Program demand is viewed in terms of demand for the programs at KSU and demand for graduates of the programs in the wider society. Reviewed programs with low three-year average graduation and enrollment rates are all programs for which the U.S. Department of Labor projects opportunities for gainful employment over the next several years. Although Commission members view the need for the reviewed programs as fair to good, students are not entering and exiting these programs at high numbers. KSU is not supplying a comparable number of graduates to other universities within the state. The daunting questions then become, "Why are students not enrolling in large numbers at KSU and pursuing degrees that lead to gainful employment opportunities? How are other schools attracting and graduating students? What needs to happen to make KSU's low-producing programs more competitive? Is money a barrier to revitalization?"
Challenges faced by programs that are not meeting employment demands are:
Funds established for outreach and public relations over the past three years are: Funds needed to produce more graduates to address employment demands include, but are not limited to, funds for:
Funds needed to produce more graduates to address employment demands include, but are not limited to, funds for:
Outside funds for KSU are often obtained through grants that allow for program enhancements, financial gain for faculty, additional personnel, professional development, additional technology and/or scholarships. Reviewed programs make substantial contributions to the university. Data from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs report the following funding information related to grants for fiscal years 15, 16, 17 and 18.
FY15 Grant Submission Overview: During FY15 a total of 67 proposals were submitted, with a requested total budget amount of $26,985,543. The indirect costs over the lifetime of these grants would yield $2,049,587.
FY16 Grant Submission Overview: During FY16 a total of 68 proposals were submitted, with a requested total budgeted amount of $21,223,345. The average amount of a proposal submitted in FY16 was $307,741, and the monthly overall average was $1,711,486. Forty-five percent of the proposals submitted by KSU were classified as research, 25 percent as public service, and 10 percent as student services. Agriculture and Natural Resources accounted for 20 percent of the total amount requested in FY16, while Aquaculture tallied 16.8 percent, Student Support Services 8 percent, Mathematics and Physics 6.4 percent, Land Grant & Extension 5.7 percent and Environmental Studies & Sustainable Systems 5.2 percent. The University requested a total of $915,646 in indirect costs (IDC) for administrative costs associated with grants and contracts. Based on 45 proposals that allow IDC, the average amount per proposal totaled $20,347.
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