The terms and definitions identified in this glossary are compiled from a variety of sources: National Center for Education Statistics, the Common Data Set organization, Association for Institutional Research, Carnegie Foundation, regional accrediting bodies, state higher education commissions, and several publications. A AACRAO American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers ACT American College Test (College Board) Used as an admissions test for college-bound highschool s. AIR Association for Institutional Research Academic year The period of time generally spanning September through June, and usually encompassing two semesters or trimesters, and 3 quarters. This time period would also include any shorter terms contained within those months. Application fee The amount charged by an institution to process an application. B Baldridge criteria Branch campus C CB CEU Used to understand performance management. A site of an educational institution that is not temporary, is beyond reasonable commuting distance from the main (or parent ) institution, and offers full programs of study (not only courses). THE Coordinating Board (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board) Continuing education unit. One CEU is usually the equivalent of 10 contact hours of participation in an approved continuing education experience. The Education Criteria, and subsequent awarding of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, have been allowed for use in lieu of other accreditation standards in some regions. In combination with other factors, measures readiness for college-level coursework. This should be reported separately not as a part of tuition or required fees for enrolled s. This is the board to which all data are reported based on a specific set of criteria and on a set schedule. There are a number of reports submitted each year by the registrar s office. Once these data reports are certified, the data become the backbone of institutional research analysis and reports. copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 1 Created October 13, 2009
CHEA Council for Higher Education Accreditation CHEA is the national organization which coordinates higher education accreditation. There are currently 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities which are members of CHEA as well as 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations. CIP Catalog of Instructional Programs A common classification This is a product of the NCES. system for programs of study The 2000 CIP definitions across higher education institutions throughout the U.S. Used in state, federal, have been updated this year; these 2010 CIP codes are now in use. and other external reporting Carnegie classifications Carnegie units Center Census date Census enrollment Cohort Beginning in 1970, developed to support research and policy analysis. Most recently updated in 2005 and due for another update in 2010. One year of study, or the equivalent, in a secondary school subject. Differing from a branch campus in that an educational center offers courses and is not a self-sufficient entity from the main college site. Services are extremely limited. The date on which s are counted. Number of s enrolled in courses as of the census date of the course A specific group established for tracking and analysis purposes. This classification system can be used to assist in benchmarking exercises. To assist in leveling the playing field between high school curricula. The old single classification schema has been replaced by multiple, and parallel, categories which answer 1) what is taught, 2) who are the s, 3) what is the setting. There is also an elective classification focusing on community engagement. This concept is very frequently, and inappropriately, used in higher education curriculum definitions. Used by states for publically- Census dates are class funded institutions to specific. Because a class can develop appropriation levels. start or end at any time This date should also be used during the academic term, for reporting official census dates vary depending numbers. on several variables. Census date tables are helpful in indentifying these critical dates. copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 2 Created October 13, 2009
Common Data Set Comparison group Concurrent enrollment Contact hour Completer Credit Standard data items and definitions developed in order to determine a specific cohort relevant to each item. Data items and definitions used by the U.S. Department of Education in its higher education surveys often serve as a guide in the continued development of the CDS. A group of s (or institutions) to use for analysis purposes and contrast to the identified cohort. See Dual enrollment below. A unit of measure representing an hour of scheduled instruction. A who receives a degree, diploma, certificate or other formal award. A collaborative effort among data providers and publishers (College Board, Petersons, etc.) with the goal of improving the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a 's transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers. Common Data Set items undergo broad review by the CDS Advisory Board as well as by data providers representing secondary schools and two- and fouryear colleges. Feedback from those who utilize the CDS also is considered throughout the annual review process For research purposes it usually works best to have the comparison group similar to the cohort group except for some key variables (like participation in certain activities). Contact hours are often used Also referred to clock hour. for non-credit and continuing education courses. This is also used for courses where s (or the institutions) are reimbursed based on the number of hours the s participated in educational activities. The award must actually be conferred. Recognition of attendance or More often used in a generic performance in an instructional activity sense, as in the (course or program) that can be received credit for that applied by a recipient toward the course. requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award. Credit hour A unit of measure representing a 50- minute-hour of instruction over a 15- week semester. Crossregistration Enrollment at two or more highereducation institutions without having to apply to both. Applied to the total number of hours needed for completing the requirements of a formal college degree, certificate, or other formal award. A number of highereducation institutions have formal agreements which allow a currently-enrolled at one of the institutions to enroll in courses at the other without having to apply. Each agreement should be carefully reviewed to see how the cross-registered courses are counted towards program/degree completion. copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 3 Created October 13, 2009
D Degree Degree-seeking An award conferred by a postsecondary education institution as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of study. Students enrolled in courses for credit which apply to a recognized awardgranting program of study. Dual enrollment Enrollment in both high school AND college courses simultaneously E This policy allows high school s to earn college credit for the courses in which they are enrolled. EFL English as a Foreign Language When referring to courses of study outside the U.S. to assist non-native English speakers to become fluent in American English. ESL English as a Second Language When referring to courses of study within the U.S. to assist non-native English speakers to become fluent in American English. F FAFSA FTES FTEF Financial need First-time Free Application for Federal Student Aid Full-time equivalent s. A single value combining full-time and parttime s. Full-time equivalent faculty. A single value combining all full-time and parttime instructional faculty. Using federal methodology and the institution s own standards, determination of a s need for financial assistance. A (at any level undergraduate or graduate) attending college for the first time. Required by applicants for federally-funded need-based aid. Used to allow comparisons between institutions of their populations. Used to allow comparisons between institutions of their faculty size. Used by financial aid offices in awarding need-based financial assistance to s. Each institution s degree requirements differ; and within the institution there are differing requirements based on type of degree conferred. At the undergraduate level, this applies to s enrolled in vocational or occupational programs This is different from crossregistration. Some higher education institutions have opted to use EFL as a non-pejorative reference to their ESL courses. Online site is www.fafsa.ed.gov There are two methods of calculating FTES at the end of this document. There are several different methods of calculating faculty load; thus it is important to be clear on which formula is to be used and for what purpose. If a starts college in the summer for the first time, he or she should be classified as a first-time in the fall for state, federal, and external reporting purposes. copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 4 Created October 13, 2009
First-time, firstyear The more acceptable terminology for a freshman. A first-year undergraduate. Full-time A enrolled in 9 or more graduate semester, trimester, or quarter credits, or a graduate enrolled in only thesis or dissertation preparation (if considered full-time by the institution). Full-time undergraduate G GPA H HACU HBCU A enrolled in 12 or more semester, trimester, or quarter credits or 24 or more contact hours a week per term. Grade point average. Calculation formula is: sum (grade points X credit hours) per course/sum of credit hours. Grade points are usually assigned A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Any institution established prior to 1964 whose principal mission is the education of black Americans and is accredited by a nationally-recognized accrediting agency or association. This is used for any who is enrolling in college for the first time, but should also include s who might have prior concurrent enrollment (see above) credits. Used for federal, external, and most state reporting requirements. Used for federal, external, and most state reporting requirements. To calculate the average of grade points a has earned; usually calculated by term and cumulatively. HEA Higher Education Act Enacted in 1965 and reauthorized *with various amendments until 2008. HEOA Higher Education Opportunity Act The HEA amended and reauthorized by Congress in 2008. HSI Hispanic-Serving Institution. Any institution that has an enrollment of at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate ftes. I IPEDS Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Began in 1986 by NCES, this involves the collection of much information related to higher education. All institutions awarding federal financial aid are required to participate in this process. Local definitions may be different for various internal college purposes. If an undergraduate enrolls in only 12 credits per term, he or she will most probably not graduate with a baccalaureate degree within four years. High school gpa is calculated by summing all grade points and dividing by the number of courses a has completed. According to a provision in the Higher Education Act of 1965, there are a few institutions which have been added to the original list. Established by the Higher Education Act copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 5 Created October 13, 2009
International J Same as non-resident alien. Used within colleges and universities. K L Land-grant institution M An institution designated by its state legislature or Congress to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. N NACUBO NCES NSC Need-based aid National Association of College and University Business Officers National Center for Education Statistics the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education. National Student Clearinghouse a non-profit organization used by colleges and universities to verify enrollment and degrees. College-funded or college-administered Used in financial aid and award from institutional, state, federal, other external reporting. or other sources for which a must have demonstrated financial need to qualify. Noncredit course A course having no applicable credit towards a degree, certificate, or other formal award. Non-need-based aid Scholarships, grants, gifts, or meritbased aid from institutional, state, federal, or other sources awarded solely on the basis of academic achievement, merit, or any other nonneed-based reason. Used in financial aid and other external reporting. IPEDS is administered by NCES. NSC provides a variety of services to both institutions and s. NCS services are used by financial aid offices to help manage loan default issues and by registrars to verify prior/concurrent enrollment. Also helpful is StudentTracker which allows IR to find out if previouslyenrolled s have transferred to other institutions. This includes both institutional and noninstitutional grants, jobs, and loans. Completion of FAFSA is required for any federallyfunded need-based aid source. FAFSA is not required for these awards. copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 6 Created October 13, 2009
Non-resident alien O Official fall reporting date A person who is not a citizen of the Used in federal and external United States and is in the United States reporting. on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. The fall date in which fall enrollment data has to be reported to the state, the board of trustees/governing board, or other external governing board. Open admission Admission policy under which virtually all secondary school graduates or s with a GED are admitted without regard to academic record, test scores, or other qualifications. P Part-time Perkins Act Persistence Post-secondary award, certificate or diploma An undergraduate who is enrolled in less than 12 undergraduate credits or a graduate who is enrolled in less than 9 graduate credits. Carl D. Perkins Act provides funding for vocational and technical programs which integrate academic and vocational instruction. Student persists from one term to the next or from one year to the next Three levels of awards requiring the completion of a program of study after high school but NOT equivalent to a degree. Used in IPEDS and other external reporting Q QEP Quality Enhancement Plan A specific plan submitted to SACS. Each college designs their own plan showing how it will improve learning outcomes. R Race/ethnicity (new definition) Categories used to describe groups of Used in federal and other U.S. citizens and resident aliens to reporting. Non-resident which individuals belong, identify with, alien is a separate category. or belong in the eyes of the community. The respondents are first asked to designate ethnicity as Hispanic/Latino or Not Hispanic/Latino. Then they are asked to select all races that apply: American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, White. This is a separate category in most race/ethnicity questionnaires. This can be either official (via policy) or de facto (common institutional practice). Less than 24 contact hours per week is considered parttime enrollment. Funds are provided to colleges through state agencies based on everchanging reporting requirements.. Three levels: less than 1 academic year; at least 1 but less than 2 academic years; and at least 2 but less than 4 academic years. These are not scientific. Developed in 1997 by the federal OMB (Office of Budget and Management), these definitions go into effect as of fall 2010. copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 7 Created October 13, 2009
Race/ethnicity (old definition) Receiving institution Remedial courses Resident alien Retention Retention rate S SACS SAT Categories used to describe groups of U.S. citizens and resident aliens to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories are: Black non-hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, White non-hispanic. A person is counted in only one group. The institution to which a transfers after being enrolled in a prior institution. Those instructional courses designed by the institution for s deficient in general competencies necessary for regular postsecondary education (college-level courses). A person who is not a United States citizen, but who has been admitted as a legal immigrant. Student is retained in a course from enrollment through end-of course Expressed as a percentage, the rate at which s persist from one fall term to the next. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Scholastic Aptitude Test (Educational Testing Service). Used in federal and other reporting. Non-resident aliens is a separate category. Term used to describe people who are here legally and on a permanent resident basis (or are in the process of becoming permanent residents). Used internally and by external reporting agencies. The regional commission through which Sul Ross State University is accredited. Used as an admissions test for college-bound highschool s. SLO Student learning outcomes Rubrics and methods designed to measure learning as an outcome of educational participation. Sending institution Stop out Studentdesignated major Student-tofaculty ratio A higher education institution in which a transfer has been previously enrolled. A who left the institution and returned at a later date. An independent program of study designed by a (and sanctioned by the institution) which results in a degree. The ratio of FTE s (FTES) to FTE instructional staff (FTEF). These are not scientific. As of fall 2010, this definition will be replaced by the federal government for the above NEW definition Also known as developmental education courses. Federal race/ethnicity categories apply to this group of people. By researchers, this is the more appropriate definition of the word. The more common use of the concept. In combination with other factors, measures readiness for college-level coursework. Please note that grades in courses are not enough. Calculated by dividing the number of FTES by FTEF copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 8 Created October 13, 2009
T TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language A standardized assessment used to evaluate non-native English speakers skill level in American English. TSUS Texas State University System Teachers colleges Transfer-ready Carnegie-defined institutional classification. Most degrees (undergraduate and graduate) are in education or education-related fields. A who has successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program. Transfer A entering the institution for the first time but who has been enrolled previously at another institution of higher education Tribal Colleges and Universities U Unduplicated count Unit V Variable W Week-end college X, Y, Z Carnegie-defined tribally-controlled institutions located on reservations (there are a few exceptions to the tribal control and location). The sum of s enrolled for credit with each counted only once during the reporting period, regardless of the when the enrolled or the number of courses in which the enrolled. A standard measurement representing hours of academic instruction A fundamental unit of data contained in a file which is given a unique label. Most frequently used for federal funding. Semester credit, quarter credit, contact hour are each examples of a unit. A program that allows s to Used in federal and other complete an entire program of study by external reporting. attending courses only on the weekend Each institution has its own definition of transferpreparatory programs. The may transfer in with or without credit from the sending institution. All institutions are members of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Instead of saying 12 units it is more correct to say 12 credits or 24 contact hours 0 12 12-month enrollment Unduplicated head count for the total number of s enrolled in throughout the reporting period. Used in internal, federal, and other external reporting. The 12-month period is defined by the institution and is either July 1 through June 30 or September 1 through August 31 (usually coinciding with the institution s fiscal year). copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 9 Created October 13, 2009
FTE Student Calculation Methods (from IPEDS) Calculation of FTE s (using fall headcounts) The number of FTE s is calculated based on fall headcounts as reported by the institution on the IPEDS Enrollment (EF) component (Part A). The full-time equivalent (headcount) of the institution's part-time enrollment is estimated by multiplying the factors noted below times the part-time headcount. These are then added to the full-time enrollment headcounts to obtain an FTE for all s enrolled in the fall. This formula is used to produce an FTE that is used annually in the Digest of Education Statistics. Part-time undergraduate enrollment o Public 4-year (.403543) o Private (not-for-profit and for-profit) 4-year (.392857) o Public 2-year and <2-year (.335737) o All other institutions (.397058) Part-time first-professional enrollment o Public 4-year (.600000) o Private (not-for-profit and for-profit) 4-year (.545454) Part-time graduate enrollment o Public 4-year (.361702) o Private (not-for-profit and for-profit) 4-year (.382059) Calculation of FTE s (using instructional activity) The number of FTE s is calculated based on the credit and/or contact hours reported by the institution on the IPEDS 12-month enrollment (E12) component and the institution's calendar system, as reported on the Institutional Characteristics (IC) component. The following table indicates the level of instructional activity used to convert the credit and/or contact hours reported to an indicator of full-time equivalents (FTE s): Quarter calendar system o Enrollment level (One FTE over 12-month period) Undergraduate 45 credit hours, 900 contact hours Graduate 36 credit hours Semester/trimester/4-1-4 plan/other calendar system o Enrollment level (one FTE over 3-month period) Undergraduate 30 credit hours 900 contact hours Graduate 24 credit hours For institutions with continuous enrollment programs, FTE is determined by dividing the number of contact hours attempted by 900. The FTE for first-professional s is calculated using the unduplicated headcounts reported on the enrollment component. Since the unduplicated headcounts do not differentiate between full-time and part-time s, estimation is used. The ratio of full-time to part-time first-professional s from the previous collection year fall enrollment (which corresponds to the same academic year s) is calculated, and this ratio is applied to the 12-month unduplicated headcount. Adding the resulting fulltime and one-third part-time estimates results in the FTE for first-professional s. The total 12-month FTE is generated by summing the estimated or reported undergraduate FTE, the estimated or reported graduate FTE and the estimated Firstprofessional FTE. copyright Sungard Higher Education, 2009. Page 10 Created October 13, 2009