Academic Year - The time period containing the academic sessions held during consecutive Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters.

American Indian or Alaskan Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.

Asian or Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or Pacific Islands. This includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, American Samoa, India, and Vietnam.

Black, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of Hispanic origin).

CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) - A numerical classification and standard terminology for secondary and postsecondary instructional programs. CIP codes are used by universities nationally to report various instructional program data to the U. S. Department of Education and other government and higher education organizations. CIP Manual

Credit - Recognition of attendance or performance in an instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a recipient toward the requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.

Credit Course - A course that, if successfully completed, can be applied toward the number of courses required for achieving a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.

Credit Hour - A unit of measure representing an hour (50 minutes) of instruction over a 15-week period in a semester or trimester system. It is applied toward the total number of hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.

Degree - An award conferred by a college, university, or other postsecondary education institution as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of studies.

Degree Seeking Student - Students enrolled in courses for credit that are recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or other formal award. At the undergraduate level, this is intended to include students enrolled in vocational or occupational programs.

Enrollment - Registration for coursework and payment of fees constitutes official enrollment. Faculty (INSTRUCTION/RESEARCH/PUBLIC SERVICE) - Persons whose specific assignments customarily are made for the purpose of conducting instruction, research, or public service as a principal activity (or activities), and who hold academic-rank titles of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, lecturer, or the equivalent of any of these academic ranks. If their principal activity is instructional, this category includes deans, directors, or the equivalent, as well as associate deans, assistant deans, and executive officers of academic departments (chairpersons, heads, or the equivalent). Student teachers or research assistants are not included in this category.

First-Time First-Year Student - A student attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term. Also includes students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduation from high school).

First-Time Freshman - An entering freshman who has never attended any college. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term. Also includes students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduation from high school).

First-Time Student - A student attending any institution for the first time at the level enrolled. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended a postsecondary institution for the first time at the same level in the prior summer term. Also includes students who entered with advanced standing (college credit earned before graduation from high school).

First Year Student - A student who has completed less than the equivalent of one full year of undergraduate work; that is, less than 30 semester hours (in a 120-hour degree program) or less than 900 contact hours.

Freshman - A first-year undergraduate student.

Fiscal Year - A twelve-month period running from July 1st through the following June 30th.

Full-Time-Equivalent (F.T.E.) Staff - The total number of full-time staff plus the full-time-equivalent of the part-time staff. The result may be the actual calculation determined by the number of hours worked by all part-time staff divided by the average number of hours worked by a full- time employee. For example, if all part-time employees worked a total of 60 hours in one week and a full-time employee is expected to work 40 hours, the FTE is calculated as 60 ö 40 = 1.50 FTE's. In the absence of a calculated equivalent, FTE's can be approximated by adding one-third of the total number of part-time staff to the full-time count.

Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) Student - Is based on the number of contact hours generated by student enrollment during a term. It is calculated as twelve (12) credit hours per semester for a student. The calculation is Student Credit Hours / 12

Full-Time Instructional Faculty - Instruction/Research staff employed full-time (as defined by the institution) and whose major regular assignment is instruction, including those with released time for research.

Full-Time Staff (Employees) - Persons on the payroll of the institution (or reporting unit) and classified by the institution as full time. Includes faculty on sabbatical leave, and persons who are on leave but remain on the payroll.

Full-Time Student - A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credit hours in a term. Headcount Enrollment - Total of full and part-time student class registrations Hispanic - A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central, or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

IPEDS - The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. IPEDS began in 1986 and involves annual data collections. Survey questionnaires are sent to all postsecondary institutions eligible for federal student financial aid, as determined by the Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education.

NCES - The National Center for Education Statistics, which is the statistical branch of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, a principal operating component of the U.S. Department of Education.

Noncredit Course - A course or activity having no credit applicable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.

Non-Degree Seeking Student - A student enrolled in courses for credit that is not recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or formal award.

Non-Resident 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.

Occupational Program - A program of study consisting of one or more courses, designed to provide the student with sufficient knowledge and skills to perform in a specific occupation.

Out-of-State Student - A student who is not a legal resident of the state in which he/she attends school.

Out-of-State Tuition - The tuition charged by institutions to those students who do not meet the institution's or state's residency requirements.

Part-Time Staff (Employees) - Persons on the payroll of the institution (or reporting unit) and classified by the institution as part time. Students in the College Work-Study Program or casual employees (e.g., persons who are hired to help at registration time or to work in the bookstore for a day or two at the start of a session) are not considered part-time staff.

Part-Time Student - Undergraduate - A student enrolled for either 11 semester credits or less, or 11 quarter credits or less, or less than 24 contact hours a week each term.

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

Performance Indicators - Clearly defined and measurable markers that that assist in assessing and tracking quality.

Perkins Loan Program - (Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Part E, as amended, Public Laws89-329, 92-318, et al; 20 USC 1087aa-1087hh.) Provides low interest loans to eligible postsecondary students (undergraduate, graduate, or professional students) with demonstrated financial need to help meet educational expenses.

Program - A combination of courses and related activities organized for the attainment of broad educational objectives as described by the institution.

Race/Ethnicity - Categories 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. A person may be counted in only one group. The groups used to categorize U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens are as follows: Black, non-Hispanic, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic, White, non-Hispanic.

Remedial Services - Instructional activities designed for students deficient in the general competencies necessary for a regular postsecondary curriculum and educational setting.

Scholarships - Grants- in-aid, trainee stipends, tuition and fee waivers, and prizes to undergraduate students.

Student Persistence - A measure of endurance by students in their continued pursuit of studies (from term to term) towards the completion of an educational goal or training objective.

Undergraduate - A student enrolled in a 4- or 5-year bachelor's degree program, an associate's degree program, or a vocational or technical program below the baccalaureate.

Unduplicated Headcount - a student is counted only once during an academic year (summer term through spring term) regardless of how many terms the student registers for or how many different classes the student takes during that time period.

White, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).