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HOW WAS THE ETBU PEER GROUP SELECTED?
For university planning purposes, it is common to select one or more groups of institutions for comparison purposes. One such group commonly used consists of peer institutions that are in many ways alike. The ETBU Peer Group is one such group. A number of factors went into deciding which schools would be in the ETBU Peer Group:
Geographical region. The geographical region for ETBU peers was selected to be made up of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Enrollment patterns. Total enrollment; undergraduate enrollment; percentage of undergraduates who are full-time; and number of first-time, full-time undergraduates were considered. (The chart following this narrative details these data.)
Degrees awarded. While it was determined that a limited graduate program was acceptable, it was decided that the peer institutions should, if possible, be "characterized by their primary emphasis on general undergraduate baccalaureate-level education." (This is the definition used by the AAUP and The Chronicle for Higher Education in defining "Category IIBBaccalaureate Institutions.") This category includes institutions for which "the number of post-baccalaureate degrees granted is fewer than 30 annually," or for which "fewer than 4 post-baccalaureate programs are offered."
Cost of tuition and fees. This was not emphasized in the selection process. However, as can also be seen in the chart that follows, ETBU's tuition and fees figure is less than all but three of the selected group of ten.
Location. It was felt that institutions located in large metropolitan areas might differ from ETBU.
Mission. Although not explicitly addressed, it was a factor in the selection process. Only private, not-for-profit, four-year or higher, baccalaureate institutions were considered.
Residence of the student body. Based on the percentage of undergraduates who are full-time, it was assumed that the larger this percentage, the more likely the student body is primarily residential. Since ETBU is a residential campus, it was deemed desirable for the members of the peer group be likewise.
THE ETBU PEER GROUP
Following extensive research and deliberation, it was determined that the following group of ten institutions satisfies the criteria for being selected for the ETBU Peer Group:
♦ Howard Payne University
♦ Louisiana College
♦ McMurry University
♦ Oklahoma Baptist University
♦ Ouachita Baptist University
♦ Schreiner University
♦ Southwestern Adventist University
♦ Southwestern Assemblies of God University
♦ Texas Lutheran University
♦ University of the Ozarks
HOW WILL THE PEER GROUP BE USED?
The President's Cabinet has been discussing possible "key performance indicators" or KPIs. Once a number of KPIs are selected, the KPI data for ETBU and for each of the ten Peer Group institutions will be compiled. An analysis of these data should prove beneficial. Some candidates for KPIs are enrollment, tuition and fees, retention rates, graduation rates, average financial aid, endowment and expenses, core revenues per FTE student, and faculty salaries.
Individuals have the capability to create their own comparison groups and access data utilizing several IPEDS tools. For more information on how to conduct such comparisons, contact OIRE.
Click here to view selected ETBU Peer Group comparisons.
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