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Academic Year (AY)

The period of time generally extending from September to June, usually equated to two semesters or trimesters, three quarters, or the period covered by a 4-1-4 calendar system. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ operates on a two semester system. (IPEDS)

Acceptance Rate

Applicants who are offered admission to a degree-granting program at an institution per number of applicants to that degree program.

Accrediting agencies

Organizations (or bodies) that establish operating standards for educational or professional institutions and programs, determine the extent to which the standards are met, and publicly announce their findings. The accrediting agency for º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). (IPEDS)

Admitted Student

Applicant who is offered admission to a degree-granting program at an institution. (Common Data Set)

Auxiliary Enterprises

Operations that exist to furnish a service to students, faculty, or staff, and that charge a fee that is directly related to the cost of the service. Examples are residence halls, food services, student health services, intercollegiate athletics, college unions, and college bookstores. (IPEDS)

Carnegie Classification

An institutional classification coding structure developed by the Andrew W. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s classification is Master’s S: Master’s Colleges and Universities (smaller programs).

Census Date

For institutions operating under a traditional academic year calendar (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4, or other academic year), enrollment is reported as of the institution’s official fall reporting date or October 15. (IPEDS)

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)

A taxonomic coding scheme for secondary and postsecondary instructional programs. It is intended to facilitate the organization, collection, and reporting of program data using classifications that capture the majority of reportable data. The CIP is the accepted federal government statistical standard on instructional program classifications and is used in a variety of education information surveys and databases. (IPEDS)

Cohort

A group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined time period. In institutional research, cohorts usually consist of full-time, undergraduate students who begin college during the same given year.

Common Data Set (CDS)

A collaborative effort between publishers and the higher education community to standardize higher education-related definitions and data items. Common Data Set items undergo a broad review by the CDS Advisory Board as well as by data providers representing secondary schools and colleges.

Ethnicity

A self-reported demographic item that does not necessarily denote scientific definitions or anthropological origins, although does typically reflect an affiliation with a group or groups based on racial or cultural ties.

Fact Book

A yearly º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ publication that captures and summarizes much of the important current and historical information about the University. The Fact Book is intended to serve as a reference for information about the University.

Fall Enrollment (EF)

This annual component of IPEDS collects data on the number of students enrolled in the fall at postsecondary institutions. Students reported are those enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree or other formal award; students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, including those enrolled in off-campus or extension centers; and high school students taking regular college courses for credit. Institutions report annually the number of full- and part-time students, by gender, race/ethnicity, and level (undergraduate, graduate, first-professional); the total number of undergraduate entering students (first-time, full-and part-time students, transfer-ins, and non-degree students); and retention rates. In even-numbered years, data are collected for state of residence of first-time students and for the number of those students who graduated from high school or received high school equivalent certificates in the past 12 months. Also in even-numbered years, 4-year institutions are required to provide enrollment data by gender, race/ethnicity, and level for selected fields of study. In odd-numbered years, data are collected for enrollment by age category by student level and gender.

Fiscal Year (FY)

A 12-month period used for calculating annual financial reports. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through the following June 30, and is designated by the calendar year in which the FY ends.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Employee

An employee’s status as full-time is determined by an individual’s institution of employment. The employee’s term of contract is not considered in making the determination of full- or part-time. (IPEDS)

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Enrollment

A measurement equal to one student enrolled full-time for one academic year. Total FTE enrollment includes full-time plus the calculated equivalent of the part-time enrollment. The full-time equivalent of the part-time students can be estimated using different factors depending on the type and control of institution and level of student. At º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, three part-time students are considered to be the equivalent of one full-time student, therefore, FTE enrollment includes all full-time students plus one-third of the total number of part-time students. (IPEDS)

Full-Time Graduate Student

A student enrolled for 9 or more semester credits, or 9 or more quarter credits, or a student involved in thesis or dissertation preparation that is considered full time by the institution.

Full-Time Undergraduate Student

A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits , or 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 or more contact hours a week each term.

Graduation Rate

The percentage of students in a given cohort graduating within a specified period of time (six years is the typical standard for measuring a first-time, full-time cohort’s graduation rate). The number of students in the cohort is the denominator of the rate; the number of students graduating is the numerator of the rate.

Graduate Student

A student who holds a bachelor’s or first-professional degree, or its equivalent, and is enrolled in courses at the post-baccalaureate level. (IPEDS)

Headcount (unduplicated)

The sum of students enrolled for credit with each student counted only once during the reporting period, regardless of when the student enrolled. (IPEDS)

High School Class Rank

The relative numerical position of a student in his or her high school graduating class calculated by the high school on the basis of grade-point average, whether weighted or not weighted. (Common Data Set)

IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System)

The core postsecondary education data collection program for NCES—a system of surveys designed to collect data from all primary providers of postsecondary education. IPEDS is a single, comprehensive system designed to encompass all institutions and educational organizations whose primary purpose is to provide postsecondary education. The IPEDS system is built around a series of interrelated surveys to collect institution-level data in such areas as enrollments, program completions, faculty, staff, and finances.

Nonresident Alien

A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely.

Peer Institution

An institution similar in role, scope, or mission to º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ that is used to compare data relating to admissions, enrollments, finances, etc.

Retention Rate

Student retention is the re-enrollment of (typically) undergraduate students from college matriculation through the completion of a college degree. Student retention cohorts may be defined in various ways, e.g., first-time full-time, first-time part-time, etc.; likewise the retention rate may be calculated in different ways, for example, from the freshman to sophomore year or from the first fall enrollment through the expected graduation date.

Student/Faculty Ratio

The ratio of full-time equivalent students (full-time plus 1/3 part-time) to full-time equivalent instructional faculty (full-time plus 1/3 part-time). Ratio calculations typically (for example, for the purposes of reporting data to the Common Data Set and US News & World Report) exclude both faculty and students in stand-alone graduate or professional programs such as medicine, law, veterinary, dentistry, social work, business, or public health in which faculty teach virtually only graduate level students; in addition, undergraduate or graduate student teaching assistants are typically not counted as faculty. (Common Data Set)

Yield Rate

The percentage of admitted students who accept an institution’s offer of enrollment.