Dict-Physical

Table MF_SectionSeats

Card of table MF_SectionSeats

Name	MF_SectionSeats
Dimensional Type	Fact
Comment	MF_SectionSeats allows us to analyze registered student counts by term. Note that it includes non-standard short (WB, SB) and multi-term terms (AY, WS, etc.). Counts are taken at the section (not individual student level). Because terms are variable in length, this fact table MUST NOT be used to analyze how well we're filling seats by regular term (SU, FA, WI, SP). For that we have MF_SectionSeatsByTerm, which re-breaks multi-term terms down into regular terms and eliminates short terms. Put differently, this fact table can't easily be used for any sort of temporal analysis, like how many seats are we filling in subject X or distro group Y over time period Z, because the terms here overlap and are not of any fixed length. MF_SectionSeats may also be used as a coverage table, along with MF_SectionEnrollment. MF_SectionEnrollment facilitates analysis of who took what classes. MF_SectionSeats allows us to compare these figures with offerings or seats available. Think of MF_SectionEnrollment's grain as being at the student level and this fact table, MF_SectionSeats, as being at the section level (one level up). Only includes rows that reference sections that have not been canceled and are not waitlist sections. The grain of this table is one row per section per term. This table only includes rows for PRIMARY sections, so that counts come out right. Registration counts for cross-listed sections are added to the primaries. You'd think cross-listings would just be alternate names (or aliases) for the primary sections, but in fact one registers for them separately. So the counts must be merged. Short terms (WB, SB) are NOT excluded here, as noted above. The data for this table is dirty, of necessity (business process dictates that we manipulate capacities for reasons other than to record capacities - e.g., to mark sections as waitlist-only). It is recommended that this table only be used by department heads for courses in their areas, or by the Registrar's Office staff. Others may use it, but should be aware that their numbers will not always agree with official numbers supplied by the Registrar's Office (which typically massages the data in significant ways before reporting on it, or delivering counts to the Dean of the College).

Check constraint name of the table MF_SectionSeats

CKT_MF_SECTIONSEATS

List of outgoing references of the table MF_SectionSeats

Relationship_156

MD_CarlTerm (Shortcut)

MD_CarlTerm_SurrogateKey

Relationship_157

MD_Section (Shortcut)

MD_Sect_SurrogateKey

Relationship_158

MD_Course (Shortcut)

MD_Course_SurrogateKey

List of referencing views of the table MF_SectionSeats

VMF_SectionSeats

VMF_SECTIONSEATS

List of diagrams containing the table MF_SectionSeats

StarsAcademicRecordDiagram

List of columns of the table MF_SectionSeats

MD_Sect_SurrogateKey

<None>

numeric

MD_CarlTerm_SurrogateKey

<None>

numeric

MD_Course_SurrogateKey

<None>

numeric

MF_SectSeat_Capacity

How many seats are available for a given section in a given term. Note that here, unlike in MF_SectionSeatsByTerm, we include all kinds of terms, including WB, SB, AY, etc. Note also that this is that actual section capacity, not the 'global' capacity across all cross-listings of a section.

Yes, the global capacity of a section should equal the capacity (since cross-listings are really just aliases), but because of peculiar business practices at Carleton, in which we use cross listings as a way to waitlist juniors and seniors for classes primarily for freshmen and sophomores, the two values are NOT identical.

If you use this field (capacity - as opposed to global capacity) your seat counts will be low. Generally (though not universally) you should use the global capacity instead. If you do this, though, remember to use a filter on the MD_Section dimension: MD_Sect_IsPrimaryListing = 'Yes'.

Consult the Registrar if in doubt about what to do.

<None>

int

MF_SectSeat_MaxCredit

Maximum credits obtainable in course section.

If this value is not available in Colleague (and it frequently is not), then the minimum credits obtainable is supplied instead. If neither figure is available, this field defaults to zero.

This field may be exposed to users, unlike the equivalent field in MF_SectionSeatsByTerm.

<None>

float

MF_SectSeat_Credits

This value is the same as MF_SectSeat_Credits.

It is included here because people may not understand to use MF_SectSeat_MaxCredit. Also, in MF_SectionSeatsByTerm, the two equivalent fields are actually different. There the max credit field cannot be exposed to users, because for multi-term courses it will inflate numbers. Instead, the credit field *must* be used.

Here either may be used, and both contain the same value.

<None>

float

MF_SectSeat_GlobalCapacity

Global" capacity of a section (i.e., the capacity across all cross-listings of the same section).

Yes, the global capacity of a section should equal the capacity (since cross-listings are really just aliases), but because of peculiar business practices at Carleton, in which we use cross listings as a way to waitlist juniors and seniors for classes primarily for freshmen and sophomores, the two values are NOT identical.

If you use this field, you MUST also use a a filter on the MD_Section dimension: MD_Sect_IsPrimaryListing = 'Yes' (or, equivalently, MD_Sect_IsCrossListing = 'No'). Otherwise, your numbers will be inflated.

<None>

int

MF_SectSeat_Enrolled

Count of currently enrolled, i.e., active students for a given section.

Note that if 23 students enroll, and 23 drop, then the result is 0 active students.

This is different from the counts of adds, drops, etc. in MF_SectionEnrollment and MF_SectionEnrollmentByTerm.

<None>

int

MF_SectSeat_Dropped

Count of students who have dropped a given section.

<None>

int

MF_SectSeat_InstructorCount

Number of instructors teaching a given course. This number does not take worloads or percentages taught. It is expressed as a simple integer: 1, 2, etc.

This number is used to count raw numbers of people teaching (ignoring subtleties like workload), and to provide very rough measures things like per-instructor enrollment counts (to get a rough measure of how many students each instructor is dealing with on a per-section basis - who is getting the most 'face time' with students and therefore probably shouldering a heavier load).

<None>

int

MF_SectSeat_AuditKey

DW_AuditKey

bigint

MF_SectSeat_Timestamp

<None>

timestamp