Glossary

Academic Year (AY)

A time period that includes a fall semester and the subsequent spring semester. This period excludes summer. Abbreviated AY. For example, AY 2016-2017 begins with the fall 2016 semester and ends with the spring 2017 semester.

Academic Year Annualized

A unit of measurement that reflects the average of a particular value (i.e., headcount or FTES) in the two terms within an academic year. For example, the AY annualized 2015-2016 FTES is 31,018.7 (= (fall 2015 FTES + spring 2016 FTES) ÷ 2 = (31,405.2 + 30,632.2) ÷ 2).

Census Data

Official student data reported by CSUF to the CSU Chancellor’s Office. All data that is collected on Census date and has been approved by the Chancellor’s Office. These are the official numbers for reports to the Federal government, State agencies, and various national organizations.

Census Date

The day when official enrollment is taken and reported for each campus in the CSU system. It is the close of the fourth week of each semester (officially the end of the 20th day of instruction). To view the census dates for upcoming terms, visit the Admissions and Records Student Registration Calendar.

Class Level

The class level of an undergraduate student determined by the number of earned semester units is as follows: Freshmen: 0 to 29.9 semester units; Sophomore: 30-59.9 semester units; Junior: 60-89.9 semester units; Senior: 90 or more semester units. These definitions are aligned with the Student Level Code (1 through 4, respectively) in ERS files.

Cohort

Students grouped together based on particular characteristics for the basis of who matriculate in the same term under in the same admissions basis category. The cohort can also be defined by enrollment intensity. The two most common cohorts reported are for full-time first-time freshmen, and undergraduate transfers (full- and part-time).

College Year (CY)

A time period that starts with a summer semester, continues through the subsequent fall semester, and ends with the following spring semester. Abbreviated CY. For example, CY 2016-2017 includes the summer 2016, fall 2016, and spring 2017 semesters.

College Year
Annualized

A unit of measurement that reflects the quotient of a particular value (i.e., headcount or FTES) summed across the three terms within a calendar year and divided by two. For example, the CY annualized 2015-2016 FTES is 31,093.6 (= (summer 2015 FTES + fall 2015 FTES + spring 2016 FTES ÷ 2 = (149.9 + 31,405.2 + 30,632.2) ÷ 2).

Continuing Student

Student who had enrolled the previous semester and returned for the current semester.

Course-level FTES

Aggregated course-level FTES which reflects FTES at the course-level regardless of student major (e.g., FTES for the Art department would include enrollments in all Art courses including Art majors and non-Art majors).

Enrollment Status

A coding system which classifies the current enrollment of a student and distinguishes between new and continuing students.

Enrollment Reporting System Student (ERSS)

The Chancellor’s Office uses this to monitor the status of all students enrolled in state-supported programs.

Faculty Reporting Conventions

Review the faculty reporting conventions document.

FERP Faculty

Faculty members who are participating in Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP). The data shown are all based on fall semester numbers, but those who are on FERP in spring or AY are also counted as participating in FERP.

First-Time Freshman Student

A student who has no prior postsecondary experience attending CSUF for the first time at the undergraduate level. It also includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduation from high school).

First-Time Full-Time Freshman Cohort

The group of students entering CSUF during the fall semester that is established for tracking and reporting Graduation Rate (GR). Students must be full-time and first-time to be considered in the cohort.

Full-Time Equivalent Faculty (FTEF)

Proportion of the time tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty, or lecturers are engaged in instructional activities, research, or service for the students. 100% is shown as 1.0. This ratio cannot go beyond 1.25 for any instructional staff at CSUF.

Full-Time
Graduate Student

A graduate student taking 9 or more units is considered full-time for enrollment reporting purposes.

Full-Time
Undergraduate Student

An undergraduate student taking 12 or more units is considered full-time for enrollment reporting purposes.

Graduation Rate (GR)

A measure of the percentage of students from a defined cohort who have graduated within a certain time period.

Graduation Rates
Within Major

Refers to the proportion of entering undergraduates (First-time freshman and Transfer students) who earned a degree in a specified number of years within their original major.

Headcount

The actual number of students enrolled in state-supported classes for a given semester. It does not include the students who are enrolled in zero unit courses for the purpose of maintaining continuous enrollment (for ex: GRAD 700) or those students who are on a leave of absence from the university.

Instructional FTEF

Instructional portion of FTEF. Administrators who teach academic courses part time are included as a part-time faculty member with the instructional FTEF.

International Ethnicity

All students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are considered to be of international ethnicity for reporting purposes. 

International Student

A student who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S. and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely (Citizenship codes: F, J and O).

Lecturers

Instructional members of the university who hold union code of R03 and job code of 2358 or 2359. In addition, substitute instructional faculty (job code 2356) and visiting faculty (job code 2393) are included as lecturers. Their employee class is either temporary, temp 3 year, or rehired annuitant.

Part-Time Graduate Student

A graduate student taking less than 9 units is considered part-time for enrollment reporting purposes.

Part-Time Undergraduate Student

An undergraduate student taking less than 12 units is considered part-time for enrollment reporting purposes.

Postbaccalaureate Student

Broadly defined as a student with an earned bachelor’s degree. These are students with Student Level Code value of 5 in ERS files (level variable in SPSS files). This encompasses second baccalaureate and teacher credential candidates as well as graduate students.

Rebenched-FTES

Rebenched full-time equivalent student (rb-FTES), which is a measurement of the number of “full-time” students at the university. Used interchangeably with FTES (since re-benching occurred in 2006). FTES for undergraduates and postbaccalaureate is equal to enrolled units divided by 15; FTES for graduate students is equal to enrolled units divided by 12.

Retention Rate

A measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage.

Retention Rates
Within Major

A tracking rate which is the sum of those continuing as undergraduates plus those who earned a degree during a defined period within their original majors.

Returning Student

Student who had previously enrolled at CSUF and is returning for the current semester after a leave of absence from the university.

Staff Reporting Conventions

Review the staff reporting conventions  document. 

Student-Level FTES

Aggregated student-level FTES which reflects FTES at the student-level regardless of course discipline (e.g., FTES for Art majors would include enrollments in all courses including Art and non-Art courses).

Tenured Faculty

A faculty member who had received tenure at CSUF and currently teaching academic classes. On CSUF HR database, union code is R03, job code is 2360, 2361, 2481, or 2482, employee class is regular, FERP or preretirement time base change, and probation code is either ‘Permanent/Tenured’, ‘Perm/Tenured, Prob Prd Waived’, or ‘None This Cls Perm Stat Other’. Those who had received tenure, but is currently in administration or management are not counted as tenured faculty if they are not teaching academic courses. Those who were tenured but had left and returned to teach as a lecturer (rehired annuitant) are counted as lecturers.

Tenure-Track Faculty

A faculty member who is hired as a permanent instructional faculty and is currently on probationary status. On CSUF HR database, union code is R03, job code is 2360, 2361, 2481, or 2482, employee class is regular or FERP, and probation code include ‘On prob’ or ‘serving terminal year’.

Time to Degree

The total number of years a student takes to earn a degree. It starts at matriculation semester and ends at graduation semester. It is not a measure of continuous enrollment.

Transfer Student

A student entering CSUF for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the same level (e.g., undergraduate, graduate).

Transitory Student

Non-degree seeking students who do not have permission to re-enroll, until they re-apply.

Underrepresented (UR)

“Underrepresented” is defined as any member of the university who has identified their race/ethnicity as American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

U.S. Nonresident

A student who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S. and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely (Citizenship codes: F, J, O, N).