Before making a data request or working with HR, it can be helpful to have some familiarity with the terms and practices we have around data at Lane.
Questions about FTE
The acronym comes from full-time equivalent student. FTE is the basis used to distribute state reimbursement funds to community colleges in Oregon.
ORS 341.005 defines FTE as "a student or combination of several students who carries or carry among them, within a single academic year, a minimum number of clock hours of instruction, in any program, to be specified by rule by the State Board of Education." For Oregon community colleges, 510 clock hours of instruction equal one FTE (i.e., one or a group of students enrolling in classes that involve 510 clock hours of instruction will yield one FTE).
Prior to 1995-96, the method Oregon community colleges used to calculate FTE involved both contact hours and credits -- one FTE equaled 680 contact hours, except for college transfer classes for which one FTE equaled 45 credits.
The rationale for the old FTE calculation with its two components was tied to the heavy use of lab and shop classes in professional technical programs, which usually involved 20 hours of instruction per week.
Changes in professional technical programming and in community college curricula led to adoption of the new formula which is intended to "level the playing field" by making no distinction between types of courses and calculating all FTE at 510 clock hours.
Questions about Headcount/Enrollment
Unduplicated headcount is the actual number of individual students enrolled. Students may be enrolled in one or more classes, but they are counted only once.
Duplicated headcount is the total class count. Students may be enrolled in more than one class and would therefore be counted in each class.
Questions about Students
Graduates are students who have earned a degree or certificate from Lane. Students must have their transcripts formally verified by Student Records and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Completers are students who have completed 60 credits towards a two-year degree program or 25 credits toward a one-year certificate program but did not receive the degree or certificate and are no longer enrolled at Lane.
A core student is a student with a declared professional technical major who has earned 6 or more core credits toward his/her declared major.
Core credits are credits that are required courses in the professional technical program indicated by the student's major.
Majors are self-declared. Students declare a major during admission and each term during registration. Students with "undeclared" majors are assigned the major code 500 Undecided.
Special population students are students who are disabled, academically or economically disadvantaged, or of limited English proficiency.
Student Data Requests
Please complete the data request form after completing the annual FERPA and Implicit Bias trainings
Data Stewardship: Procedure for Data Access to Banner Student Module
This procedure defines the ways in which Lane Community College will grant data access requests for Lane Community College employees. It outlines the process an employee will follow to ensure proper training and level of access is issued.
Data Stewardship: How to Practice FERPA
Contact Cathy Thomas (thomascw@lanecc.edu or (541) 463-5779 regarding access to SafeColleges trainings.
Surveys
Institutional Research also provides guidance with surveys. See both:
Please contact us for more information.
Institutional Review Board
The primary purpose of Lane's IRB is to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects used in federally supported research done through Lane Community College. The IRB safeguards individuals involved in federally supported research by ensuring that:
- risks have been considered and minimized;
- the potential for benefit has been identified and maximized;
- research-volunteers are provided with substantial information about the study and volunteer only after being provided with legally effective informed consent;
- that all private information will be handled with confidentiality; and
- that research is conducted in an ethical manner and in compliance with established standards.
Any primary investigator who is applying for funds from the federal government, and is conducting research involving human subjects must contact the grants office to initiate the IRB approval process for the project at least three weeks prior to the submission of the grant application.
Is your project "research involving human subjects?" - Research is defined as a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. Activities which meet this definition constitute research whether or not they are conducted or supported under a program which is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may include research activities.
Determining project's need for IRB review - To determine whether your proposed project will need IRB approval, please refer to this decision flowchart.
The IRB conducts three types of reviews depending on the nature and scope of your research project. The timeframe for review and required accompanying material depends on the type of review.
- Exemptions — only statutorily defined exempted research. Review process will take approximately seven calendar days.
- Expedited review — list of certain kinds of research involving no more than minimal risk, or for minor changes in already-approved research. Review process will take approximately seven calendar days.
- Full-Board review — all other federally supported research involving human subjects. Review process will take approximately thirty calendar days.
Lane's IRB is governed by the IRB Charter and Standard Operating Procedures, which are based on the requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations Title 45, part 46.
The IRB has the following authority to:
- review all federally supported projects and programs involving research with human subjects (except for exempted research) and to either approve, require modifications in, or disapprove those research activities.
- provide continuing advice and counsel to personnel engaged in activities involving human subjects.
- require progress reports from the investigators and oversee the conduct of the study.
- suspend or terminate approval of a study, or to place restrictions on a study, when this is deemed to be in the best interests of the subjects in that study.
- observe the informed consent process in any approved project, especially in cases where the consentee is from a vulnerable population.
- access and to make copies of records related to any research approved by the IRB for any reason, regardless of the location of those records.
Any staff or student at Lane who is aware of any problems involving risks to subjects or others; serious or continuing noncompliance with the federal regulations or the requirements or determinations of the IRB must report the information to the IRB Chair. The report can be made by contacting the IRB chair directly at IR@lanecc.edu. The chair will then alert the appropriate institutional officials, the head of the agency supporting the research, any applicable regulatory body, and the Office for Human Research Protections.
Related Links
External Resources
- Association for Institutional Research - This site has many useful, every day research tools.
- Oregon Community College Council of Institutional Researchers - "The Council of Institutional Researchers is a statewide affiliation of community college and agency staff who are engaged in the analysis and reporting of college data for federal, state, local and internal uses."
- Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) - The Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) is a voluntary association of local governments in Lane County, Oregon. Dedicated to solving area-wide problems, LCOG helps area cities, Lane County, educational districts, and special-purpose districts reach their common goals.
- Portland State University Population Research Center - The Population Research Center (PRC) is an interdisciplinary public service, research, and training unit for population-related data and research for the State of Oregon. The mission of PRC is to provide population data, information, and research analysis for Oregon and its communities.
Find "Labor Market Information" at the following sites.
State Employment Departments:
- Quality Information, Informed Choices - Oregon Labor Market Information System
- California Employment Development Department
- Idaho Employment
- Nevada Employment
- Washington Employment
City Employment Sites:
- Seattle Chamber - Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce: Latest employment trends, demographics, etc.
- Eugene Chamber - Eugene Chamber of Commerce: Eugene economy, demographics, etc.
Other Oregon Employment Sites:
- Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD) - "The Mission of the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development is to contribute leadership and resources to increase the skills, knowledge and career opportunities of Oregonians."
- Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) - "The Office of Economic Analysis serves as the main forecasting unit for the State of Oregon."
National Employment Sites:
- America's Job Bank - "America's Job Bank is a partnership between the US Department of Labor and the state operated public Employment Service."
- America's Career InfoNet - "This site contains occupational information that will assist you in your employment search and increase your overall understanding of the job market."
- Blue Mountain Community College
- Central Oregon Community College
- Chemeketa Community College
- Clackamas Community College
- Clatsop Community College
- Columbia Gorge Community College
- Klamath Community College
- Lane Community College
- Linn-Benton Community College
- Mt. Hood Community College
- Oregon Coast Community College
- Portland Community College
- Rogue Community College
- Southwestern Oregon Community College
- Tillamook Bay Community College
- Treasure Valley Community College
- Umpqua Community College
Contact Institutional Research
4000 East 30th Avenue
Second floor, Building 11, Room 235
Eugene, OR 97405