High Failure Rate Courses

 

We examined two sets of data to identify courses with high failure rates.  The first data set included Spring 2000, Fall 2000, and Spring 2001; the second Spring 2005, Fall 2005, and Spring 2006.  There were three criteria for high failure rate courses:  (1) 30% or more of the students enrolled received a grade of either F (failure), I (incompletion of required work), or W (withdrawal from the course); (2) a grade was awarded for the course (no Pass/Fail courses were included), and (3) at least 10 students were enrolled in the course. 

 

A summary of the high failure rate courses for the six semesters is shown in the following table. 

 

Failure, Incompletion, Withdrawal Courses

Spring 2000, Fall 2000, Spring 2001

&

Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2006

 

                                    1 out of 3                    2 out of 3                    3 out of 3

                                    Semesters                 Semesters                 Semesters

 

Spring 2000                   61

Fall 2001                       45

Spring 2001                   41

Total                           147                              39                                17

 

Spring 2005                   58

Fall 2006                       60

Spring 2006                   76

Total                           194                              53                                34

 

The number of high failure rate courses in 2 out of 3 semesters and the number in 1 out of 3 semesters increased by 32% and by 36% respectively from 2000-01 to 2005-06.  However, in the same period, the number of high failure courses in all three semesters increased by 100%, from17 to 34 courses.

 

Click here for the complete data tables. 2000-01 2005-06