Data Dictionary | Institutional Data and Analytics

Tarleton State University’s Institutional Data and Analytics has developed a data dictionary to ensure consistency for terms across the University.

For any questions regarding the University Data Dictionary, please contact ida@tarleton.edu.

1 |A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y

1

12-month Enrollment (E12)

This annual component of IPEDS collects unduplicated student enrollment counts and instructional activity data for an entire 12-month period. These data were collected in the Enrollment component prior to the 2007 IPEDS data collection. Institutions report an unduplicated head count for the total number of students, by sex, attendance status (full-time, part-time), race/ethnicity, level (undergraduate, and graduate, including doctor’s – professional practice), first-time (entering), transfer-in, continuing/returning, and degree/certificate-seeking statuses, enrolled throughout the reporting period. Students included are those enrolled in any courses for credit leading to a degree or other recognized postsecondary credential, as well as those enrolled in courses that are part of a terminal vocational or occupational program. Institutions also report the total instructional activity for the same 12-month period for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Instructional activity data are reported in units of clock hours or credit hours. Starting with the 2023-24 data collection, institutions also report data on dual enrollment (i.e., the number of high school students enrolled at the postsecondary level).

Source: IPEDS

12-Month Period

A 12-month period defined by an institution for reporting a full year of activity (All institutions must use the July 1 – June 30 reporting period). This time period should be consistent across all IPEDS data collections and from year-to-year.

Source: IPEDS

A

Academic Libraries (AL)

This annual component of IPEDS collects information on library collections, expenses, and services from degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Institutions with library expenses less than $100,000 annually report their collections and circulation or usage to IPEDS. Specific library collection items include physical and electronic/digital books, media, and databases (applicable to electronic only). Institutions with library expenses equal to or greater than $100,000 annually report both their collections and circulation or usage and details about their expenses to IPEDS. Detail expense categories include library salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials and services costs, and operations and maintenance costs.

Source: IPEDS

Academic Program

An instructional program leading toward an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctor’s, or resulting in credits that can be applied to one of these degrees.

Source: IPEDS

Academic Program

Academic Program is an instructional program leading toward a certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, or first-professional degree or resulting in credits that can be applied to one of these degrees.

Source: THECB

Academic Rank

A status designated by the institution according to the institution’s policies. The IPEDS HR survey component includes the ranks of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor, and Lecturer.

Source: IPEDS

Academic Year

Academic Year is the 12-month period of time generally extending from September to August.

Source: THECB

Academic Year

An “academic year or its equivalent” is defined as one complete school year or two half years.

Source: University

Academically Disadvantaged

Academically Disadvantaged are students who do not have college entry level skills in reading, writing, or math. Colleges may report students as academically disadvantaged based on TSIA or a local placement test. Colleges should report students who are enrolled in developmental education courses based on the results of TSIA or local placement tests. The Interim Evaluation Report definition may also be applied for students who did not receive a high school diploma nor a GED certificate. After the semester in which a student satisfactorily completes remediation, the college should no longer report that student as academically disadvantaged. Please note that academically disadvantaged does not include students with learning disabilities. Academically Disadvantaged is reported on the CBM00A, CBM0C1 (CTC), CBM0E1 (CTC).

Source: THECB

Accreditation

Accreditation in higher education is defined as a collegial process based on self- and peer assessment for public accountability and improvement of academic quality.

Source: University

Adjunct Instructional Staff

Non-tenure track instructional staff serving in a temporary or auxiliary capacity to teach specific courses on a course-by-course basis. Includes both instructional staff who are hired to teach an academic degree-credit course and those hired to teach a developmental or ESL course; whether the latter three categories earn college credit is immaterial. Excludes regular part-time instructional staff (who, unlike adjuncts are not paid on a course-by-course basis), graduate assistants, full-time professional staff of the institution who may teach individual courses (such as a dean or academic advisor), and appointees who teach noncredit courses exclusively.

Source: IPEDS

Aid Received

For the purposes of the IPEDS Student Financial Aid (SFA) component, aid received refers to financial aid that was awarded to, and accepted by, a student. This amount may differ from the aid amount that is disbursed to a student. For example, a student may accept aid that was awarded by the institution but then leave the institution prior to the aid being disbursed. In this case, because the student accepted the aid, the aid would be reported to IPEDS, even though it was NOT actually disbursed to the student.

Source: IPEDS

B

Banner

The student information system (SIS) used by Tarleton State University.

Source: University

C

Calculation of FTE students (using fall student headcounts)

The number of FTE students is calculated based on fall student 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 students 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 graduate enrollment
o Public 4-year (.361702)
o Private (not-for-profit and for-profit) 4-year (.382059)

Source: IPEDS

Carnegie Classification

An institutional classification coding structure developed by the Andrew W. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The 2000 Carnegie Classification categorizes selected institutions as:

• Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive

• Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive

• Master’s Colleges and Universities I

• Master’s Colleges and Universities II

• Baccalaureate Colleges-Liberal Arts

• Baccalaureate Colleges-General

• Baccalaureate/ Associate’s Colleges

• Associate’s Colleges

• Specialized Institutions:
o Theological seminaries and other specialized faith-related institutions
o Medical schools and medical centers
o Other separate health profession schools
o Schools of engineering and technology
o Schools of business and management
o Schools of art, music, and design
o Schools of law
o Teachers colleges
o Other specialized institutions

• Tribal Colleges and Universities

Source: IPEDS

CBM

CBM is an acronym for Coordinating Board Management. See CBM Reports.

Source: THECB

CBM

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Management Reports. Various CBMs are submitted throughout the academic year to report on enrollments, graduation rates, and other academic performance measures.

Source: University

CBM Reports

CBM Reports are the primary means by which higher education institutions in Texas report data to THECB. Guidelines for reporting CBM data are found in the CBM Reporting and Procedures Manuals.

Source: THECB

Census Date

Census Date is the official day of record that public higher education institutions must determine the enrollments that qualify to be reported to the Coordinating Board for state reimbursement. It is also referred to as Official Reporting Date (ORD). For fall and spring semesters (16-week sessions), it is the 12th class day. For summer semesters (6-week sessions), it is the 4th class day. The count of class days begins on the first day that classes are held in the term and includes each calendar day on which classes are normally held at the institution (e.g., Monday through Friday) until the official census date is reached. The official census day must be on a day that the Registrar’s office is scheduled to be open so that a student will be able to drop or withdraw from class.

Source: THECB

CIP code

A six-digit code in the form xx.xxxx that identifies instructional program specialties within educational institutions.

Source: IPEDS

Classification

Classification is the rank of the student as of the census date of the reporting period.

Source: THECB

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP Codes)

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) is an NCES publication that provides a numerical classification and standard terminology for secondary and postsecondary instructional programs. CIP Code is used to identify subject matter content of courses and major area of concentration of students. Texas adds a 2-digit suffix to the federal 6-digit code to identify instructional program specialties and a second two digits to identify the funding area.

Source: IPEDS

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP Codes)

Source: THECB

Common Data Set (CDS)

The Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers as represented by the College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student’s transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers. The CDS is a set of standards and definitions of data items rather than a survey instrument or set of data represented in a database. Each of the higher education surveys conducted by the participating publishers incorporates items from the CDS as well as unique items proprietary to each publisher. Consequently, the publishers’ surveys differ in that they utilize varying numbers of items from the CDS.

Source: University

Completers within 150% of normal time

Students who completed their program within 1 50% of the normal (or expected) time for completion.

Source: IPEDS

Completions (C)

This annual component of IPEDS collects number of degrees and other recognized postsecondary credentials (certificates) conferred. These data are reported by level (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s), as well as by length of program for some. Both are reported by race/ ethnicity and sex of recipient, and the field of study, using the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code. Institutions report all degrees and other awards conferred during an entire reporting period, from July 1 of one calendar year through June 30 of the following year. Completions data by race/ethnicity at the 2-digit CIP level became an annual collection in 1990; since the 1995 collection, race/ethnicity is collected at the 6-digit CIP level. In 2001, IPEDS began collecting completers of double majors by level, 6-digit CIP code, and by race/ethnicity and sex of recipient.

Source: IPEDS

Core Curriculum

Core Curriculum is the common part of every undergraduate curriculum that introduces students to a broad range of knowledge areas beyond their major and helps students develop basic intellectual competencies in reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy. In Texas, the core curriculum usually consists of 42-48 semester credit hours of course work distributed among the disciplines of communication, mathematics, the natural sciences, the arts and humanities, and the social and behavioral sciences. State law mandates the transfer of core curriculum courses between all public institutions of higher education.

Source: THECB

Cost of attendance (COA) [for IPEDS reporting purposes]

The amount of tuition and fees; food and housing; books, course materials, supplies, and equipment; and other expenses that a full-time, first-time degree/ certificate-seeking student can expect to pay to go to college for an academic year. Costs reported to IPEDS by the institution are those amounts used by the financial aid office to determine a student’s financial need for the academic year, which is typically nine months.

Source: IPEDS

Credit hour

A unit of measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per week over the entire term. It is applied toward the total number of credit hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential.

Source: IPEDS

D

Data Analytics

The process of examining data to discover patterns, derive insights, and support decision-making through statistical analysis, quantitative methods, and explanatory/predictive modeling.

Source: University

Data Architecture

A foundational framework and blueprint for managing an organization’s data, covering its collection, storage, transformation, and distribution.

Source: University

Data Dictionary

A file or a list that contains all known information about variables such as format, data type, field width, and source.

Source: IPEDS

Data Goveranance and Standardization

The exercise of authority and control over data assets through established policies, standards, and procedures that ensure consistent data management practices across the organization.

Source: University

Data Management and Methodology

The development, execution, and supervision of plans, policies, programs, and practices that deliver, control, protect, and enhance the value of data and information assets throughout their lifecycles.

Source: University

Data Program Management and Change Control

The use of structured processes to plan, coordinate, and execute data projects, including formal procedures for bringing people into data initiatives and managing changes that affect multiple systems or groups.

Source: University

Data Quality

The degree to which data is accurate, complete, consistent, and fit for its intended use.

Source: University

Data Security and Privacy

The planning, development, and execution of security policies and procedures to provide proper authentication, authorization, access, and auditing of data assets, while protecting personal information and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Source: University

Data Strategy and Roadmap

The high-level plan that defines how data and information will be used to support organizational goals, including the prioritized initiatives and timeline for developing data management capabilities.

Source: University

Degree of Urbanization (urban-centric locale)

A code representing the urbanicity (city/suburb/rural) by population size of the institution’s location. This urban-centric locale code was assigned through a methodology developed by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Division in 2005. The urban-centric locale codes apply current geographic concepts to the original NCES Locale codes used on IPEDS files through 2004. The following are the codes used:
11 City: Large
12 City: Midsize
13 City: Small
21 Suburb: Large
22 Suburb: Midsize
23 Suburb: Small
31 Town: Fringe
32 Town: Distant
33 Town: Remote
41 Rural: Fringe
42 Rural: Distant
43 Rural: Remote

Source: IPEDS

Degree/Certificate-Seeking Students (DCGS)

Students enrolled in courses for credit who are seeking a degree, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential. This includes students who:
– received any type of federal financial aid, regardless of what courses they took at any time;
– received any state or locally based financial aid with an eligibility requirement that the student be enrolled in a degree, certificate, or transfer-seeking program; or
– obtained a student visa to study at a U.S. postsecondary institution

High school students also enrolled in postsecondary courses for credit are not considered degree/certificate-seeking.

Source: IPEDS

Distance Education

Distance Education, as defined in Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 21, §2.202, is the formal educational process that occurs when students and instructors are in separate physical locations for the majority (more than 50 percent) of instruction.

Source: THECB

Distance Education Course

Distance Education Course, as defined in Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 21, §2.202, is a course in which a majority (more than 50 percent) of the instruction occurs when the student(s) and instructor(s) are in separate physical locations. The definition of distance education course does not include courses with 50 percent or less instruction when the student(s) and instructor(s) are in separate physical locations. Two categories of distance education courses are defined:
• 100-Percent Online Course–A distance education course in which 100 percent of instructional activity takes place when the student(s) and instructor(s) are in separate physical locations. Requirements for on-campus or in-person orientation, testing, academic support services, internships/fieldwork, or other non-instructional activities do not exclude a course from this category.
• Hybrid Course–A distance education course in which more than 50 percent but less than 100 percent of instructional activity takes place when the student(s) and instructor(s) are in separate physical locations.

Source: THECB

Distance Education Degree or Certificate Program

Distance Education Degree or Certificate Program, as defined in Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 21, §2.202, is a program in which a student may complete a majority (more than 50 percent) of the credit hours required for the program through distance education courses. The definition of a Distance Education Degree or Certificate Program does not include programs in which 50 percent or less of the required credit hours are offered through distance education. Two categories of distance education programs are defined:
• 100-Percent Online Program–A degree program in which students complete 100 percent of the credit hours required for the program through 100-Percent Online Courses. Requirements for on-campus or in-person orientation, testing, academic support services, internships/fieldwork, or other non-instructional activities do not exclude a program from this category.
• Hybrid Program–A degree program in which students complete 50 percent or more and less than 100 percent of the credit hours required for the program through Distance Education Courses.

Source: THECB

Dual Credit

A program through which high school students are enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, taught at their high school, that fulfill high school graduation requirements and may earn the student college credits. (Term used in the IPEDS prior to 2021-22).

Source: IPEDS

Dual Credit

Dual Credit is a process by which a high school student enrolls in a college course and receives simultaneous academic credit for the course from both the college and the high school. Dual Credit is reported on the CBM00S, CBM0CS.

Source: THECB

Dual Enrollment

Refers to students who enroll in college courses offered by an institution of higher education while enrolled in high school or seeking a recognized equivalent. Student performance is recorded on a college transcript and postsecondary credit is awarded for a passing grade in the course. – Includes: All postsecondary courses, independent of course delivery mode, course location, course instructor, whether secondary credit is also offered, and whether the student enrolls through a formal state/local program or enrolls outside a formal state/local program. – Excludes: Credit-by-exam models such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate in which the student is not enrolled in a postsecondary institution.

Source: IPEDS

E

Economically Disadvantaged

Economically Disadvantaged indicates that a student is economically disadvantaged based on income or participation in an economic assistance program. Colleges may use one or more of the following standards to determine whether an individual is economically disadvantaged: 1) annual income at or below the federal poverty line, 2) eligibility for Aid to Families with Dependent Children or other public assistance programs (includes WIC program participants), 3) receipt of a Pell Grant or comparable state program of need-based financial assistance, 4) participation or eligible for JTPA programs included under Title II, and 5) eligible for benefits under the Food Stamp Act of 1977 or the Health and Humans Services (HHS) Poverty Guidelines, 403.114, page 36721 of final Rules and Regulations. Students should not continue to be reported as economically disadvantaged if their circumstances change and they no longer meet the definition of economically disadvantaged. Economically Disadvantaged is reported on the CBM00A, CBM0C1 (CTC), CBM0E1 (CTC).

Source: THECB

F

Fall cohort

The group of students entering in the fall term established for tracking purposes. For the Graduation Rates component, this includes all students who enter an institution as full-time, first-time degree or certificate-seeking undergraduate students during the fall term of a given year.

Source: IPEDS

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 recognized postsecondary credential; 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 college courses or credit. Institutions report annually the number of full and part-time students, by sex, race/ethnicity, and level (undergraduate and graduate, including doctor’s – professional practice students); the total number of full- and part-time undergraduate degree/certificate-seeking students (first-time entering, transfer-ins, and continuing/returning) and full- and part-time undergraduate non-degree/non-certificate 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 sex, 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 sex.

Source: IPEDS

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law which protects privacy interests of parents and students in their educational records.

Source: THECB

FICE (Federal lnteragency Committee on Education) code

A 6-digit identification code originally created by the Federal lnteragency Committee on Education (FICE). The code was used to identify all schools doing business with the Office of Education during the early sixties. This code is no longer used in IPEDS; it has been replaced by the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) ID code.

Source: IPEDS

FICE Code

FICE Code is a six-digit identification code created by the Federal Interagency Committee on Education. The FICE was originally used to identify all schools doing business with the Office of Education from the early sixties to the mid-nineties. The Coordinating Board adopted these codes as the identifier for each higher education institution in Texas. Around 1995 IPEDS began using a code called a unit-id to identify institutions that are accredited at the postsecondary level (college) by an agency recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. These are the traditional institutions of higher education, formerly surveyed under the Higher Education General Information Surveys (HEGIS), plus any schools that are newly accredited institutions of higher education. Even though NCES modified the FICE by adding a two-digit suffix (00) and calling the new identifier an OPE number, the Coordinating Board still uses the six-digit FICE as its institution code for standard reporting of CBM data.

Source: THECB

Finance (F)

This annual component of IPEDS collects data that describe the financial condition of postsecondary education in the nation. These data are used to monitor changes in postsecondary education finance and to promote research involving institutional financial resources and expenditures. Specific data elements include such items as institutional revenues by source (e.g., tuition and fees, government, private gifts); institutional expenses by function (e.g., instruction, research, student services); physical plant assets and indebtedness; and endowment investments. institutions may use different survey forms depending on the control of institution (e.g. public, private not-for-profit, or private for-profit) and the accounting standards followed by the institution (e.g. FASB or GASB).

Source: IPEDS

First Generation College Student

The term ‘‘first-generation college student’’ means an individual both of whose parents did not complete a baccalaureate degree.

Source: University

First-Generation College Student

First-Generation College Student is a student who is the first member of his or her immediate family to attend a college or university; neither of his or her biological or adoptive parents have ever attended a college or university.

Source: THECB

First-time student (undergraduate)

A student who has no prior postsecondary experience (except as noted below) attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. This includes students enrolled in academic or occupational programs . It also includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer session, and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credential earned before graduation from high school).

Source: IPEDS

First-Time-in-College

First-Time-in-College (FTIC) indicates an entering student who has never attended any college. FTIC includes students who enter with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduation from high school). Students who have not completed their high school work are not included.

Source: THECB

Flexible Entry

Flexible Entry (FE) is a means by which institutions can report and be funded for semester credit/contact hours in classes that were not organized by the census date (universities) or did not have a census date until after the census date of the term (CTC) but otherwise met the state-mandated funding requirements. While the semester credit hours generated in such classes are treated in all respects as any other semester credit hours, the students in these classes, even though reported on the CBM001, are not included in the institution’s official headcount if they are enrolled solely in FE classes. Similarly, faculty teaching such classes are reported on the CBM008 but are not included in official headcounts of faculty if they appear solely as teaching FE classes. Flexible Entry is reported on the CBM001 (HRI), CBM002, CBM008, CBM00S, CBM0C1, CBM0C8, CBM0CS, CBM0E1.

Source: THECB

Formula Funding

Formula Funding is the method used to allocate appropriated sources of funds among institutions of higher education.

Source: THECB

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) Employee

A numerical designator for an appointment based on 100% effort for full-time. An FTE for a full-time employee is 1.00. (Two people each serving in half-time faculty positions would equal, together, one FTE faculty position.)

Source: University

FTSE (Full-Time Equivalent) Student

A measure of semester student enrollment calculated on the total number of student credit hours (SCHs). Every 15 SCHs at the undergraduate level equals 1.0 FTE; every 12 SCHs at the master’s level equals 1.0 FTE; and every 9 credits hours at the doctoral level equals 1.0 FTE student.

Source: University

Full-time Equivalent (FTE) of Staff

The full-time-equivalent (FTE) of staff is calculated by summing the total number of full-time staff from the Employees by Assigned Position (EAP) component and adding one-third of the total number of part-time staff.

Source: IPEDS

Full-time Equivalent (FTE) of Students

The full-time equivalent (FTE) of students is a single value providing a meaningful combination of full-time and part-time students. IPEDS data products currently have two calculations of FTE students, one using fall student headcounts and the other using 12-month instructional activity.

Source: IPEDS

Full-time Faculty

Tarleton State University employees who are employed on a full-time (100% effort) basis for instruction (including those with released time)

Source: University

Full-time Staff

Tarleton State University employees who are employed on a full-time (100% effort) basis and do not meet the definition of faculty.

Source: University

Full-time Student

Undergraduate: A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits, or 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 or more clock hours a week each term. Graduate: 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. Doctor’s degree – Professional practice – full-time as defined by the institution.

Source: IPEDS

Full-Time Student

Full-Time Student is a student who is enrolled in a full or normal workload at the institution during the reporting period. In determining financial aid and graduation rates, an undergraduate student enrolled in 12 or more semester credit hours in a long semester is considered full-time. An academic graduate student (master’s, doctoral, or first professional) enrolled for 9 or more semester credit hours in a long term or students involved in thesis or dissertation preparation are considered full time by the institution. A first professional medical or dental student’s full-time status is based on Glossary of Terms September 13, 2023 56 institutional definition. A two-year college continuing education student enrolled for 24 or more contact hours a week during a quarter is considered full-time.

Source: THECB

Full-Time Student Equivalent

Full-Time Student Equivalent (FTSE) is a calculation that converts total semester credit hours or contact hours in a reporting period into full-time student enrollment. Full-Time Student Equivalent provides a standardized means for comparing enrollment across institutions.

Source: THECB

G

Graduation rate

The rate required for disclosure and/or reporting purposes under Student Right-to-Know Act. This rate is calculated as the total number of completers within 150% of normal time divided by the revised adjusted cohort.

Source: IPEDS

Graduation Rate

Graduation Rate is the percentage of a given college-entering cohort of degree-seeking students who graduate in a specific period of time. For undergraduate graduation rates, the cohort consists of fall first-time, full-time undergraduates plus summer first-time students who continue in the fall and are full-time in the fall. The summer students do not need to be full-time in the summer.

Source: THECB

Graduation Rate

The percentage of a student cohort that graduate four, five, or six years from the date they first-enrolled.

Source: University

Graduation Rates (GR)

This annual component of IPEDS was added in 1997 to help institutions satisfy the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know legislation. Data are collected on the number of students entering the institution as full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students in a particular year (cohort), by race/ethnicity and sex; the number completing their program within 150 percent of normal time to completion; the number that transfer to other institutions if transfer is part of the institution’s mission. Prior to 2007, institutions who offered athletically-related student aid were asked to report, by sport, the number of students receiving aid and whether they completed within 150 percent of normal time to completion. Now, these institutions only need to report a URL where the athletic data is located on their website, when available. GR automatically generates worksheets that calculate rates, including average rates over 4 years.

Source: IPEDS

H

Headcount

Headcount is the unduplicated count of students enrolled or faculty reported. The CBM001 headcount is the unduplicated count of non-flexible-entry students. The flexible entry records and special doctoral records are not included in the official headcount for a term. The CBM002 headcount is the total number of CBM002 records. The CBM008 headcount is the summation of the faculty records minus flexible-entry-only records. The CBM009 headcount is the total records reported on the degree file, not including multiple degree records.

Source: THECB

Headcount

Number of individual students, whether full-time or part-time.

Source: University

Human resources (HR)

This IPEDS survey component was formed in 2006 by combining three previously separate components: Employees by Assigned Position (EAP), Fall Staff (S), and Salaries (SA) . This was done to avoid (or at least reduce) conflicting data which had occurred when collected separately. The information collected has remained basically the same. The fall staff data was collected biennially in odd-numbered years prior to 2016-17, but is now collected annually similar to the other HR components.

Source: IPEDS

I

Institutional Characteristics (IC)

This annual survey component is the core of the IPEDS collection and is required of all currently operating Title IV postsecondary institutions in the United States and other areas. As the control file for the entire IPEDS data collection, the institutional characteristics or (IC) Survey constitutes the sampling frame for all other NCES surveys of postsecondary institutions. It also helps determine the specific IPEDS screens that are shown to each institution. This component collects the basic institutional data that are necessary to sort and analyze not only the IC DATA, but also all other IPEDS DATAs. IC data are collected for the academic year, which generally extends from September of one calendar year to June of the following year. Specific data elements currently collected for each institution include: institution name, address, telephone number, control or affiliation, calendar system, levels of degrees and awards offered, types of programs, student services, and accreditation.

Source: IPEDS

Instruction Mode

Instruction Mode is the method by which the instruction is delivered (e.g., face-to-face, internet, other electronic media).

Source: THECB

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is the education data collection program used by the U. S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). It is a single, comprehensive data collection system developed to encompass all institutions and organizations whose primary purpose is to provide postsecondary education.

Source: THECB

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), conducted by the NCES, began in 1986 and involves annual institution-level data collections. All postsecondary institutions that have a Program Participation Agreement with the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), U.S. Department of Education (throughout IPEDS referred to as ‘Title IV”) are required to report data using a web-based data collection system . IPEDS currently consists of the following components: Institutional Characteristics (IC); Cost(CST); 12-month Enrollment (E12); Completions (C); admissions (ADM); Student Financial Aid (SFA); Human Resources (HR) composed of Employees by Assigned Position, Fall Staff, and Salaries; Fall Enrollment (EF); Graduation Rates (GR); Outcome Measures (OM); and Finance (F).

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Source: IPEDS

IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System)

The core postsecondary education data collection for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For more information, please view Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

Source: University

K

Keyholder

The person designated by an official institutional representative to have in their possession the necessary UserlD and password to gain access to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data collection system to complete the survey. The keyholder is responsible for entering data and locking the site by each survey completion date.

Source: IPEDS

L

Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR)

Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) are documents developed each biennium in which state agencies and institutions indicate their financial needs for the next biennium to the Legislature.

Source: THECB

Legislative Budget Board (LBB)

Legislative Budget Board (LBB) is an agency that consists of 10 members of the House and Senate. The LBB staff is responsible for a wide range of activities associated with the appropriations process.

Source: THECB

M

Major

Major is a subject-matter area in which a student may specialize by taking a specified number of courses as a part of the requirements for completion of a program of study. It is identified with a four-, six- or eight-digit CIP code of the program in which the associated award is to be conferred.

Source: THECB

Master Data Management

The processes for creating and maintaining a single, accurate version of core business data (such as students, employees, courses, and departments) that is shared across multiple systems.

Source: University

Metadata Management

The planning, implementation, and control of activities to ensure access to high-quality, integrated metadata that describes data structures, business rules, processes, and the meaning of data across the organization.

Source: University

N

Noel Levitz

A postsecondary education consulting firm that regularly conducts trend research and shares its findings widely, including with higher education media, through a variety of information tools.

Source: University

Non- Degree Seeking Student

A student enrolled in courses for credit who is not recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or formal award.

Source: University

Non-Degree-Seeking Student

Non-Degree-Seeking Student a student who is attending a university but who does not intend to work toward a degree. Any student who has been reported as non-degree-seeking will be excluded from an initial graduation cohort. Non-Degree-Seeking Student is reported on the CBM0C1 (UNIV), CBM0E1 (UNIV).

Source: THECB

Non-degree/non-certificate-seeking student (NDGCS)

A student enrolled in courses for credit who is not recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or recognized postsecondary credential.

Source: IPEDS

Non-first-time student (undergraduate)

A student who has previously enrolled at a postsecondary institution (not as a high school student) before enrolling at the IPEDS reporting institution as a degree/certificate-seeking student. Non-first-time cohort includes entering transfer-in students from Fall Enrollment (EF) and 12-month Enrollment (E12) components and also includes students who entered the institution as non-degree/non-certificate-seeking (not as a high school student) but became degree/certificate-seeking during the Outcome Measures (OM) cohort reporting period.

Source: IPEDS

NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement)

Administered by Indiana University, NSSE annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. For more information, please view the National Survey of Student Engagement site.

Source: University

O

Outcome Measures (OM)

This annual component aims to improve the collection of student progression and completion data on a more diverse group of undergraduate students at degree-granting institutions. Award and enrollment statuses are collected on four cohorts (first-time, full-time; first-time, part-time; non-first-time, full-time; and non-first-time, part-time) and on eight subcohorts (based on Pell Grant recipient status) of degree/certificate-seeking students at three points of time (four-, six-, and eight-years after entering the institution).

Source: IPEDS

P

Part-Time student

Undergraduate: A student enrolled for either less than 12 semester or quarter credits, or less than 24 clock hours a week each term. Graduate: A student enrolled for less than 9 semester or quarter credits.

Source: IPEDS

Part-Time Student

Part-Time Student is an undergraduate student enrolled for either 11 semester credits or less or less than 24 contact hours per week each term or a graduate student enrolled for eight semester credits or less.

Source: THECB

Pell Grant program

(Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Part A, Subpart I, as amended.) Provides grant assistance to eligible undergraduate postsecondary students with demonstrated financial need to help meet education expenses.

Source: IPEDS

Persistence Rate

Persistence Rate is the rate at which students persist in higher education, often as measured by the percentage of students who continue in higher education from one year to the succeeding year. To avoid confusion, Persistence Rate replaced the term Retention Rate, which is used in the public education (PK-12) sector as a reference to students who are held back and not promoted to the next grade.

Source: THECB

R

Race/ethnicity

Categories developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) that are used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens.

Individuals are asked to first designate ethnicity as:

– Hispanic or Latino or
– Not Hispanic or Latino

Second, individuals are asked to indicate all races that apply among the following:

– American Indian or Alaska Native
– Asian
– Black or African American
– Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
– White

Source: IPEDS

Retention rate

A measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. For four-year institutions, this is the percentage of first-time bachelors (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the current fall. For all other institutions this is the percentage of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students from the previous fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed their program by the current fall.

Source: IPEDS

Retention Rate

See Persistence Rate.

Source: THECB

S

Semester Credit Hour

Semester Credit Hour (SCH) is a unit of measure representing an hour (50 minutes) of instruction over a 15-week period in a semester or trimester system or a 10-week period in a quarter system.

Source: THECB

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

The regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Latin America and other international sites approved by the Commission on Colleges that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees.

Source: University

Stop-out

Student enrolled in a term, completed the term and didn’t enroll again.

Source: University

Student Financial Aid (SFA)

This annual component of IPEDS began with a pilot test in 1999, and collected both institution price and student financial aid data. The 2000-01 data collection included questions regarding the total number of full-time first-time degree/certificate-students receiving financial assistance for the previous year, the number of those students who received financial assistance by type of aid, and, for aid recipients, the average amounts.

Source: IPEDS

Student-Faculty Ratio

Student-Faculty Ratio is a calculation determined by dividing student FTE by faculty FTE of the same level

Source: THECB

Student-to-faculty ratio

The ratio of FTE students to FTE instructional staff, i.e., students divided by staff. Students enrolled in “stand-alone” graduate or professional programs and instructional staff teaching in these programs are excluded from both full-time and part-time counts. “Stand-alone” graduate or professional programs are those programs such as medicine, law, veterinary, dentistry, social work, or public health, in which faculty teach virtually only graduate-level students (also referred to as “independent’ programs). Each FTE value is equal to the number of full-time students/staff plus 1/3 the number of part-time students/staff.

Source: IPEDS

T

Teaching Load Credit

Teaching Load Credit (TLC) is the part of a faculty member’s workload that is devoted to a class section. Each institution has an established workload policy. T.E.C. Section 51.402(b) requires each university to adopt rules concerning faculty academic workloads and recognizes that important elements of the workload include classroom teaching, basic and applied research, and professional development. The workload rules and regulations of each institution shall be included in their operation budget that is reported to the Coordinating Board. An institution may have different schedules for non-tenure-track and tenure-track faculty as well as for full-time and part-time faculty and it may vary by department, but it should be at least roughly equivalent throughout the university. An example of a normal workload of a full-time, non-tenure-track faculty may be 12 semester credit hours and for a full-time, tenure-track faculty may be 9 semester credit hours for a long term. Adjustments to workload credits may be allowed for various instructionally related assignments, such as supervision of activity and performance courses, supervision of theses and dissertations, and supervision of student teaching, practica, and internships. Teaching of large classes that involve supervision and coordination of teaching assistants, graders, or of multiple laboratory sections may generate a workload adjustment. Also the development of new degree programs or conducting major curriculum revisions may generate workload equivalencies. Each institution has an established workload policy. Teaching Load Credit is reported on the CBM008 (UNIV), CBM0C8.

Source: THECB

Texas Association of Institutional Research (TAIR)

The professional organization supporting institutional research, planning, evaluation, and policy analysis in Texas institutions of higher education. TAIR provides professional development opportunities through its annual conference, pre- and post-conference workshops, and other professional development activates held at various times of the year.

Source: University

Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS)

Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) is a common system of four-letter prefixes and four-digit numbers for freshman- and sophomore-level academic courses offered in Texas public community and technical colleges. Originally developed as a joint project by the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO) and the Gulf Coast Consortium of Community and Technical Colleges, the system has been voluntarily implemented across the state of Texas in an effort by colleges to facilitate the successful transfer of courses taken by students from one college to another. These courses form the basis for the Lower Division Academic Course Guide manual.

Source: THECB

Texas Success Initiative

Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a legislatively mandated program effective September 1, 2003. The TSI, which replaced the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP), gives more flexibility to public higher education institutions in their efforts to ensure that students have the academic skills they need to succeed in higher education. The TSI requires testing of students’ academic skills upon entry into public higher education and appropriate counseling, advice, and opportunities–such as developmental education courses or non-course-based education (e.g., computer-based instruction or tutoring)–for improving those skills. Each college or university is responsible for determining when students have the appropriate skills to succeed in college.

Source: THECB

Title IV aid

Title IV aid to students includes grant aid, work study aid, and loan aid. Current and historical programs include: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant), Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan (formerly the National Direct Student loan or NDSL program), Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) also known as the Stafford Loan (formerly the Guaranteed Student Loan or GSL program), and Subsidized and Unsubsidized William D. Ford Direct Loan.

Source: IPEDS

Total cost of attendance

The sum of the cost of attendance components used to compute the average net price for first-time, full-time degree or certificate seeking students for IPEDS reporting purposes. This amount is typically based on a nine-month period for institutions using a traditional academic calendar. Program reporters provide one month of costs that are annualized in the system for IPEDS reporting purposes.

Source: IPEDS

U

US News and World Report

A college ranking/choice organization that provides students and their families with information specific to college types, departments, and academic programs.

W

Workforce Education

Workforce Education refers to programs offered primarily by community and technical colleges, including technical courses and programs for which semester hours are awarded and vocational courses and programs for which continuing education units are awarded. Workforce education courses and programs prepare students for immediate employment or job upgrade within specific occupational categories.

Source: THECB

Workforce Education Course Manual

Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) is the Coordinating Board’s official statewide inventory of workforce education courses (Technical Course Inventory) for public two-year colleges. Courses appearing on the CBM00C must also appear on this inventory.

Source: THECB