Metropedia glossary

Metropedia is Metro State University's ever-expanding glossary first initiated in summer 2013 as a continuous improvement action project. We believe the Metropedia helps establish common language and common understanding across our institution and with stakeholders. Definitions are followed by their source, where applicable. Full list of sources at bottom of the page.

Academic Year

The period of formal academic instruction divided into three semesters. At Metro State, the academic year includes the fall, spring, and summer terms. For example, academic year 2014–15 includes fall 2014, spring 2015, and summer 2015. Note the difference when compared to Fiscal Year. ~ derived from Minnesota State institution

For faculty, the Academic Year begins with the start of the fall semester and ends with the completion of the spring semester. (Source: IFO Contract Article 5, Section A, Subd. 1) Summer Session is the time between the last day of spring semester and the first day of fall semester, or any portion thereof. ~ IFO Contract Article 13, Section B Action Plan The description of how goals and objectives are to be achieved. 

Action Plan

The description of how goals and objectives are to be achieved. 

Admission Status

Upon being admitted to the University, students are assigned an admission status. Below are the admission statuses that can be assigned to a student:

• Undergraduate Regular: New first-time degree-seeking undergraduate student in credit courses.
• Undergraduate Transfer: New degree-seeking undergraduate student in credit courses who previously attended a postsecondary institution after high school, regardless of whether transfer credits were accepted.
• Undergraduate with Previous Degree: Degree-seeking undergraduate student in credit courses with a previous bachelor's degree.
• PSEO High School Student: High School Student enrolled as an undergraduate in credit courses under the provisions of the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program.
• Non-PSEO High School Student: High School Student in credit courses enrolled as an undergraduate but not under the provisions of the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Program.
• Undergraduate Unclassified: Non-degree-seeking undergraduate student in credit courses.
• Undergraduate Unclassified with Bachelor's Degree from this institution: Non-degree-seeking undergraduate student in credit courses who earned a bachelor's degree from this institution.
• Graduate Certificate/Licensure: Certificate/Licensure-seeking graduate student in credit courses who may be enrolled in graduate and undergraduate courses.
• Graduate Regular: First-Time degree-seeking graduate student in credit courses.
• Graduate Unclassified: Non-degree-seeking graduate student in credit courses.
• Graduate Unclassified with Award from this institution: Non-degree-seeking graduate student in credit courses who earned a degree from this institution.
• Post Masters Regular: Degree-seeking post-masters student in credit courses.
• Post Masters Unclassified: Non-degree-seeking post-masters student in credit courses.
• Specialist: Degree-seeking graduate specialist student in credit courses.
• Doctoral: Degree-seeking doctoral student in credit courses. ~ Minnesota State

Admitted

Applicant who has met application requirements and is offered admission. This can relate to both admission to the university and admission to a major/program. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary

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. ~ IPEDS

Assurance Argument

A narrative in which the institution explains how it meets HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation, which is supported by linked documents in the Evidence File.

Benchmarking

Processes and results that represent the best practices ad best performance for similar activities, inside and outside an organization's industry. Benchmarks are one form of comparative data. ~ CPE 2013-14

Capability (organizational)

Capability describes a unique, collective ability that can be applied to achieve a specific outcome. It describes what an organization is capable of doing, but not how it does it. Capabilities are organizational level skills imbedded in people, process, technology and information. ~ Accelare Inc.

Census Type

(see Record Type)

Cohort

A specific group of students established for tracking purposes ~ IPEDS. At Metropolitan State University, different cohort codes are used widely throughout various divisions for tracking purposes. However, there are specific programs that use cohorts to define a group of students entering their program. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary

Comprehensive Evaluation

(update from HLC 2015 to HLC 2025)

The process used to determine whether an institution meets or continues to meet the Criteria for Accreditation. Comprehensive evaluations are conducted at various points in the accreditation relationship, including for candidacy, initial accreditation, reaffirmation of accreditation, in Year 4 of the Standard Pathway, and for institutions placed on Probation or issued a Show-Cause Order.

The comprehensive evaluation includes an Assurance Review, an on-site visit and a student opinion survey. Certain comprehensive evaluations may also include other components as applicable, including a Federal Compliance Review, multi-campus visit, or reviews to determine an institution’s compliance with HLC’s Assumed Practices or Eligibility Requirements. ~HLC 2025

Continuing Enrollment

(see Headcount)

Continuous Improvement

The ongoing effort for the enhancement of services, processes or products. ~ ASQ

Conversion Rate

References student recruitment cycle ratios (funnel rates) from prospective, applied, admitted, to enrolled student status. At each phase yield rates are measured, benchmarked and compared across FY to identify trends and influences and nationally to other 4-year institutions. ~ derived from Ruffalo Noel-Levitz

Criteria for Accreditation

The framework for determining an institution's accreditation. ~ HLC 2025

Culture (organizational)

A common set of values, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and accepted behaviors shared by individuals within an organization. ~ ASQ

Customer

Anyone whose interests are served by an organization, or who is the target of the services of an organization. ~ CPE 2013-14

Degree-seeking student

Is seeking to earn a certificate, diploma or degree from this institution or to transfer to another institution and is eligible for financial aid. ~ Minnesota State

Dual Admission

When a student is admitted into two institutions in a shared program. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary

Dual Enrollment

A student who is enrolled at two different post-secondary institutions at the same time. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary

Enrolled Credits

The total number of courses registered for within new enrollment, continuing enrollment, previously enrolled students, and total enrollment. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary

Enrollment

Students registered for credit or noncredit bearing courses. ~ Minnesota State

Enrollment Status

• Full-Time Student: Includes undergraduate students enrolled for 12 or more credits.
• Part-Time Student: Includes undergraduate students enrolled for less than 12 credits. ~ Minnesota State

Ethnicity/Race

• Student Hispanic - student either selected the Hispanic checkbox only or selected Hispanic in addition to one of the following race categories.
• American Indian or Alaska Native - student only selected the American Indian or Alaska Native checkbox.
• Asian - student only selected the Asian checkbox.
• Black or African American - student only selected the Black or African American checkbox.
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander - student only selected the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander checkbox.
• White - student only selected the White checkbox.
• Two or more races - student did not select the Hispanic checkbox and selected two or more of the race checkboxes.
• Unknown race and ethnicity - Did not respond or only selected the non-Hispanic checkbox.
• Nonresident alien - Is a nonresident alien according to the visa and citizenship information on record at the institution. ~ IPEDS

Federal Compliance

The program used by HLC to assure that its institutions are complying with the expectations of specific regulations accreditors must enforce as a part of their federal recognition. ~ HLC 2025

Feedback loop

A systemic sequence for communicating information on process performance. ~ CPE 2013–14

Financial Fiscal Year

The year by which the budget is defined, July 1–June 30. The start date of the course identifies the financial fiscal year. Financial management and budgeting use this type of fiscal year. For example, the financial fiscal year 2015 would include the second session of summer 2014, fall 2014, spring 2015 and any course which begins prior to July 1, 2015. ~ Minnesota State

Fiscal Year (FY)

Includes summer semester through the following spring semester as one fiscal year. For example, fiscal year 2015 would include summer 2014 (Year Term = 20151), fall 2014 (Year Term = 20153) and spring 2015 (Year Term = 20155). ~ Minnesota State

Full Year Equivalent (FYE) Student

Full year equivalency students. It is defined as Undergraduate Credit Hours divided by 30 credits = 1.0 FYE Graduate Credit Hours divided by 20 credits = 1.0 FYE The common formula to determine a university's total FYE is: (UG_CRHR/30) + (GR_CRHR/20) = FYE ~ Minnesota State

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Student

Full time equivalent student. It is defined as Undergraduate Credit Hours divided by 15 = 1.0 FTE Graduate Credit Hours divided by 10 = 1.0 FTE The common formula to determine a universities total FTE is: (UG_CRHR/15) + (GR_CRHR/10) = FTE ~ Minnesota State

Goals

Goals are outcomes that represent major steps toward achieving the institutional mission and vision. ~ OIEandA

Graduation Rate

The ratio of the number of students who complete a course of study, earning a degree, certificate, or diploma from Metropolitan State University. Students are reported as graduated if they received a certificate, diploma or degree in any previous term at the institution. ~ derived from Minnesota State language H - M

Headcount

Headcount is the total count of distinct students enrolled for credit including: newly enrolled, continuous enrollment and previously enrolled students. Unless indicated as ""duplicated,"" this count is always unduplicated across the terms of a fiscal year. Duplicated headcount would count the student once for each term they attended during the fiscal year. ~ Minnesota State and Metro Admissions Glossary

Headcount Type

• New Enrollment: The number of admitted students that enroll into the university by registering for course work within the given semester which they applied. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary
• Continuing Enrollment: The percentage/number of students that register for course work within a given semester and were enrolled in the previously semester. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary
• Returning Student: A student enrolled at the university at one point throughout their academic careers and is enrolling within the given semester but was not enrolled in the previous semester (i.e. stop-outs, graduates.) ~ Metro Admissions Glossary

Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

An institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. HLC accredits degree-granting institutions of higher education in the United States.

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

IPEDS is a system of interrelated surveys conducted annually by the U.S. Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). IPEDS requires institutions that participate in federal student financial aid programs to report data on enrollments, program completions, graduation rates, faculty and staff, finances, institutional prices, and student financial aid. 

Key Performance Indicator

A measure of how well an organization is doing in a particular area. A KPI could measure financial performance or customer satisfaction. ~ ASQ

Matriculated Student

Is admitted to the university as a degree-seeking student, registers for at least one credit-bearing course and remains registered through the 10th day of the semester. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary

Measure

The criteria or means to which a comparison is made. ~ derived from ASQ

Metrics

A measure used to describe progress on attaining a goal or objective. ~ IER

Mission

An organization's purpose. ~ ASQ

New Enrollment

(see Headcount)

Non-Degree-Seeking Student

Is not seeking to earn a certificate, diploma or degree from this institution and is not eligible for financial aid. ~ Minnesota State

Non-traditional

(see Post-Traditional Student)

Objective

Objectives can be operational or procedural. Good objectives meet the following criteria 1) Specific 2) Measurable 3) Aggressive but attainable 4) Results oriented 5) Time limited. ~ SPOL

Open Pathway

The pathway for accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission at Metropolitan State.

Persistence Rate

This is the percentage of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who enroll in the fall term and re-enroll in future terms at the same institution (retained) as well as those who continue their education at another institution (transferred). This is the default for Minnesota State calculations. However, persistence could be examined using a different combination of student characteristics. ~ derived from Minnesota State language

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)

A four-step process for quality improvement. Also called the plan-do-study-act (PDSA). ~ ASQ

Post-Traditional Student

Students over the age of twenty-four, enrolled part-time, working full-time and financially independent of guardians have been historically defined as nontraditional. Post-traditional students are already employed in the workforce without a post-secondary credential while balancing educational, work, and life responsibilities. ~ NASPA

Prospective student

A person who is identified or considered attending a college or university but has not officially applied or enrolled. ~ derived from Ruffalo Noel-Levitz

Reaffirmation of Accreditation

An action by an HLC decision-making body confirming, based on evaluation, that an institution may retain its HLC accreditation. ~ HLC 2025

Record Type

The point in time of the enrollment figures. The census is measured at the 10th day of the term, 30th day of the term, and the 45th day after the end of the term (referred to as 'End of Term'). (There is no 10th and 30th day census for the summer term.) There is also a census measurement on August 31st after the end of the fiscal year; for each term, this 8/31 census is referred to as the 'End of Year' census. In addition to term-based census, there is also a fiscal year-based census, which includes the total across all terms of the year, measured as of August 31st for the fiscal year that ended the immediate prior June 30th.~ Minnesota State

Regular and Substantive Interaction (based on federal definition)

Institutions are expected to ensure regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors in their distance education and competency-based education offerings. An institution ensures regular interaction between a student and an instructor or instructors by, prior to the student’s completion of a course or competency:

1. Providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with the student on a predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course or competency; and
2. Monitoring the student’s academic engagement and success and ensuring that an instructor is responsible for promptly and proactively engaging in substantive interaction with the student when needed on the basis of such monitoring, or upon request by the student.

Substantive interaction is engaging students in teaching, learning and assessment, consistent with the content under discussion, and also includes at least two of the following:

1. Providing direct instruction;
2. Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework;
3. Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency;
4. Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency; or
5. Other instructional activities approved by HLC or the program’s accrediting agency. ~ HLC 2025

Retention Rate

This is the percentage of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who enroll in the fall term and re-enroll in future semesters. The period of enrollment for retention does not need to be consecutive (if a student is enrolled in term 1, not enrolled or graduated or transferred in term 2, then enrolled in term 3 they are flagged as ""retained"" for term 3). This is the default for Minnesota State calculations. However, retention could be examined using a different combination of student characteristics. ~ derived from Minnesota State language

Returning Student

(see Headcount)

SMART

Stands for Specific, Measurable, Aggressive but attainable, Results oriented, Time limited. ~ SPOL

Strategic Planning

The process an organization uses to envision its future and develop the appropriate goals, objectives and action plans. ~ ASQ

Success Rate

Success rate is calculated by adding three measures: retention rate, transfer rate, and graduation rate. Thus, a student is considered successful as long as they are continuing their education or obtain a degree. ~ derived from Minnesota State language

Summer Session

(see Academic Year as defined by IFO Contract)

Sustainability

The ability to address current organizational needs and to have the agility and strategic management to prepare successful for the future. ~ CPE 2013–14

Systematic

Methodical, well-ordered, and repeatable. ~ IER

Target

An identified numerical point or range. ~ IER

Transfer Rate

Measures the percent of first-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who transfer to another institution. A student is counted if they did not graduate but are enrolled at another institution during current or previous terms. Once placed in the transferred category, the student remains in that category for all subsequent terms. However, if a student re-enrolls at Metropolitan State University, the student would not be included in the transfer rate until transferred again. ~ derived from Minnesota State language

Underrepresented Student

An underrepresented student is a student with any ONE or more of the following attributes: student of color, Pell eligible (low income), or first-generation (MN definition - neither parent has any postsecondary education). Postsecondary education without receiving a bachelor's degree would fall under the first-generation federal definition. ~ Minnesota State

Values

The fundamental beliefs that drive organizational behavior and decision making. ~ ASQ

Vision statement

A concise, compelling, and conceptual narrative description of a future state. Used to help keep the organization focused. ~ CPE 2013-14

Yield Rate

The percentage of admitted students that enroll into the university by registering for course work within the given semester which they applied. ~ Metro Admissions Glossary

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