Courses and Clients: Findings for the 2008-2009 Academic Year
Matthew Cole (’09, Posc/IR), Data Analyst

• Prefects were assigned to 46 science and social science courses during the school year and held over 700 sessions.
• Each term, about 300 unique students attended a prefect session – about 16% of students on campus.
• 66% of students enrolled in a prefected course attended at least one prefect session. 25% of the enrolled students attended at least five sessions, and 7% attended at least ten sessions.
• The average student enrolled in a prefected course attends three prefect sessions. For students who attend at least one session, the average is four.
• The average prefect session had 18% of the class in attendance.

Students of all course years worked with prefects, though first-year students worked especially closely with them

• 46% of all students attending a prefect session were first-year students. 31% were sophomores, 13% were juniors, and 10% were seniors.
• First-year students were the most likely to attend prefect sessions, with 74% of all first-year students enrolled in a prefected course attending at least one session. This compares to an attendance rate of 61% among sophomores, 57% among juniors, and 59% among seniors. 
• First-year students attended 4 prefect sessions on average. For all other class years, the average number of courses attended was 2. 

• 62% of students taking a course in the sciences and 68% of students taking a course in the social sciences attended at least one prefect session.
• In sciences courses, the average prefect session had 17% of the class in attendance. For the social sciences the average prefect session had 20%.
• 73% of students taking an introductory (100 level) course with a prefect attended at least one session, compared to 40% of students taking an advanced (200- or 300-level) course. A prefect session for an introductory class drew 27% of the class on average, whereas a session for an advanced course drew 11%.

Students who attended the first prefect session were more likely to attend future sessions

• Students who attended the first prefect session attended six sessions on average. Students who did not attend the first session only attended two sessions on average.
• 21% of students attended their prefect's first session.

Female students were more likely to attend prefect sessions than male students

• 73% of female students attended at least one prefect session and 60% attended two or more. This is a higher rate of attendance than male students, of whom 65% attended at least one session and 52% attended two or more.
• Female students attended three sessions on average, while male students attended two sessions on average.