Excess Units in Pursuit of the Bachelor’s Degree
-- An Analysis on Native Freshmen Graduated during 2009-2010
Office of Institutional Research
Sacramento State
1 This report intends to examine the number of excess units that native freshmen take at this university while in pursuit of their Bachelor’s degrees, as well as the impact of those units on student FTE, course sections and cost to the university. Furthermore, this study will explore some of the factors that
contribute to the accumulation of excess units.
Sample and Methodology
All Bachelor’s degree recipients who were native freshmen and graduated in summer 2009, fall 2009 and May 2010 were selected for use in this study (N=1,234). This is equivalent to 25% of the total number of Bachelor’s degree recipients from the 2009-2010 academic year.
The total accumulated unit load of each graduate was divided into eight categories: major, second major, minor, General Education, other units (i.e. electives), repeat, remedial and transfer. In relation to data modeling, the following logic was used: sort out all remedial units, then match all remaining units to each major, second major and minor. In the case that a course happened to match a major, second major or minor and General Education, the units are attributed to the major, second major or minor. However, due to a lack of clear indicators in the database, some GE courses may have been counted toward major units but grouped with GE units.
To demonstrate the scope and impact of excess units on this campus, this study focuses on units taken at Sacramento State, including units related to the major, second major, minor, GE, electives (other), and repeats units. Remedial units and transfer units were excluded from this study due to the fact that the former are mandatory for those in need of remediation and the latter were not taken at Sacramento State. Units attained in conjunction with withdrawals (a grade of W or WU) were also excluded from each individual record within the sample.
The definition of what constitutes an excess of units varies based upon the different requirements of a Bachelor’s degree in each major. Students in most majors must complete 120 units to attain a
bachelor’s degree, while those majoring in Engineering & Computer Sciences must complete average 135 units, and those in Nursing must complete 131 (2008-2010 Sacramento State Catalog). As such, all units reviewed in this study are displayed by the college in which the degree was attained.
This study also examined some of the reasons behind why students take excess units. In this pursuit, three factors were analyzed to reveal whether they actually contributed to excess units, including repeating courses, taking second majors and/or minors, and changing majors. Consequently, three comparative analyses were conducted: graduates who took repeat units and those who did not,
graduates who took second majors/minors and those who did not, and graduates who changed majors at least once and those who did not. Three measurements were adopted in relation to the comparison analyses: average Sacramento State units, percentage of graduates who exceeded the required number of units, and time-to-degree. Furthermore, T-Tests were utilized in order to determine whether a specific factor contributed in a meaningful manner to excess unit accumulation. A logistic regression model was also created to demonstrate the predictive power of the three contributors to excess unit accumulation at Sacramento State.
2
The Impact of Excess Units on Student FTE and Course Sections
The following table displays all of the units that bachelor’s degree recipients took before they
graduated from Sacramento State. For the purposes of this study, units within the first six categories have been defined as being Sacramento State units (highlighted in green). It is worth noting, however, that units shown for second majors (Major2) and minors are incomplete due to the fact that 110 of the bachelor’s degree recipients in this study had no units recorded for their second major or minors.
Table 1. All Units Taken by the Selected Bachelor’s Degree Recipients (N=1,234)
College of Degree
Major1 units
Major2 units
Minor
units GE units
Elective units
Repeat units
Remedial units
Transfer units
Grand Total ALS 13,438 244 840 13,559 4,881 1,086 1,017 1,941 37,006 BUS 15,919 81 413 14,644 3,565 1,380 938 1,948 38,888 ECS 4,632 27 241 4,171 2,809 592 154 855 13,481
ED 1,765 0 175 3,337 1,640 314 345 693 8,269
HHS 13,978 115 552 16,783 6,361 1,373 1,152 2,960 43,274 NSM 4,153 0 667 5,233 2,098 714 145 1,136 14,146 SCI 8,120 357 1,021 12,548 6,775 884 888 2,102 32,695
SP 0 0 0 333 304 28 20 48 733
University 62,005 824 3,909 70,608 28,433 6,371 4,659 11,682 188,491
Based upon the number of required units, all gradautes were divided into two groups: met required units and exceeded required units. In order to accomendate any incidental extra units that may have been accumulated, the cutoff for “Exceeded Required Units” was set at 124 units (rather than 120) for most of majors. However, the cutoff remaines as 135 units for all majors within the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, and 131 units for Nursing majors. Official degree units include all units (both Sacramento State and transfer units) that count toward the degree. The results show that 73% of the gradautes exceeded the required number of units based on their offical degree units, with the number of excess units ranging from 124 to 224 at the university level (See Table 2 below).
Table 2. Excess Units for Bachelor Degree (Official Degree Units)
College of Degree
Met Required Units
Exceeded Required Units
Total
Degree Units (Group with Excess Units) Count % Count % Median Mean Maximum Minimum
ALS 93 37.2% 157 62.8% 250 139 142 204 124
BUS 41 16.0% 215 84.0% 256 136 140 201 124
ECS 1 1.3% 74 98.7% 75 156 159 204 140
ED 26 46.4% 30 53.6% 56 132 136 180 124
HHS 73 26.0% 208 74.0% 281 139 143 224 124
NSM 4 4.9% 77 95.1% 81 154 154 210 124
SCI 101 43.7% 130 56.3% 231 133 137 202 124
SP 0 0.0% 4 100.0% 4 163 163 192 133
University 339 27.5% 895 72.5% 1,234 140 144 224 124
3 As stated previously, for the purposes of this study, Sacramento State units do not include transfer units or remedial units but do include any units that were taken at Sacramento State that may or may not count toward the degree (i.e. repeat units). In relation to this study, Sacramento State units are more useful than official degree units due to the fact that Sacramento State units were all accumulated at Sacramento State. The results show that 67% of the bachelor’s degree recipients exceeded the required number of units for their major based solely on Sacramento State units, with the number of excess units ranging from 124 to 348 at the university level. (See Table 3 and graph below).
Table 3. Excess Units for Bachelor Degree (Actual Units Taken at Sac State)
College of Degree
Met Required Units
Exceeded Required Units
Total
Sac State Units (Group with Excess Units) Count % Count % Median Mean Maximum Minimum
ALS 94 37.6% 156 62.4% 250 142 149 281 124
BUS 57 22.3% 199 77.7% 256 142 148 233 124
ECS 9 12.0% 66 88.0% 75 170 171 252 137
ED 25 44.6% 31 55.4% 56 147 148 178 124
HHS 89 31.7% 192 68.3% 281 142 151 348 124
NSM 12 14.8% 69 85.2% 81 160 166 288 124
SCI 120 51.9% 111 48.1% 231 139 144 239 124
SP 0 0.0% 4 100.0% 4 166 166 199 135
University 406 32.9% 828 67.1% 1,234 145 152 348 124
The following formulas were utilized to calculate excess Sacramento State units:
Total Required Units = # Graduates x Required degree units (vary by programs) Excess Units = Actual Sacramento State units - Total required units
62%
78%
88%
55%
68%
85%
48%
100%
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% 120.0%
ALS BUS ECS ED HHS NSM SCI SP
4 Using the formulas illustrated on the previous page, excess Sacramento State units were calculated to a total of 22,159 units, which could then be converted to full-time equivalent students (FTES), course sections and cost of course sections.
According to guidelines established by the CSU Chancellor’s Office, 15 units equal 1 FTES for undergraduates. Moreover, based on the average class size at this university for the past five years, a typical course section has 30 students with each student generally earning 3 credits for taking the course. Therefore, the Student Credit Unit (SCU) is calculated as being 90 units per section (30 x 3 = 90), with the cost of each course section being about $5,175.
The following formulas were used in relation to converting excess units into FTES, course sections and cost of course sections:
FTES = Excess units/15
Course Sections = Excess units / (30 x 3)
Cost of Course Sections = $5,175 x # Course sections
The results reveal that 22,159 excess Sacramento State units could be converted to 1,477.2 FTES, 246 course sections and a cost of approximately $1,274,114 (See Table 4 below).
Table 4. Excess Sac State Units, Student FTE and Cost of Course Sections
College
Headcount of
Graduates
Required Degree units
Total Required Units
Actual Sac State Units
Excess Sac State Units
Converted Student
FTE
Converted Course Sections
Cost of Course Sections
ALS 156 124 19,344 23,262 3,918 261.2 44 $225,285
BUS 199 124 24,676 29,437 4,761 317.4 53 $273,758
ECS 66 135 8,910 11,315 2,405 160.3 27 $138,288
ED 31 124 3,844 4,594 750 50.0 8 $43,125
HHS 176 124 21,824 26,413 4,589 305.9 51 $263,839
Nursing 16 131 2096 2495 399 26.6 4 $22,943
NSM 69 124 8,556 11,479 2,923 194.9 32 $168,073
SSIS 111 124 13,764 16,009 2,245 149.7 25 $129,088
SP 4 124 496 665 169 11.3 2 $9,718
University 828 103,510 125,669 22,159 1,477.2 246 $1,274,114
Contributors to Excess Sacramento State Units
In order to identify causes contributing to excess units, a comparative analyses was conducted on three basic factors: Graduates with repeat units, graduates with second majors/minors, and graduates who changed their majors at least once during their college careers.
1. Repeating Courses.
Repeat units are not counted toward the degree, however, students who repeat courses do take seats in classes that would otherwise be available to other students. Approximately 55% of the bachelor’s degree recipients in this study had repeat units, accounting for a total of 6,371 repeat units. The
5 median number of repeat units among the graduates was 6 and the maximum repeat units were as high as 63 at university level. Among the seven colleges, 63% of the graduates from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics had repeat units (the highest rate), while 48% of the graduates from the College of Social Sciences had repeat units (the lowest rate). The results also reveal the distribution of excess Sac State units were almost in proportion to the distribution of repeat units among colleges (See Table 5 and graphs below).
Table 5. Repeat Units at Sacramento State
College of Degree
Had Repeat Units
Total
Repeat Units
Count % Median Mean Maximum Minimum Sum
ALS 139 55.6% 250 6 8 49 1 1,086
BUS 149 58.2% 256 6 9 34 1 1,380
ECS 46 61.3% 75 9 13 44 1 592
ED 33 58.9% 56 8 10 27 2 314
HHS 142 50.5% 281 7 10 63 1 1,373
NSM 51 63.0% 81 8 14 59 3 714
SCI 111 48.1% 231 6 8 43 1 884
SP 2 50.0% 4 14 14 24 4 28
University 673 54.5% 1,234 6 9 63 1 6,371
18%
21%
11% 3%
23% 13%
10% 1%
Excess
Sac
State
Units
among
Colleges
ALS BUS ECS ED HHS NSM SSIS
17%
22%
9% 5% 22%
11% 14%
0%
Repeat
Units
among
Colleges
ALS BUS ECS ED HHS NSM SSIS
6 When conducting the comparison analysis, three measurements are adopted: average Sacramento State units, percentage of graduates who exceeded the required number of units, and number of years to degree. The results of the analyses show that repeaters, on average, accumulated 26 more units than non-repeaters. Furthermore, the percentage of repeaters who exceeded the required units was almost double that of non-repeaters. Most important, repeaters took an average of 1 year longer to earn a Bachelor’s degree than non-repeaters. The differences between repeaters and non-repeaters, in terms of all three measurements, are statistically significant (See Table 6 below).
Table 6. Comparison between Repeaters and Non-Repeaters
Repeaters Non-repeaters
Gap
Statistical Significance Count % Mean Count % Mean
Sacramento State Units 673 152 561 125 26 Yes
Exceeded Required Units 673 86% 561 44% 42% Yes
Year to Degree 673 5.4 561 4.4 1.0 Yes
T-Test, p<0.001. Higher value is highlighted in Yellow.
2. Changing Majors
Within this sample, approximately 49% (N=607) of the graduates had changed their majors at least once during their college career. 78% of them (474/607) changed their majors only once, while 22% of them (133/607) changed their majors more than once. Table 7 (See below) displays additional detail with regard to graduates who changed their majors.
Table 7. Frequency of Changing Majors
Changing Majors
Total
% Changed Major Once
Once Twice 3 times or
more
ALS 93 26 5 124 75.0%
BUS 74 13 0 87 85.1%
ECS 27 4 1 32 84.4%
ED 33 6 1 40 82.5%
HHS 106 27 6 139 76.3%
NSM 34 8 0 42 81.0%
SCI 106 29 4 139 76.3%
SP 1 2 1 4 25.0%
University 474 115 18 607 78.1%
Among the 607 graduates who changed their majors, 437 (72%) exceeded the required number of units for the major in which they ultimately graduated, accumulating a total of 12,530 excess units at
Sacramento State in the process. The same formula used to calculate excess Sac State units is also used to calculate the excess units for graduates who have changed their majors:
7 Among the seven colleges, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics had the highest
percentage of graduates who changed their majors and also gained excess units, while the College of Business had the lowest. Table 8 below displays the Sacramento State units for graduates who changed their majors and exceeded their required units.
Table 8. Excess Units Due to Changing Majors
College of Degree
Changed Majors and Gained Excess Units
Total
Required Degree
units
Total Required
Units
Actual Sac State
Units
Excess Sac State Units Count %
ALS 83 33.2% 250 124 10,292 12,135 1,843
BUS 77 30.1% 256 124 9,548 11,573 2,025
ECS 30 40.0% 75 135 4,050 5,225 1,175
ED 25 44.6% 56 124 3,100 3,745 645
HHS 99 36.0% 275 124 12,276 15,318 3,042
Nursing 6 100.0% 6 131 786 996 210
NSM 39 48.1% 81 124 4,836 6,629 1,793
SCI 74 32.0% 231 124 9,176 10,804 1,628
SP 4 100.0% 4 124 496 665 169
University 437 35.4% 1,234 54,560 67,090 12,530
A comparison analysis was conducted between graduates who changed their majors and those who had never changed their majors. The results show that graduates who changed their majors had a 10% higher rate of exceeding the required number of units for their major than that of graduates who had never changed their major. Graduates who changed their majors also took approximately one semester longer (3.6 months) to earn their degree compared to their peers who had not changed majors. The gap between these two groups was narrower than that of repeaters and non-repeaters; however, it was still statistically significant based on all three measurements. Please see Table 9 below.
Table 9. Comparison between Changing Majors and No Change of Major
Changed Majors Never Changed Majors
Gap
Statistical Significance Count % Mean Count % Mean
Sacramento State Units 607 143 627 136 7 Yes
Exceeded Required Units 607 72% 627 62% 10% Yes
Year to Degree 607 5.1 627 4.8 0.3 Yes
T-Test, p<0.001. Higher value is highlighted in Yellow.
3. Second Majors and/or Minors
Among the 1,234 bachelor’s degree recipients in this sample, 23% (N=287) had second majors and/or minors. In relation to this subset, the total number of units accumulated with regard to second majors and minors at Sacramento State was 4,733. However, it is important to note that unit counts for second
8 majors and minors are incomplete due to the fact that 110 (38%) of the 287 graduates had 0 units recorded as being related to their second majors and/or minors. In those cases, it appears as though units which were accumulated in relation to second majors and/or minors may have been attributed to their first major. As such, the actual number of units listed for second majors and minors should be much higher than that which is recorded. In addition, all graduates with 0 units for second majors and minors were excluded when calculating means or median to ensure the accuracy.
Among the seven colleges, 32% of the graduates from the College of Business had a second major and/or minor (highest proportion) while only 10% of the graduates from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics had a second major and/or minor (lowest proportion). Refer to Table 10 below for additional details.
Table 10. Units Attributed to Second Majors/Minors at Sacramento State
College of Degree
2nd Major/Minors
Total
Units for 2nd Majors and Minors
Count % Median Mean Maximum Minimum Sum
ALS 70 28.0% 250 21 23 62 3 1,084
BUS 83 32.4% 256 18 25 89 15 494
ECS 10 13.3% 75 27 27 36 18 268
ED 7 12.5% 56 24 25 43 18 175
HHS 28 10.0% 281 21 24 60 9 667
NSM 25 30.9% 81 28 28 47 15 667
SCI 64 27.7% 231 24 28 75 12 1,378
SP 0 0.0% 4
University 287 23.3% 1,234 22 25 89 3 4,733
Note: 101 students who had 2nd majors and/or minors had no units recorded as being clearly related to their 2nd major and/or minors. They were therefore excluded from the calculation of means and
medians.
When comparing bachelor’s degree recipients with a single major to those with a second major and/or minor (Major Plus), only one measurement, the percentage of graduates with excess units, reflected a significant difference between the two groups (see Table 11 below).
Table 11. Comparison between Major Plus and Single Major
Major Plus Single Major
Gap
Statistical Significance Count % Mean Count % Mean
Sacramento State Units 287 141 947 139 2 No
Exceeded Required Units 287 72% 947 66% 6% Yes
Year to Degree 287 4.9 947 5.0 -0.1 No
T-Test, p<0.05. Higher value is highlighted in blue.
4. A Regression Model for Excess Sacramento State Units
After examining the three contributors to excess units reviewed in this study individually, it was
9 Sacramento State units. For this model, repeating courses, changing majors, and major type (single major vs. major plus) were selected for use as independent variables, while the rate of exceeding the required number of units for the major was the dependent variable.
This model shows that repeaters were 8 times more likely to exceed the required number of units for their majors than non-repeaters, and that graduates with a major plus (those with a second major and/or minor) were 1.7 times more likely to exceed the number of required units than those with a single major. Graduates who had changed majors were 1.3 times more likely to exceed the required number of units than those who had never changed majors. However, changing majors as a predictor was not significantly associated with the outcome if taking into account other two predictors. The accuracy of prediction of this model is approximately 73%. Please refer to Table 12 below.
Table 12. Logistic Regression Model for Excess Sac State Units
Predict
Variables B S.E. Wald df Sig. Exp(B)
Odds
Ratio Rank Major type(1) -.513 .165 9.665 1 .002 .599 1.7 2 Change majors(1) -.251 .137 3.334 1 .068 .778 1.3 3 Repeat units(1) -2.074 .143 211.663 1 .000 .126 8.0 1 Constant 2.366 .194 149.181 1 .000 10.655 Model Indicators
Baseline P* 67.1% Chi‐Square (df) 265,314
Model N 1,234 Pseudo R2 .193‐.269
-2log L 1298.105 % Correctly predicted 73.3% * Refers to the percentage of graduates who exceeded required units.
Discussion and Recommendation
The fact that 72% of the bachelor’s degree recipients within the selected native freshmen exceeded the number of units required by their major when they graduated from the university (based on their official degree units) should prompt introspection. When examining units actually taken at Sacramento State (excluding remedial and transfer units), 67% of the graduates exceeded the number of units required. Among the seven colleges, 88% of the bachelor’s degree recipients from the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences exceeded the number of required units (highest rate), while 48% of the degree recipients from the College of Social Science did so (lowest rate) based on Sacramento State units.
Among those who had excess units, the median number of total units accumulated was 145 (25 units above the required 120 units or 10 above the required 135 units). The individual unit cost for resident undergraduate students at Sacramento State during the 2009-2010 academic year was approximately $101.60 per unit, with the total cost of 25 units being $2,540. Therefore, graduates who exceed the number of units required for their degree pay an average of $2,500 more than necessary in tuition, which in turn could also add to the soaring debt incurred by student loans.
10 By calculation, the 828 graduates who exceeded the units required accumulated a total of 22,159
excess Sacramento State units. These excess units could be converted to 1,477.2 FTES, which is equivalent to 7.4% of the total undergraduate FTES of the university in fall of 2010. If this situation were addressed, a substantial amount of FTES could be preserved for the admission of new students, thereby minimizing the need for enrollment reductions.
These excess units are also equivalent to 246 course sections. The cost of those course sections could be approximated to be $1,274,114 (an average $5,175 per course section). Please note that this cost calculation was based on 25% of the degree recipients from 2009-2010 (1,234 out of a total of 4,892 Bachelor’s degree recipients). Therefore, the actual number of excess units for the class of 2009-10, including both native and transfer students, could be as much as three times higher.
According to this study, three factors made significant contributions toward facilitating the
accumulation of excess Sacramento State units, such as repeating courses, changing majors and taking second majors and/or minors.
673 graduates accumulated a total of 6,371 repeated units at this university, which accounts for 29% of all excess Sacramento State units. Those repeated units could be converted to 424.7 FTES and 71 course sections. The cost of those course sections could be as high as $366,333. Repeating courses is the most powerful predictor for excess Sacramento State units among the three contributors. Repeaters were 8 times more likely to exceed their required units than non-repeaters.
287 graduates accumulated 4,733 units in relation to their second majors and minors. As mentioned previously, that number is much lower than the actual number of units accumulated, as 110 (38%) of the graduates had 0 units recorded for their second majors or minors.
However, the number of units which were recorded for second majors and minors is still substantial, and accounts for 21% of the all excess Sacramento State units. Units related to second majors and minors could be converted to 315.5 FTES, 53 course sections, and an additional cost of $272,148.
607 graduates changed their majors at least once during their college career. 437 (72%) of those graduates exceeded the number of required units for their majors and accumulated 12,530 excess units at Sacramento State. Those units may or may not overlap with repeat units and/or the units related to second majors and minors.
As noted through this study, graduates with repeat units and those who changed their majors had significantly higher Sacramento State units, were more likely to exceed the number of units requited by their major, and needed more time to attain a degree when compared to non-repeaters and those who never changed majors. Graduates who had a second major and/or minor were also more likely to exceed the number of units required by their major. However, the number of Sacramento State units they accumulated, or the time that it took them to earn their degree, was similar to that of their peers who had a single major.
In order to address the issue of excess Sacramento State units, it may be necessary to reexamine policies with regard to managing/minimizing repeating courses, changing of majors, and adding
11 second majors and minors. Such developments might require enhanced or revised enforcement of academic policies, the provision of sound advising in relation to aiding students in selecting their majors, and the establishment of guidelines for the addition of second majors and minors.
Further study will be required in order to identify other factors related to excess unit accumulation and their interrelationships. Additional factors worthy of review include class availability, General
Education requirements, academic advising, and the financial aid policy that requires students to maintain full-time status (15 units each semester) in order to remain eligible. These factors, to different extents, may very well contribute to the number of excess units accumulated by Bachelor’s degree recipients at Sacramento State besides those incurred by the three factors analyzed in this study. This issue becomes more pressing when reviewing the unit load of current seniors: 47% of the seniors who entered at this university as native freshmen have exceeded the number of units required by their majors and 52% all seniors (both native freshmen and transfers) have exceeded the number of required units by spring 2011.
