Data Glossary

The Data Governance Council developed this data glossary to establish a common language and understanding of terms related to data across Dickinson. The intent of the glossary is to minimize confusion or misinterpretation of data-related terms. It serves as a comprehensive reference tool that promotes a shared understanding of data-related terminology.

When reviewing terms in the glossary, it is important to note the associated category and sub-category to fully understand the context.

If you have suggested terms or questions, please contact Sarah Burkett.

Enrollment - Admissions

Admitted Students	Applicants that have been granted an official offer to enroll in a postsecondary institution.
Applicant	An individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, non-admission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.
Early Decision	A plan that allows students to apply and be notified of an admission decision (and financial aid offer, if applicable) well in advance of the regular notification date. Applicants agree to accept an offer of admission and, if admitted, to withdraw their applications from other colleges. There are three possible decisions in response to such an application: admitted, denied, or not admitted but forwarded for consideration with the regular applicant pool, without prejudice.
Enrolled Student	Applicants that accepted the offer of admission and secured a position by the specified deadline.
Prospect Student	Student whose name was obtained/purchased (College Board) by Dickinson but the student has not yet made contact with Dickinson directly nor responded to our outreach.
Inquiry Student	Potential Dickinson student who is not yet an applicant but has responded to our contacts and is now an active student in our system.
Waitlist Decision	Rather than receiving an accept or deny decision, an applicant may receive a “waitlist offer” and can decide whether they would like to remain on the wait list. At Dickinson, a recruitment member manages the waitlist.

Enrollment - Financial Aid

Academic Year (AY)	The enrollment period for which aid is awarded. Academic years begin July 1st and end June 30th of the following calendar year.
Cost of Attendance (COA)	Includes direct costs billed by the college- tuition, fees, room and board- and approved indirect costs- books and supplies, travel and personal expenses, and Direct Loan origination fees. Also known as a student budget, the COA determines the maximum amount of financial aid a student may receive.
CSS Profile	Available from the College Board, this document collects additional financial and household information. The Office of Financial Aid uses the CSS Profile to determine a student’s eligibility for Dickinson grant money.
Data Retrieval Tool	Also referred to as the IRS DRT. The Data Retrieval Tool is a feature of the FAFSA which allows applicants to import their finalized federal tax information from a previous year. The IRS DRT is not available for all filing situations, but many families will find it reduces the time they spend completing the FAFSA. Successful use of the IRS DRT can be accepted in lieu of a paper Tax Return Transcript for those families whose applications have been selected for Verification.
Demonstrated Need	The Office of Financial Aid calculates your aid eligibility by looking at the difference between budgeted student costs, and the strength of your family’s financial resources. The formula is Cost of Attendance minus Expected Family Contribution equals Demonstrated Need. (COA – EFC = Need)
Dependent Student	On the FAFSA, a dependent student must report parent financial information.
Direct Loans (Stafford Loans):	Educational loans backed by the US Government through the Department of Education. To apply, you must complete a FAFSA and meet basic eligibility requirements. Borrowing limits vary by academic year.
Direct Loans (Unsubsidized)	Offered to all FAFSA filers who meet basic eligibility requirements, regardless of calculated financial need. Interest accrues from the time of disbursement. Students may make payments on the interest while they are in school or choose to capitalize the interest.
Direct Loans(Subsidized)	Offered if a student has remaining need-based eligibility. The US Government pays the interest on this loan while you are enrolled at least half-time in a Title IV-eligible institution.
Enrollment Status	Academic workload (or course load), as defined by the institution, in which a student is enrolled for a defined academic period. This normally relates to the number of credit hours or clock hours taken by a student during a given academic period (e.g., full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, less-than-half-time).
Expected Direct Costs	Charges included in the Cost of Attendance that the student/family pays directly to the college.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)	The result of calculations determining a family’s financial strength. EFC typically includes parent and student contributions, based on a number of factors. Household size, number of children in college, annual gross income, certain untaxed income, assets and investments are some of the data items considered. The FAFSA and CSS Profile may calculate different EFCs, and both are used in determining a student’s need-based aid eligibility.
Family Financial Responsibility (FFR)	Many schools award institutional need-based scholarships and grants based upon a more comprehensive calculation of family financial circumstances using information provided on the CSS PROFILE or the institution's own financial aid form. This can result in a higher (or lower) figure than the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) might indicate with its Expected Family Contribution (EFC) estimate.
Family Grid	Provides information on household size and the number of students in college. Read guidelines carefully to determine who should be included on your family grid.
Federal Pell Grant	A federal grant provided by the federal government to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need and have an Expected Family Contribution below a certain threshold established by the federal government. The Pell Grant award amount is prorated based on Enrollment Status.
Financial Aid Offer	The offer of financial assistance you will receive, once need analysis has been completed. Financial Aid Awards may include a combination of merit-based scholarships, grant money, work study, and student loans.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)	The Department of Education requires families to file a FAFSA in order to be eligible for federal aid programs, including Unsubsidized Direct and Parent PLUS Loans. The FAFSA may be completed after January 1st of the aid year. Some states use the FAFSA as their application for state grant money; check here for your state’s deadline.
Gift Aid	Funds awarded to the student that do not have to be repaid, unless the student fails to meet certain criteria, such as a service requirement that is specified as a condition of the gift aid or not completing the period for which the aid was awarded. Gift aid can include awards with titles such as grants, scholarships, remissions, awards, waivers, etc. Gift aid can be awarded based upon many factors, including (but not limited to) financial need, academic excellence, athletic, musical, and/or theatrical talent, affiliation with various groups, and/or career aspirations.
Grant	Money awarded to pay for costs related to higher education, which does not have to be repaid.
Independent Student	On the FAFSA, an independent student is not required to report parent financial information.
Indirect Costs	Estimated expenses in the Cost of Attendance that are not paid directly to the institution.
Institutional Job Capacity	Administered by the institution that provides opportunity for part-time employment to students with financial need to help pay their educational expenses. Students are responsible for finding qualified employment. Funds are paid out through a paycheck, as earned.
Master Promissory Note (MPN)	The document you must sign prior to obtaining a student loan. The MPN will outline the terms of the loan including the interest rate, loan period, repayment guidelines, and much more. Students must complete the MPN for any Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, or Perkins loans they accept.
Merit Scholarship	A form of grant money awarded based on demonstrated academic achievement, community involvement, and extracurricular talent. Merit scholarships are not need-based.
Need	The student's Cost of Attendance minus their Expected Family Contribution, or Family Financial Responsibility (if applicable).
Need-Based Aid	Financial assistance offered on the basis of a family’s demonstrated need. May include institutional grants, Pell grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants, work study, and federal loans.
Need-Sensitive	Toward the end of the admissions process, the Office of Financial Aid finds it most reasonable to be sensitive to need as we select candidates for admission. Rather than admit students whose need we cannot meet, and ask them to take on cumbersome educational loans, we strive to make a Dickinson education affordable for every admitted student.
Net Price	Amount of direct and indirect costs remaining after all Gift Aid is applied. Net price can be covered through a variety of sources, including savings, income, and education loans.
Net Price Calculator	Provides an estimate of your need-based aid eligibility.
Non-Custodial Parent Statement	If your natural parents are divorced, your custodial parent’s information will be included on the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Your non-custodial parent will be asked to provide financial information through the College Board.
Number in College	The number of dependent children in your parent’s household, who are enrolled at least half-time as matriculated students in a degree- or certificate-seeking program, at a Title IV-eligible institution.
PLUS Loan	A federal educational loan available for parents of dependent students. Parent applicant must not have an adverse credit history as defined by the Department of Education.
Prior-Prior Year	Started in 2017-2018, the FAFSA began collecting federal tax data from two years prior. Therefore, for the 2021-2022 academic year, the FAFSA calculation will be based on 2019 tax returns, but will still request information on current assets, household size, and number of students in college. Whenever possible, we encourage families to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to complete the FAFSA.
Private Educational Loan	Available through private lenders such as banks and credit unions, these loans provide financing options to families paying for higher education.
Scholarship	Money given to a student to pay for costs related to higher education, which the student does not have to repay.
Self-help	An institution's expectation that a student contributes toward their education using a combination of loans, student employment such as Federal Work-Study, and/or summer savings.
Stafford Loans	(Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV-B, as amended, Public Law 89-329; 20 USC 1071.) Provides guaranteed loans for educational expenses from eligible lenders to vocational or academic undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional students at eligible postsecondary institutions.
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG):	Additional grant money awarded to students who have received a federal Pell grant.
Tax Account Transcript	Similar to a tax return transcript but includes a running total of the individual’s tax account.
Tax Return Transcript	The official receipt of tax return processing from the IRS. A transcript is available based on calendar year.
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.
Title IV Eligible	Determines if the student and the institution are eligible to receive federal need-based financial aid. Basic eligibility criteria include demonstrated financial need, enrollment in an eligible degree program, U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizenship, and more.
Unmet Need	The student's Cost of Attendance, minus their Expected Family Contribution or Family Financial Responsibility (if applicable), less any need-based aid received, such as Gift Aid, Federal WorkStudy or Federal Direct Subsidized Loans.
Verification	A federally mandated process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by selected applicants on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To complete the verification process, the student, their parent(s), or spouse, if applicable, are required to provide certain documents to the school for review. If the documentation the student provides the institution doesn't match what was reported on the FAFSA, verification can result in changes to the student's financial aid eligibility, and/or financial aid offers.
Work Study	A federal need-based program that allows a student to work on-campus, or with select campus partners. Earnings are considered part of the self-help financial aid award and may be used for direct billed costs, or other costs associated with a student’s living expenses. Certain on-campus jobs are reserved for students who have been awarded work study.

Finance - Budget

12-Quarter Moving Average (Endowment)	Average market endowment balances as of the end of the preceding 12 calendar quarter ends are used to determine the endowment income for distribution and use based on the college’s spending rate.
Auxiliaries	Business units, or portions of business units, functioning within Dickinson that operate outside of the college’s primary function of instruction. These can be profit or service centers. Examples include retail outlets, event, dining, catering, and mail services departments, childcare centers, and similar functions.
Budget Officer	An employee empowered by college leadership to oversee allocated college assets either through the operating budget or restricted funds. Budget officers have authority within the expectations of the division leader to use allocated assets to best meet their departmental needs and the college’s mission.
Budget Proxy	An employee empowered by a budget officer to assist in overseeing their responsibilities as budget officer. A proxy can be empowered up to the same level of responsibility as a budget officer as determined by the budget officer in accordance with their respective division leadership.
Capital Budget	Funding and expenditures for high-cost projects such as those to construct or improve long-lived assets such as buildings.
Debt Service	Principal and interest paid to bondholders and related amortization of debt holdings.
Deferred Maintenance	The financial value of regularly scheduled maintenance on physical assets that is not performed, usually due to financial constraints.
Discount Rate	Total institutional grant dollars divided by gross tuition and mandatory fees.
Endowment	Gifts carrying donor stipulations or internally designated funding invested for a specified purpose whereby the principal is invested in assumed perpetuity with generated income used to support programs and other initiatives based on campus policy in compliance within state legal requirements.
Net Student Fees Revenue	Gross tuition, fees, room, and board minus financial aid.
Net Tuition Revenue	Gross tuition and mandatory fees minus financial aid.
Operating Budget	An annual allocation of funding authorized by Dickinson’s shared governance system and allocated internally by college leadership to be overseen by departmental budget officers and proxies.
Quasi-Endowment (Funds Functioning as Endowment)	Internally designated and invested funding within the college’s endowment that may be restricted or unrestricted. This investment is not obligated to be permanent and college’s Board of Trustees and/or management may reverse this designation.
Restricted Funds	Funds carrying donor or other contractual agreements for their allowed use. Restrictions can be internal or external as well as permanent or temporary in nature.
Spending Rate (Endowment)	The portion of the endowment that is withdrawn for use each year which is generally expressed as a percentage.
Unrestricted Funds	Funding that can be used for any aligned business purpose in accordance with the college’s mission as permitted by divisional and delegated departmental authority by budget officers. Funding can be self-generated or come from an outside entity but carry no restrictions on their specific use. An operating budget typically consists of unrestricted funds.

Finance - Accounts Receivable

Disbursement Notifications	The federal government requires a disbursement notification to be sent to the borrower/student within three days of the disbursement begin applied to the account.
E-Billing	E-Billing is an electronic statement available to all current students with access to the Gateway and the E-Billing and Financial Aid Channel of the Gateway. All students with monthly invoices generated receive an email notification to their Dickinson email account alerting them of a new invoice to view. The retention of the E-Bill is a 12-month period.
Finance Charges	If there is a carry forward balance on either a student or non-student monthly invoice, there is a finance charge of 1.5% applied to the carry forward aged balance.
Food/Meal Plan/Board	Description related to the fee associated with the assigned food plan a student is using during a semester.
Holds on Accounts	A hold on an account represents that the account holder has requirements that are incomplete. The account holder needs to contact student accounts to complete the requirements for the hold to be released.
Housing/Room	Description related to the fee associated with the assigned room where a student is residing during a semester.
Institutional Loan	Type of loan that is funded by the College, not an outside lender or a federal lender. The types of institutional loans currently offered are student only loans: the Abe & Cora Hurwitz loan and the Dickinson Institutional loan
Late Fees	A late fee is a flat dollar amount applied to any account with a balance prior to the start of the new term.
Monthly Invoice Heading/Category Descriptions	Carry Forward Balance - a balance that has been carried forward from a prior month and is considered past due. Current Charges/Credits - current activity for the month to be paid on or before the due date listed on that invoice. Authorized Aid - aid that is pending release to the account on a specific release date, generally 10 days prior to the start of the term per Federal Regulations. Memoed Aid - aid that requires additional action from the student to release to the account on a specific release date once all requirements have been met.
Proxy/Parent Proxy/Proxy User	This applies to where a student has registered another person(s) to have access to specific information related to their student record, the account, financial aid or academic records. Most register proxy users to view and pay the student account monthly invoice.
Monthly Invoice/Statement/Bill	Monthly notice of outstanding charge(s) for tuition/fees/housing/food that needs to be paid or to denote a credit balance on the account. There are two types of invoices created. 1. student invoice and 2. external/non-student invoice. A student invoice is generated monthly (beginning of the month) to any student with activity on their account carried forward or within the prior month of the current billing. An external/non-student invoice is generated monthly (mid-month) to a person or entity not a student with activity on their account carried forward or within the prior month of the current billing.
1098T Tuition Statement	Yearly, Dickinson College reports to the IRS and sends to the recipient the 1098T tuition statements of any student whose account reflects payments for tuition and applicable fees for the specific reported tax year.
Collection Agencies	Collection agencies are used to collect on past due debt owed by a former student on their student account or on a loan in arrears.
Loan Servicer for Institutional Loans	The loan servicer for Dickinson College Institutional loans is Heartland ECSI (servicing the Abe & Cora Hurwitz loans, Dickinson Institutional loans, and remaining federal Perkins loans).
Monthly Payment Plan/Interest Free Monthly Payment Plan	An interest free, 3-5 month payment plan per semester through a third party where the payer enrolls in the plan by semester, paying a nominal enrollment fee and contracts to pay their budgeted amount within the 3-5 month payment terms (based on their enrollment date), thus allowing the payer to pay the tuition and fees over a period of contracted months vs a one-time large payment; or the payer can combine their total payment of their tuition and fees between the payment plan and loans or another method of payment of choice.
Payment Methods	There are several payment methods offered by the institution: 1.) cash or check; 2.) electronic payments through the payment processor, ACI Payments, Inc (credit/debit/ACH); 3.) Flywire for our international students/families; 4.) Wire transfer
Tuition Insurance	An additional insurance policy a person enrolls in with an authorized third party (GradGuard) prior to the beginning of each semester to allow for the refunding (up to 100%) of the family out-of-pocket expenses due to the possibility of the student needing to withdrawal at any point during that semester.
Tuition Pre-payment/529 Plans	When a person is enrolled in a 529 plan or a pre-payment type plan with the intention of using those funds invested for a future use an institution of higher education.
Use of Legal Names	With the federal requirements to send 1098T files to the IRS and for the collection of account balances or loans, Student Accounts is required to use the account holder/borrowers legal name for the purpose of reporting to the IRS or for the legality of collecting on a debt from the account holder/borrower.
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)	Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) as the body authorized to establish accounting standards. In practice it defers to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) for the setting of accounting standards for local and state government entities.

Human Resources - Benefits

Casual Fringe Benefit Rate	7.65% - includes workers comp, unemployment, FICA, Medicare
Flexcomp	Dickinson recognizes that the kinds of benefits needed by employees and their families depend on their own special circumstances and that these change over time. For this reason, each year Dickinson uses a flexible approach to providing benefits in which employees elect for themselves the benefits they want and what costs they are willing to incur. This approach is called Flexcomp, a cafeteria-type benefits plan that operates under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code.
FT Fringe Benefit Rate	40.23% - includes workers comp, unemployment, FICA, Medicare, retirement, health, dental, vision insurances, disability, life insurance, EAP
PT Fringe Benefit Rate	over 1000 hours - 15.9%; under 1000 hours - 7.65% - includes workers comp, unemployment, FICA, Medicare, retirement (over 1000 hours only)
Retirement Status	To attain retired status, an employe must meet one of the following criteria: (a) Be age 60 with at least 10 years of service OR (b) have 20 years of service and have reached age 55.

Human Resources - Employee (Staff/Faculty)

Academic Rank	A status designated by the institution according to the institution's policies. According to AAUP and IPEDS, both surveys include the ranks of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor, and Lecturer.
Employee (for reporting)	Report requests should specify FT, PT and/or casual employees as well as exempt and/or non-exempt.
Faculty	Various survey's define 'faculty' in different ways. AAUP says to report faculty at their regular salaries (even if they are receiving a reduced salary). Faculty on leave without pay are not reported. Replacement faculty for those on leave without pay should not be reported if FT. IPED's says to report all faculty on payroll, but not report those on leave without pay.
Instructional Activity	The total number of credit and clock hours all students are engaged in during the specified period.
Not on Tenure Track	Personnel positions that are considered non-tenure earning positions.
Tenure	Status of a personnel position with respect to permanence of the position.
Tenure Track	Personnel positions that lead to consideration for tenure.

Student - Academic Record

Disbursement Notifications	The federal government requires a disbursement notification to be sent to the borrower/student within three days of the disbursement begin applied to the account.
E-Billing	E-Billing is an electronic statement available to all current students with access to the Gateway and the E-Billing and Financial Aid Channel of the Gateway. All students with monthly invoices generated receive an email notification to their Dickinson email account alerting them of a new invoice to view. The retention of the E-Bill is a 12-month period.
Finance Charges	If there is a carry forward balance on either a student or non-student monthly invoice, there is a finance charge of 1.5% applied to the carry forward aged balance.
Food/Meal Plan/Board	Description related to the fee associated with the assigned food plan a student is using during a semester.
Holds on Accounts	A hold on an account represents that the account holder has requirements that are incomplete. The account holder needs to contact student accounts to complete the requirements for the hold to be released.
Housing/Room	Description related to the fee associated with the assigned room where a student is residing during a semester.
Institutional Loan	Type of loan that is funded by the College, not an outside lender or a federal lender. The types of institutional loans currently offered are student only loans: the Abe & Cora Hurwitz loan and the Dickinson Institutional loan
Late Fees	A late fee is a flat dollar amount applied to any account with a balance prior to the start of the new term.
Monthly Invoice Heading/Category Descriptions	Carry Forward Balance - a balance that has been carried forward from a prior month and is considered past due. Current Charges/Credits - current activity for the month to be paid on or before the due date listed on that invoice. Authorized Aid - aid that is pending release to the account on a specific release date, generally 10 days prior to the start of the term per Federal Regulations. Memoed Aid - aid that requires additional action from the student to release to the account on a specific release date once all requirements have been met.
Proxy/Parent Proxy/Proxy User	This applies to where a student has registered another person(s) to have access to specific information related to their student record, the account, financial aid or academic records. Most register proxy users to view and pay the student account monthly invoice.
Monthly Invoice/Statement/Bill	Monthly notice of outstanding charge(s) for tuition/fees/housing/food that needs to be paid or to denote a credit balance on the account. There are two types of invoices created. 1. student invoice and 2. external/non-student invoice. A student invoice is generated monthly (beginning of the month) to any student with activity on their account carried forward or within the prior month of the current billing. An external/non-student invoice is generated monthly (mid-month) to a person or entity not a student with activity on their account carried forward or within the prior month of the current billing.
1098T Tuition Statement	Yearly, Dickinson College reports to the IRS and sends to the recipient the 1098T tuition statements of any student whose account reflects payments for tuition and applicable fees for the specific reported tax year.
Collection Agencies	Collection agencies are used to collect on past due debt owed by a former student on their student account or on a loan in arrears.
Loan Servicer for Institutional Loans	The loan servicer for Dickinson College Institutional loans is Heartland ECSI (servicing the Abe & Cora Hurwitz loans, Dickinson Institutional loans, and remaining federal Perkins loans).
Monthly Payment Plan/Interest Free Monthly Payment Plan	An interest free, 3-5 month payment plan per semester through a third party where the payer enrolls in the plan by semester, paying a nominal enrollment fee and contracts to pay their budgeted amount within the 3-5 month payment terms (based on their enrollment date), thus allowing the payer to pay the tuition and fees over a period of contracted months vs a one-time large payment; or the payer can combine their total payment of their tuition and fees between the payment plan and loans or another method of payment of choice.
Payment Methods	There are several payment methods offered by the institution: 1.) cash or check; 2.) electronic payments through the payment processor, ACI Payments, Inc (credit/debit/ACH); 3.) Flywire for our international students/families; 4.) Wire transfer
Tuition Insurance	An additional insurance policy a person enrolls in with an authorized third party (GradGuard) prior to the beginning of each semester to allow for the refunding (up to 100%) of the family out-of-pocket expenses due to the possibility of the student needing to withdrawal at any point during that semester.
Tuition Pre-payment/529 Plans	When a person is enrolled in a 529 plan or a pre-payment type plan with the intention of using those funds invested for a future use an institution of higher education.
Use of Legal Names	With the federal requirements to send 1098T files to the IRS and for the collection of account balances or loans, Student Accounts is required to use the account holder/borrowers legal name for the purpose of reporting to the IRS or for the legality of collecting on a debt from the account holder/borrower.
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)	Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) as the body authorized to establish accounting standards. In practice it defers to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) for the setting of accounting standards for local and state government entities.

Student - General

Academic Bulletin	This is the course catalog that includes all major, minor, certificate requirements, as well as a listing of all courses which have been approved to be offered.
Academic Year	Period of time from late August through late May which includes the fall and spring semesters.
Advisor	A faculty member or other college official assigned to a student to help guide them through their requirements for the degree and college life in general.
Campus	Location where courses are offered. At Dickinson each of our abroad programs is coded with it's own campus.
Certificate	A field of concentration, typically with a specific progression of 6-8 courses. A certificate is not required for graduation.
Concentration	Grouping of courses within a major. Currently, a concentration is only required for ten majors at Dickinson.
Course Schedule	The list of classes offered in a term, including day/time/room and instructor details.
Credit	Value assigned to each course - varies from .25 to 2 - most courses at Dickinson carry one credit which is the equivalent of four semester hours.
First-Generation	In order to be considered “first-generation” by Dickinson, no parent can possess a bachelor’s degree.
Major	A field of concentration, typically between 10-16 courses. At least one major is required for graduation.
Matriculated	When a student has been admitted by Admissions and is pursuing a degree.
Minor	A field of concentration typically comprised of six courses. A minor is not required for graduation.
Non-matriculated	A student who is not pursuing a degree. Non-matriculated students can take a maximum a four-courses for credit before having to matriculate.
Part of Term	Unique codes to distinguish parts within a term. At Dickinson each of our abroad programs is coded with its own part-of-term; typically, the codes for part of term and campus are the same.
Term	Period of time in which classes are offered, ie. semester - fall and spring terms are 15 weeks in length; summer terms are 5 weeks in length.

Student - Registration

Add/Drop Period	Typically, the first week of classes (Monday-Sunday) when students can add and drop courses to make final changes to their course schedule for the term.
Audit	To take a course without receiving academic credit. Audited courses that are completed by the student appear on their transcript with a grade of AU but do not calculate in their grade point average.
Capacity	The maximum number of students permitted to register for a class.
Co-requisite	A course that must be taken at the same time as another course.
Course Request Period (CRP)	3-day period in late March/early April and in late October/early November where students request four courses they would like to take in the upcoming semester; incoming first-year and transfer students have a 5-day period in July.
Course Request Processing	Approximately 3-week period immediately following the course request period where the provost office determines any changes needed in sections based on demand and then the Registrar's Office drops students (who can't be moved to alternate sections) from overenrolled sections based on priorities set by academic departments.
Course Withdrawal	When a student drops a course after the add/drop period ends. A W grade is notated on the transcript.
Full-Time (FT) Status (students)	Students with a minimum of three registered course credits in the fall/spring semesters.
Independent Study/Independent Research/Student-Faculty Research	Coursework where an individual student works with a faculty member.
Internship (INTR)	Non-credit notation on a student's transcript for completing the Internship Notation Program (INP) which can count toward some department's requirements.
Override	A code assigned by the faculty member to permit a student to register for a class despite not meeting a restriction - i.e., capacity, class year, major, prerequisite, etc.
Part-Time (PT) Status (students)	Students with fewer than three registered course credits in the fall/spring semesters.
Placement Test	An exam used to determine a student's academic ability so they can register for the appropriate level of a course.
Prerequisite	A course or other requirement that must be completed prior to taking another course.
Priorities	Criteria set by departments used by the Registrar's Office to determine which students are dropped from overenrolled sections during processing - these can be based on class year, major, prior drops, etc.
Research Experience (REXP)	Non-credit notation on a student's transcript for completing non-credit scholarly research experiences under the supervision of a professional researcher at Dickinson or at another institution.
Schedule Adjustment Period	The period following course request processing where students can add/drop classes in real time based on space availability. This lasts until the add/drop period, except in the summer when upperclass students' access to make changes is removed during First year (FY)/Transfer (TR) course request period/processing. FY/TR students have a 2.5-week schedule adjustment period in August

Student - Reporting

Adjusted Cohort	The result of removing any allowable exclusions from a cohort (or subcohort).
CIP Code	A six-digit code in the form xx.xxxx that identifies instructional program specialties within educational institutions.
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.
Clock Hour	A period of time consisting of (1) A 50- to 60-minute class, lecture, or recitation in a 60-minute period; (2) A 50- to 60-minute faculty-supervised laboratory, shop training, or internship in a 60-minute period; or (3) Sixty minutes of preparation in a correspondence course.
Clock Hour Activity	The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of clock hours.
Cohort	A specific group of students established for tracking purposes.
Cohort Year	The year that a cohort of students begins attending college.
Comparison Group	The group of peer institutions used for comparison purposes. Comparison groups may be identified by the analyst by name or they may be built by using characteristics (variables), or they may be automatically generated by the system. Also referred to as a peer group.
Completers within 150% of Normal Time	Students who completed their program within 150% of the normal (or expected) time for completion.
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.
Credit Hour Activity	The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of credit hours.
Data Dictionary	A file or a list that contains all known information about variables such as format, data type, field width, and source.
Distance Education Program	A program for which all the required coursework for program completion is able to be completed via distance education courses.
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.
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.
Exclusions	Those students who may be removed (deleted) from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Graduation Rates, Outcome Measures, and Fall Enrollment retention rate reporting, students may be removed from a cohort if they left the institution for one of the following reasons: death or total and permanent disability; service in the armed forces (including those called to active duty); service with a foreign aid service of the federal government, such as the Peace Corps; or service on official church missions.
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.
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.
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 gender; 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.
Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS)	The Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) system was conducted by the NCES between 1966 and 1985. This system was comprised of several surveys of institutions that were accredited at the college level by an agency recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. These surveys collected institution-level data on such topics as institutional characteristics, enrollment, degrees conferred, salaries, employees, financial statistics, libraries, and others. HEGIS surveys were sent to approximately 3,400 accredited institutions of higher education.
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)	Programs designed to augment the service academies in producing leaders and managers for the armed forces. Each branch of the service has a specific set of courses and training that a student must complete prior to becoming a commissioned officer. ROTC programs allow students to do this while completing their college education. Upon graduation members are commissioned (certified) by the President of the United States to serve as an officer in active, reserve or guard components of each branch
Stop Out	A student who left the institution and returned at a later date.
Student Right-to-Know Act	Also known as the 'Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act' (P.L. 101-542), which was passed by Congress November 9, 1990. Title I, Section 103, requires institutions eligible for Title IV funding to calculate completion or graduation rates of certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time students entering that institution, and to disclose these rates to all students and prospective students. Further, Section 104 requires each institution that participates in any Title IV program and is attended by students receiving athletically-related student aid to submit a report to the Secretary of Education annually. This report is to contain, among other things, graduation/completion rates of all students as well as students receiving athletically-related student aid by race/ethnicity and gender and by sport, and the average completion or graduation rate for the four most recent years. These data are also required to be disclosed to parents, coaches, and potential student athletes when the institution offers athletically-related student aid. The Graduation Rates component of IPEDS was developed specifically to help institutions respond to these requirements. See Graduation Rates for the current description of data collected.