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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.
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.
12-month period A 12-month period defined by an institution for reporting a full year of activity (usually either July 1 through June 30 or September 1 through August 31). This time period should be consistent across all IPEDS data collections and from year-to-year.
25th percentile The score at which 25 percent of students submitting test scores to an institution scored at or below.
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 at which 25 percent of students submitting test scores to an institution scored above.
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.

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