The following is a list of commonly used terms and acronyms that often appear in Institutional Effectiveness data, along with Academic Affairs-related publications. Please contact our office if there are any additional terms that should be included on this list.
Updated July 2021.
A system of interrelated surveys conducted annually by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). IPEDS consists of twelve interrelated survey components that are collected over three collection periods (fall, winter, and spring). The completion of all IPEDS surveys is mandatory for all institutions that participate in, or are applicants for participation in, any federal financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The IPEDS program department of NCES was created in 1992 and began collecting data in 1993.
A student with Residence Status "N" (another state or U.S. possession) or "F" (foreign country).
A student 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.
Indicates the share of a faculty appointment that is supported by state budget funding, including the full appointment fraction (1.0) of a person who is teaching one or more sections and is being paid from state funds budgeted to accounts other than instruction or instructional administration, and reimbursed faculty time. For example, a librarian, administrator, or computer center professional who teaches a course that is funded from the total state support budget would have his/her full appointment time recorded as Other Support Fraction (OSF).
Faculty who are tenured or on tenure track.
The proportion of students from an entering cohort who are enrolled in a subsequent term or year, or have earned a degree. It is the sum of the retention and graduation rate.
A student who holds a bachelor’s or equivalent degree, is at a graduate student level, and is seeking a postbaccalaureate credential or certificate.
A student who meets all the stated academic requirements for admission to the University.
The proportion of students from an entering cohort who continue to be enrolled in a subsequent term or year.
A tracking rate which is the sum of those continuing as undergraduates plus those who earned a degree during a defined period within their original majors.