The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

Glossary

The online version of the IPEDS Glossary provides definitions for almost 500 postsecondary-related terms used in the collection and dissemination of IPEDS data.

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Term	Definition	Related terms
11/12 month salary contract/teaching period	The contracted teaching period of faculty employed for the entire year, usually for a period of 11 or 12 months. (Term used in the IPEDS HR survey component prior to 2012-13)
12-month enrollment (E12)	These data were collected in the Enrollment component prior to the 2007 IPEDS collection. Data are collected for the entire 12-month academic year, while enrollment data collected in the Fall Enrollment component are fall data. Institutions report an unduplicated head count for the total number of students by gender, race/ethnicity, and level (undergraduate, graduate, first-professional) enrolled throughout the reporting period. Students included are those enrolled in any courses leading to a degree or other formal award, 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 contact hours (sometimes referred to as clock hours) or credit hours.
25th percentile	The score at or below which 25 percent of students submitting test scores to an institution scored.
3/2 program	A program of study that normally requires the first 3 years of undergraduate study at one institution and the last 2 years of study at another institution in order to attain a bachelor's degree. These programs are predefined by the institutions and are normally offered when an institution is unable to grant a degree in a particular field or program of study.
4-1-4 (calendar system)	The 4-1-4 calendar usually consists of 4 courses taken for 4 months, 1 course taken for 1 month, and 4 courses taken for 4 months. There may be an additional summer session.
5-year program	A program offered by an institution that is defined in the catalog as requiring a student to take courses over a 5-year period in order to attain a bachelor's degree. These include, but are not limited to, 5-year cooperative programs which alternate class attendance with employment.
75th percentile	The score above which 25 percent of students submitting test scores to an institution scored.
9/10-month salary contract/teaching period	The contracted teaching period of faculty employed for 2 semesters, 3 quarters, 2 trimesters, 2 4-month sessions, or the equivalent. (Term used in the IPEDS HR survey component prior to 2012-13)

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