APPR Workstream Report 1

Workstream #1 Report for Project 1— Bachelor’s and Associate’s Degree Portfolio Review

The first APPR report is based on publicly available Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data for degree conferrals and employment alignment at the state and regional levels, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington DC, and Delaware. This report was compiled by Hanover and follows Hanover Research’s traditional approach to providing an overview of a college or university academic portfolio and potential areas for investment and growth, consolidation, or program elimination.

The data compiled from this report is meant to serve as a resource for further discussion and analysis, in combination with other future APPR reports, and not as a stand-alone decision-making tool regarding specific programs. The categorizations, or rankings, that appear in the report are part of Hanover’s research methodology and how they analyzed the two data sources used in the high-level report. The information is intended to be used by Penn State for further analysis and discussion. It is the University’s responsibility to provide additional context and data, as needed, to the report. The accompanying documents help to outline Hanover’s own methodology, as agreed upon by the many individuals working on the APPR project, as well as a few limitations that exist within the data.

Report and supplemental materials*

For those who would like to review and learn more about the report, the APPR tri-chairs recommend you read the report, and accompanying documents, available in this SharePoint folder in the following order:

1. Video message from Daniel Jackson, assistant teaching professor of physics at Penn State Lehigh Valley and APPR tri-chair
2. Preamble from the APPR Tri-Chairs
3. APPR Workstream 1 Report: “Academic Portfolio Optimization: Undergraduate Degree Programs”
4. APPR Workstream 1 (all data): An Excel document that includes all of the raw data and complete portfolio data; the report itself only comprises examples based on the data findings.
5. Data and Information Team Condensed Compendium: Highlights the methodological and data concerns that have emerged as part of the report process. (Note: the full compendium is linked in the condensed version for additional review).

   
   *The Workstream #1 report will be updated with feedback shared from members of the Penn State community.

For additional information, refer to the following online resources

• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• CIP/SOC Crosswalk
• Penn State Major, Minor, and Certificate Program Codes

Share your feedback

We value your feedback on this report. If you would like to share your feedback, please complete this feedback form. If you have any questions, please email appr@psu.edu.