The College of Engineering at the University of Central Florida (UCF) required a data set containing the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) graduates from 1970 on, to be updated each semester. The data set was created in 1984, through the use of the Statistical Analysis System/Full-Screen Product (SAS/FSP), a computer system which allows for easy access to and editing of data values, and the use of SAS programming for statistical analysis of the data set. The data set presently (1985) contains 1483 observations each with 70 variables, such as personal information (age, social security number, ethnic origin), degree information (junior college attended, grade point average, honors), post-graduate information (master and doctorate degrees, first job after graduation), and test results (CLAST, SAT, GRE). The current data was obtained through the Department of institutional Research and transcripts. Because this data set will be in use a long time, a manual has been written that contains a detailed description of (a) the data set and all its variables, (b) the use of the full-screen product with a tutorial, (c) the use of the questionnaires, and (d) the method used to collect data. Five tests were performed on four semesters of graduates, equaling 301 observations. The math and overall grade point averages (GPAs) for transfer and time-shortened-degree (TSD) students were tested against the math and overall GPAs of the general UCF BSE population. It was discovered that the math and overall GPAs of the graduates who received Associate of Arts degrees from Florida community colleges before entering UCF lowered significantly at UCF. The tests also suggested a possible difference in academic approaches between the community college and UCF, and there should be more than just a recognition of the drop in math and overall GPA. The TSD graduates did not perform as well in the math and overall curriculum as might be expected. Recommendations for manual testing, updating of the data set, and further testing with SAS are included.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:rtd-5772 |
| Date | 01 January 1985 |
| Creators | Hagerty, June A. |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Retrospective Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Public Domain |
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