Dept Dashboard
A current-term snapshot of what’s happening in your department right now
The Dept Dashboard answers one question: what’s different about this term? Select a department and it loads automatically — no button, no wait for a full report. Every section is oriented toward things you can still act on before the term ends.
The dashboard is about this term’s course activity — who is in your sections, how enrollment compares to prior years, and what’s changed. For multi-year program trends — declared majors, degrees awarded, credit hour history, DFW rates — use Department Profile under Explore.
Getting started
Select a Campus and Department from the dropdowns at the top. The dashboard loads automatically. A progress bar with an estimated load time appears while data is assembling.
Headcount
Stat cards at the top show how many unique students are currently enrolled in at least one of the department’s sections, broken out by undergraduate and graduate. Each card also shows 1-year, 3-year, and 6-year trend percentages comparing the most recent fall to prior fall terms. Below the cards, a sparkline shows headcount over recent terms.
This counts students in your sections, not declared majors. A student enrolled in three HIST courses counts once; a student who declared HIST but isn’t taking any HIST courses this term doesn’t appear here. For declared major headcount over time, see Department Profile.
Enrollment above and below historical average
Two side-by-side lists compare each course’s current enrollment to its own historical average for the same term type (fall vs. fall, spring vs. spring). Only courses with at least two prior same-season offerings appear.
↑ Above average — courses running higher than their historical norm. Each row shows current enrollment and the absolute and percentage difference: +8 (+22%) vs avg 36 means 44 enrolled, historical average was 36.
↓ Below average — courses running lower than their historical norm, same format.
These panels are most useful for spotting genuine surprises — not courses you already know are tracking low.
New courses and missing courses
New this term — courses whose number has never appeared in the department’s section history, or that are returning after a long absence. For topics courses (T: prefix), each distinct title counts as new even if the course number has run before. Topics rows also show a slot average — the average enrollment across all prior offerings under that course number — so you can judge whether the topic is drawing normally.
Missing vs. two years ago — courses that ran in this same term type two years ago but are not scheduled this term. Each row shows the course’s recent enrollment history (last 1–3 prior offerings with counts). Courses that disappear without a clear curricular rationale can strand students mid-degree.
Recurring topics courses
Topics courses (T: prefix) running this term that have been offered at least twice before under the same course number. Shows current enrollment alongside recent prior offerings. Useful for identifying which rotating topics draw consistently and might warrant a permanent course number.
Drop rates
Early and late drop rates for this term’s sections, compared to each course’s historical average for the same term type. Sections with fewer than 10 students or fewer than 3 total drops are excluded.
Early drops — withdrawals before the census date (pre-census DR). No academic consequence for the student. High early drop rates often signal scheduling conflicts, unclear course descriptions, or prerequisite mismatches.
Late drops — drops after the census date (DW/DG grades). These appear on transcripts and can affect financial aid. Elevated late drop rates are a stronger signal of course difficulty, pacing, or student support gaps.
The Diff column shows how much this term’s rate differs from that course’s own historical average — +4.2 means 4.2 percentage points above normal for that specific course.
Where your majors also study / Who minors here
Two side-by-side donuts:
Where your majors also study — minors declared by currently enrolled students whose home major is in this department. Shows where your students are investing time outside your courses — useful for identifying cross-listing opportunities, interdisciplinary partnerships, or advising coordination with high-overlap departments.
Who minors here — home majors of students who have declared a minor in this department. Surfaces which programs send students here as a secondary interest, useful for identifying curricular partners and advising outreach targets.
Both reflect the current term’s declared programs.
Credit hours by level
A multi-year trendline of student credit hours (SCH) generated by the department’s sections, broken out by course level (lower division, upper division, graduate). SCH equals enrolled students × credit hours per course — counting only enrollments with a passing final grade. This is a quick read on instructional load over time, not the full credit hour analysis — for that, see Credit Hours in Department Profile.
Student composition
Donut charts and data tables showing the major and class-standing breakdown for students currently enrolled in the department’s lower- and upper-division sections. Answers: what fraction of the students in your courses are your own majors, and what year are they? Informs curriculum design, prerequisite policy, and advising.
Where to go next
The dashboard is a current-term snapshot built for chairs and directors who need to act now. For historical analysis, there are dedicated tools for each of these questions:
| Question | Where to look |
|---|---|
| How many declared majors do we have? How has that changed over five years? | Department Profile → Headcount |
| What is our credit hour production history? Who are our students by major? | Department Profile → Credit Hours |
| How have degrees awarded changed over time? | Department Profile → Degrees |
| How has the mix of new entrants (freshman, transfer, continuing) shifted? | Department Profile → Demographics |
| How do DFW rates compare across instructors? | Department Profile → DFW (password required) |
| How has enrollment trended for a specific course over many years? | Course Dynamics |