The reports on this site use technical terms to describe the information presented. The following is a list of the most commonly used terms and their meanings. If you would like to suggest adding a term that is not on the list, please let us know.
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Annual FTE
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Annual FTE is the average of fall and spring semester FTE student enrollments (see FTE student enrollment).
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Authorized Instructional Faculty
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FTE Faculty
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Authorized instructional faculty or FTE faculty are state-appropriated, professional positions allocated to instruction.
Until fiscal year 2001, positions were appropriated using a ratio of FTE students per FTE faculty as follows: 7.5:1 in Nursing, 15:1 in Engineering and Engineering-related programs, and 21:1 for all other disciplines. Effective FY 2002, the number of faculty positions allocated will be based on discipline level (lower, upper, master, doctoral), cost level (clinical, high, medium, low), and the student credit hours generated by the course.
Faculty FTE do not include graduate assistants or persons on letters of appointment.
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FTE Student Enrollment
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An abbreviation for full-time equivalent student enrollment, FTE student enrollment is part of the legislatively approved formula for funding instruction.
Until fiscal year 2001, FTE student enrollments calculated as follows: undergraduate student credits were divided by 15, and graduate student credits were divided by 8. Effective FY 2002, the formula for FTE student enrollments is: undergraduate student credits are divided by 15; masters-level credits are divided by 12; and doctoral credits are divided by 9. (See Understanding the New FTE Formula for more information.)
Full-time equivalent students should be distinguished from the Registrar's classification of full-time students, which is a classification of individual students (see Full-time students).
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Full-time Students
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As defined by the Registrar, Full-time students are undergraduate students enrolled for 12 or more credits per semester and graduate students enrolled for 9 credits or more per semester. This definition is based on federal reporting guidelines.
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Non-admitted Graduate Students
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Non-admitted graduate students have attained a baccalaureate degree and are admitted to the University but not to specific graduate program.
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Non-admitted Undergraduate Students
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Non-admitted undergraduate students are not admitted to the University and have not declared a major program of study. These students may enroll for up to 15 credits per semester. Prior to Spring 1996, non-admitted undergraduate students were limited to six credits per semester.
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Registrar's Preliminary Reports
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Registrar's preliminary reports are the official enrollments reported by the Registrar each semester or enrollment period. Semester enrollments include all state-supported enrollments through the report date, and withdrawals through the last day of late registration.
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Retention or Persistence Rates
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Retention or persistence rates are calculated using a technique called cohort survival which identifies a group of students (cohort) at an initial point in time (usually at the beginning of a fall semester), and at subsequent intervals determines the number within the cohort that remain.
The cohort identified for tracking retention rates is first-time freshmen, enrolled for the first time in the semester specified. Individuals in this cohort are tracked during subsequent fall semesters to determine the percentage of the cohort remaining from year to year, and to determine the graduation rate of the cohort after four, five, and six years.
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