Data Dictionary is a tool used to provide a standardized way of defining the key terms. This helps maintain consistency among departments for how the Institute defines these terms which contribute to the way in which we define data.

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A

Academic advisement
Plan under which each student is assigned to a faculty member or a trained advisor, who, through regular meetings, helps the student plan and implement immediate and long-term academic and vocational goals.
Academic Common Market student
A student from another state who has been certified by his or her state to participate in an approved academic program in a Virginia institution.
Academic Program
An academic program is a coherent set of courses leading to a credential (degree, diploma, or certificate) awarded by the institution.
Academic Rank
Categorization of faculty positions, which include tenure/tenure-track and non-tenure-track positions. Tenured and tenure-track positions are usually classified as assistant professor, associate professor and professor; non-tenure-track positions are usually classified as instructor, clinical professor, professor of practice, coordinator, research professor, and adjunct teaching appointments.
Academic Unit
An academic unit is equivalent to a department, division, college, or school.
Academic Year
An academic year usually consists of summer, fall, and spring semesters (in that order). This is based upon federal government definitions.
Accepted
Formally offered admission for the reporting semester or quarter.
ACT Composite Score
The American College Test (ACT) composite score is an average score based on the four ACT assessment tests (English, Math, Reading, Science).
Active duty military
A person on full-time active duty pursuant to military orders in one of the United States services (Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard).
Admitted student
Applicant who is offered admission to a degree-granting program at an institution.
Aid Year
Displays financial aid (academic) year for student.
American Indian or Alaska Native
A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America)   who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment. American Indian or Alaska Native (old definition) – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
Applicant
An individual who completed the necessary requirements for application for admission to the reporting institution; someone who reached the point where the final decision is made to accept or reject his/her application.
Applicant (first time, first year)
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, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn (by applicant or institution).
Application Status
The status of the admissions application.
Applied
Completed all necessary requirements for application and reached the point where the final decision is made to accept or reject the application.
Asian
Asian (new definition) – A non-Hispanic person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Assessment
A systematic process of establishing learning outcomes, collecting data in relation to those outcomes, synthesizing the results, and interpreting the results to identify areas of continuous improvement AND to determine if learning outcomes were achieved. This process focuses on student’s knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with an experience, so the results are used to improve or enhance learning.
Assessment Measure (Tool)
Tools used to collect information about student learning and performance to determine if an outcome was met and identify continuous improvement efforts (e.g., exams, writing assignments, surveys, focus groups, presentations, etc.).
Assistant Professor
Faculty who meet the following requirements: Earned doctorate from an accredited institution in the instructional discipline or related area (or Master’s degree in the instructional discipline when that Master’s degree is the recognized terminal degree in that instructional discipline); Master’s degree in the instructional discipline or related area plus 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) beyond the Master’s in that instructional discipline or related areas plus appropriate professional experience in the instructional discipline or related area; potential ability in instruction, public service, and research.
Associate degree
An award that normally requires at least two but less than four years of full-time equivalent college work. (CDS)  An award that normally requires at least two but fewer than four years of full-time equivalent college work.  (IPEDS)
Associate Professor
Faculty who meet the following requirements: Earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree from an accredited institution in the instructional discipline or related area plus five years of appropriate professional experience in the instructional discipline or related area; documented ability in instruction, public service, and research.
Average Net Price
As defined by the federal government, Net Price is the amount that a first-time, full-time, degree-seeing student pays to attend an institution in a single academic year AFTER subtracting scholarships and grants the student receives. Scholarships and grants are forms of financial aid that a student does not have to pay back.

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B

Bachelor’s degree
An award (baccalaureate or equivalent degree, as determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education) that normally requires at least four years but not more than five years of full-time equivalent college-level work. This includes ALL bachelor’s degrees conferred in a five-year cooperative (work-study plan) program. (A cooperative plan provides for alternate class attendance and employment in business, industry, or government; thus, it allows students to combine actual work experience with their college studies.) Also, it includes bachelor’s degrees in which the normal four years of work are completed in three years.
Black or African American Black, non-Hispanic
Black or African American (new definition) – A non-Hispanic person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Black, non-Hispanic (old definition) – A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of Hispanic origin).
Books and supplies (costs)
Average cost of books and supplies. Do not include unusual costs for special groups of students (e.g., engineering or art majors), unless they constitute the majority of students at your institution.

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C

Calendar system
The method by which an institution structures most of its courses for the academic year.
Carnegie units
One year of study or the equivalent in a secondary school subject.
Census date
The date when the number of students enrolled in each class and section is counted.  For semester terms, the census date shall be no sooner than the end of the fourteenth calendar day from the beginning of the term.
CIP Code
Classification of Instructional Program code. Associated with courses and majors. Describes the general content or subject matter of a course or major.

NOTE: Based on a coding system created by the National Center for Education Statistics, to standardize reporting of course and majors nationally. A CIP Code is assigned to both the course and the major.
Class Equivalent
Refers to the student classification at VMI

  • First Class: Senior
  • Second Class: Junior
  • Third Class: Sophomore
  • Rat/Fourth Class: Freshman
NOTE: See Student Level definition
Class rank
The relative numerical position of a student in his or her graduating class, calculated by the high school on the basis of grade-point average, whether weighted or unweighted.
Commissioning Cadet
A cadet (graduate) who, after graduation, commissions into one of the branches of the armed forces (military).
Common Data Set (CDS)
Standardized method of compiling and reporting of information by academic institutions. Information presented in the CDS includes: enrollments and degrees conferred, profile of first-year students, statistics and policies on transfers, academic offerings and policies, student life, annual expenses, financial aid, faculty, and class sizes.
Comparator
Term used for benchmarks, historical trends, peer comparisons, or for other bases of comparison.
Concentration
An approved grouping of courses that provides a focus to the students’ time and course selection in a specific area of their major. A concentration is included on a student’s transcript.
Contact hour
A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to as clock hour.
Continuous Improvement
Efforts made/actions taken by departments, offices, programs, and services to better achieve their mission, goals, objectives, and outcomes based on the findings from assessment and evaluation activities.
Core Curriculum Courses
Courses designed to introduce students to the fundamental knowledge, skills and values essential to the study of academic disciplines.
Cost of Attendance / Student Budgets for Financial Aid
Used for financial aid purposes. A budget developed by student based on cost of attendance components, hours enrolled, length of semester, cost of program and other factors.
Course Level
Level of a course based on the bulletin number. Lower division courses are numbered 100 to 200 and upper division courses are numbered 300 to 499.
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 or a 10-week period in a quarter system. It is applied toward the total number of hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Cross-Listed Course
A course with the same subject matter and is taught by two distinct departments and is able to fulfill a major, minor, or program requirement.

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D

Deferred admission
The practice of permitting admitted students to postpone enrollment, usually for a period of one academic term or one year.
Degree
An award conferred by a college, university, or other post-secondary educational institution as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of studies.
Degree-seeking students
Students enrolled in courses for credit who are recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or formal award.
Differs by program (calendar system)
A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that have occupational/vocational programs of varying length. These schools may enroll students at specific times depending on the program desired. For example, a school might offer a two-month program in January, March, May, September, and November; and a three-month program in January, April, and October.
Diploma
See Postsecondary award or certificate.
Direct Assessment (Measure of Assessment)
An assignment or tool that directly assesses a student’s knowledge, skills, or abilities and are generally a course assignment (e.g., exam, quiz, writing assignment, presentation, debate, journaling, etc.).
Domestic student exchange
A program of study eligible to matriculated students at Virginia institutions that allows them to pursue full-time study at another institution within the United States of America, and apply all course work taken at that institution during the official period of student exchange toward their intended degree at their home institution in Virginia.
Domicile
The present, fixed home of an individual to which he or she returns following temporary absences and at which he or she intends to stay indefinitely.  No individual may have more than one domicile at a time.  Domicile, once established, shall not be affected by mere transient or temporary presence in another jurisdiction.
Double major
Program in which students may complete two undergraduate programs of study simultaneously.

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E

Early action plan
An admission plan that allows students to apply and be notified of an admission decision well in advance of the regular notification dates. If admitted, the candidate is not committed to enroll; the student may reply to the offer under the college’s regular reply policy.
Early admission
A policy under which students who have not completed high school are admitted and enroll full time in college, usually after completion of their junior year.
Early decision plan
A plan that permits 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 for early decision applicants: admitted, denied, or not admitted but forwarded for consideration with the regular applicant pool, without prejudice.
Enrolled
Registered for more than zero credit hours on the census date for which a report is completed.
Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino or Spanish origin is defined as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Evaluation
A systematic process to ascertain, judge, or measure student’s learning and understanding of materials. This also can be used to assert how well a program is performing in relation to their mission, vision, values, goals, and objectives.
Extracurricular activities (as admission factor)
Special consideration in the admissions process given for participation in both school and nonschool-related activities of interest to the college, such as clubs, hobbies, student government, athletics, performing arts, etc.

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F

Faculty (instruction/research)
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.
FICE code
The Federal Interagency Committee on Education code is six-digit institutional identifier assigned to each higher education (two-year and above) institution by the Federal Interagency Committee on Education.
First-time enrolled 
Enrolled in the reporting institution for the first time for the reporting semester or quarter. 2) A student who entered with advanced standing due to college credits earned before graduation from high school, regardless of the number of credits earned.
First-Time Freshman
An individual who is enrolled at a post-secondary school after graduation from high school or the awarding of a GED. NOTE: The first-time freshmen cohort is determined by taking first time students starting in the summer and continue in the fall term plus first-time students starting in the fall.

Freshman
An institutionally determined academic level typically based on the number of course credit hours a student has completed; the term generally indicates a student in the first year of a bachelor’s degree or occupational or technical program. At VMI, this is type of student is referred to as Rat or Fourth Class student.
First-Time, Full-Time, Degree-Seeking Freshman (Freshman Cohort)
A student who has never attended college, who graduated high school during the spring before the fall semester, and who is seeking a college degree. This designator is defined by the federal government and is the method by which the Freshman Cohort is selected and tracked.
Formative Assessment
In this form of assessment, professors or instructors provide feedback to students as they progress throughout a semester or an assignment. For example, a professor scaffolds a writing assignment throughout the semester, providing feedback to students along the way to enhance learning and provide feedback to improve the learning process.
FTE, Annual
A calculation of enrollment based on total credit hours taken by undergraduates and first professionals divided by 30 and added to total graduate credit hours divided by 24. Includes summer term enrollments and all on- and off-campus activity.  Tuition waiver courses (designated by a TYPECRD of “T” on the Course Enrollment Part 2 file) and audited courses (designated by a TYPECRD of “A” or a CRSGRD of “Audit” on the Course Enrollment Part 2 file) are not included as credit hours in FTE calculations.
FTE, Regular Session
A calculation of enrollment based on total credit hours taken by undergraduates and first professionals divided by 30 and added to total graduate credit hours divided by 24. Includes fall and spring semesters only, does not include summer term enrollments. May be broken out by on- and off-campus activity, as required or so designated. Tuition waiver courses (designated by a TYPECRD of “T” on the Course Enrollment Part 2 file) and audited courses (designated by a TYPECRD of “A” or a CRSGRD of “Audit” on the Course Enrollment Part 2 file) are not included as credit hours in FTE calculations.
Full-time student 
An undergraduate or first professional student enrolled for twelve or more credit hours in a semester or quarter, or a graduate student enrolled for nine or more credit hours in a semester or quarter.
Full-time student (undergraduate) 
A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits, 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 or more contact hours a week each term.
Full-time-equivalent student (FTE) 
A statistic derived from the student-credit hour productivity of an institution.

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G

Geographical residence (as admission factor)
Special consideration in the admission process given to students from a particular region, state, or country of residence.
Grade-point average (academic high school GPA) 
The sum of grade points a student has earned in secondary school divided by the number of courses taken. The most common system of assigning numbers to grades counts four points for an A, three points for a B, two points for a C, one point for a D, and no points for an E or F. Unweighted GPAs assign the same weight to each course. Weighting gives students additional points for their grades in advanced or honors courses.
GPA, Cumulative
The grade point average calculated on all credit-bearing work attempted at the institution. A calculated field that takes the total quality points earned and divides by the GPA hours.
GPA, Term
The grade point average calculated on all credit-bearing work attempted at the institution for a given semester or term. A calculated field that takes the total quality points earned and divides by the GPA hours. 

Graduation Date
Date a degree is officially conferred to a graduating student. Usually it is the last day of the semester. VMI confers degrees two times a year: at the end of fall (December), spring (May).
Graduation Rate
First-time, full-time, degree-seeking fall freshmen and summer first-time freshmen (Freshman Cohort) who graduate. The federal government 4-year (100%), 6-year (150%), and 8-year (200%) rates. NOTE: It should be noted that, in calculating graduation rate, only the freshman cohort is used and transfer students cannot be used.

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H

Headcount student 
A student enrolled for more than zero credit hours in courses offered for degree or certificate credit, or a student who meets the criteria for classification as a remedial student. 
High School Class Size
The size of the student’s high school graduating class. Used in calculation of rank in class.
High school diploma or recognized equivalent
A document certifying the successful completion of a prescribed secondary school program of studies, or the attainment of satisfactory scores on the Tests of General Educational Development (GED), or another state-specified examination.
High School Class Size
The grade point average calculated on all credit-bearing work attempted at the institution for a given semester or term. A calculated field that takes the total quality points earned and divides by the GPA hours. 
High School GPA
The High School Grade Point Average a student earned from high school.
High School Percentile
The percentile of the rank in the high school class
High School Rank in Class
The standing of the student in relationship to their graduating high school class. 
Hispanic or Latino/Hispanic 
A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. Hispanic (old definition) – A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. 
Honors program
Any special program for very able students offering the opportunity for educational enrichment, independent study, acceleration, or some combination of these.

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I

Independent study
Academic work chosen or designed by the student with the approval of the department concerned, under an instructor’s supervision, and usually undertaken outside of the regular classroom structure.
Indirect Assessment (Measure of Assessment)
A form of assessment where students reflect on or share feedback about their learning experience in relation to an experience or learning outcome (e.g., survey feedback, course evaluations, focus groups, etc.)
In-state student 
A student whose domicile is the Commonwealth of Virginia. 
In-state tuition 
The tuition charged by institutions to those students who meet the state’s or institution’s residency requirements. 
Institution-specific measures
Institution-specific measures vary by institution and represent unique aspects of the mission that the college or university chose to highlight. Institution-specific measures also provide a richer context for understanding performance on the system-wide measures. For example, some doctoral research institutions have chosen to report national rankings for faculty research awards and honors. Comprehensive and liberal arts colleges with a primary focus on undergraduate education have reported results of student outcomes assessment or special opportunities for study abroad, service learning, or internship experiences. Several institutions have chosen to report on student access to technology. 
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. 
International student
See nonresident alien.
Internship
Any short-term, supervised work experience usually related to a student’s major field, for which the student earns academic credit. The work can be full- or part-time, on- or off-campus, paid or unpaid.
IPEDS
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, often abbreviated IPEDS, is the core postsecondary education data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics, a part of the United States government. IPEDS has the mandated goal of collecting standardized data from all institutions of higher education that receive federal student financial assistance authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)(17)).