updated annually showing UC system-wide participation trends,
and the characteristics (destination country and region, fields
of study, ethnicity, sex, academic class level, and program duration)
of EAP participants, over the most recent five to ten years. Other
reports allow enrollment comparisons among UC campuses.
Recognizing that summary reports on enrollments and participants
are not always sufficient for EAP information users, the Research
unit will also produce detailed, specific reports and data-sets,
on request, that meet the needs of individuals or units across the
UC system, and our external partners (FORUM, NAFSA, The Institute
of International Education, NASULGC, etc).
Projects/Data Request Form
UCEAP Application & Course Enrollment
Data:
Recently, the Research unit has monitored the numbers and characteristics
of EAP applicants, as opposed to participants, as well as EAP student
course records which indicate the fields and subjects of courses
completed by participants. Currently these data are tied to UOEAP's
Automation project and will not be available until further notice.
UCEAP Program Evaluations:
A range of methods are employed by UCEAP to evaluate programs.
UCEAP encourages all student participants to complete a program
evaluation. The Research unit is responsible for the distribution
and collection of student program evaluation surveys and reports
on their responses. These reports
are received and reviewed by UCEAP senior managers, Study Center
personnel, and committees responsible for UCEAP program review.
A UCEAP project team, including Research unit personnel, is currently
restructuring the program evaluation survey instrument (1),
after surveying the needs of users of student evaluation information.
This new instrument will be vetted with stakeholders and administered
to students this year. Making use of new technology, we anticipate
reporting student opinions on programs to the UCEAP community in
a timely manner that supports program administration, review, planning,
and development. By reforming both the method and quality of data
collection, it is anticipated that UCEAP now will more critically
assess student opinion of program performance, features, and academic
quality.
UCIE Program Review:
Coordinated by the Program Development team within UO, the UC
Academic Senate conducts formal program reviews of all programs
in a given country every ten years, and reviews of new programs
after their third year of operation. In addition to the student
program evaluations, the Research unit contributes reports for these
reviews that describe participant characteristics (e.g., academic
class level, campus of origin) and academic achievement (e.g., pre-departure
GPA, GPA earned abroad, course units attempted).
External Data Reporting:
As a public institution, the UC system and UCEAP constantly anticipate
and prepare for opportunities to better serve the state of California.
Working with Information Technology and other offices within the
UC President’s Office (UCOP), the UCEAP Research unit has developed
resources and procedures for collecting data on the entire UC student
population from the UC application and registration databases. Examples
of the uses of these data include our gap
data analyses, which are analyses of enrollments or participant
characteristics for UCEAP participants vs. non-participants, as
well as related studies dealing, for example, with the proportions
of student cohorts participating in EAP and with the time to degree
and retention at UC of EAP vs. non-EAP students.
State and federal agencies also have made a wide array of resources
available to the public that can assist UCEAP with planning for
future participants. The Demographic Research Unit, California Department
of Finance, makes projections of UC participation. The US Census
Bureau, through their new data warehouse (known as “DataFerrett”),
provides many types of demographic data.
Student Surveys:
In addition to analyzing existing data provided by external agencies,
UCEAP uses student surveys and focus groups to gather information.
In the past, Research has supported the development and administration
of surveys and focus
groups for past participants and applicants on a range of subjects:
student perceptions of UCEAP programs, the influence of various
recruitment tools and activities on student application and participation,
customer satisfaction, student preferences for different locations
or types of programs, internet access and usage, etc. One of the
advantages of the Research unit's tools is that they now allow specified
users to review and manipulate results, eliminating wait times for
subsequent, formal reports. Research unit staff, however, can work
closely with requesters or users to plan, develop, and assess survey
and focus group methods or can independently develop, administer,
and analyze survey and focus group exercises, depending on the interests
and needs of users.
Specific Content:
Similar to surveys, the Research unit contributes to the administration
of UCEAP programs by collecting and reporting
specific information for programs. In the past, the Research unit
has used the internet and survey software to compile campus EAP
application deadlines. Similarly, we have constructed course enrollment
and housing information forms. Unlike surveys which usually collect
data anonymously, this tool can track individuals and send e-mail
reminders to specific applicants or participants to encourage compliance
or form completion.
1. For a broad description of our data collection
tool, please see the vendor's description:
http://spss.com/mrInterview
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