This glossary features the official definitions for terms commonly used at Kirkwood Community College. Its purpose is to give all staff, faculty, administrators, current students, and prospective students a standard to guide their use of these terms. All entries have been reviewed and approved by their respective subject matter experts, and the glossary is routinely updated by the Institutional Research department so as to correct existing terms and add new ones.
Terms
An independent, officially recognized collection of academic programs and academic disciplines which is overseen by a Dean and exists within the Academic Affairs division.
A for-credit area of academic study comprised of multiple courses in a related academic field.
A for-credit collection of courses, both within a specific academic discipline and from other disciplines, designed to prepare students for transfer or immediate employment which culminates in a variety of certificates, diplomas, and degree types.
A Full Time Equivalency (FTE) calculation within a single academic year. It is characterized by the addition of the number of students attempting a full time load and the sum of the credit hours attempted by part time students divided by the full time threshold. The full time threshold is 24 credit hours.
Distinct number of students who attempted credit hours during the academic year.
A type of course withdrawal applied to students by college administrators due to circumstances that present a notable barrier to course attendance or completion.
Indicates high school students enrolled in contracted courses created for the regular college population online or at a Kirkwood Community College location.
1. Students that earned a credit credential (degree, diploma, or certificate) from Kirkwood Community College.
2. Members of Kirkwood Community Colllege's Alumni Leadership Council, who need only have completed some college credit coursework. Graduation is not necessary for qualification here.
Degree awarded upon the completion of a state-approved CTE program intended to prepare students for entry-level technical occupations. It shall consist of between 60 and 86 semester credit hours (90 – 129 quarter credit hours). Of those, a minimum of 12 semester credit hours (18 quarter credit hours) must be General Education to include at least one course from each of the following areas: communication, social science or humanities, and science or mathematics. The technical core component shall constitute at least 50% of the program’s credits.
Awarded upon the completion of a college parallel (transfer) course of study that provides a strong General Education component to satisfy the lower-division Liberal Arts and Science requirements for a bachelor’s degree. It shall consist of between 60 and 64 semester credit hours (90 – 96 quarter credit hours).
Awarded upon the completion of an Arts and Science course of study with a strong emphasis on mathematics or science. The degree is intended to prepare students to transfer into related upper-division baccalaureate programs. It shall consist of between 60 and 64 semester credit hours (90 – 96 quarter credit hours), 20 of which must be in mathematics or science.
Within an academic course, this refers to a student's presence or absence at each scheduled meeting session.
Degree, diploma or certificate conferred to a student upon successful completion of a program of study.
Collections of courses, geared toward high school juniors and seniors, offered by Kirkwood Community College and focused around specific careers or areas of interest.
An academic credential awarded by Kirkwood Community College by completing a program of study that requires 6-29 credit hours.
National standardized coding referred to as Classification of Instructional Programs. It is managed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). All educational programs are required to have a CIP which enables collection and provision of data on educational programs.
Learning activities, programs, and experiences that reinforce the institution’s mission and values and complement the formal curriculum. Examples: study abroad, student-faculty research experiences, service learning, professional clubs or organizations, athletics, honor societies, career services, etc.
Describes the enrollment of a student in high school and college-level courses simultaneously. This includes students that are participating through contracted college courses, and those paying for courses outside of any agreement with their secondary institution.
A credit hour for which a student receives a grade value greater than 0.00 (F).
Receiving a degree, diploma, certificate, or transferring to a 4-year institution.
Number of federal cohort (first-time at any post-secondary institution after high school and degree, diploma, or certificate seeking) students who earned an award combined with those federal cohort students who did not earn an award, but transferred to a four-year post-secondary institution within three years, divided by the total number of federal cohort students.
Indicates high school students enrolled in contracted college courses through their high school.
An instructional offering which fits as part of an academic program of study at Kirkwood Community College.
A specific instance of a course that students enroll in.
Describes any academic endorsement that has been conferred upon a student, staff, or faculty member. Conferrals are made by Kirkwood Community College after completion of a Kirkwood Community College academic program. Other conferrals are made by outside entities (e.g., high school completion through HiSet exam) or by other post-secondary institutions.
Unit of measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per week over the entire term. It is applied toward the total number of credit hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
A student who is registered or enrolled in credit coursework (excludes students who are concurrently enrolled in secondary education).
A course that represents the breadth of content and rigor of an academic program or interest area and contains foundational content critical to a student's future success in the academic program or interest area.
1. Multiple sections of the same course which have separate synonyms and student rosters, but which have the same location, instructor, dates, and time.
2. Multiple sections of the same course which have separate synonyms and student rosters, which share an instructor, whose lecture periods occur simultaneously in the same location, but whose lab periods occur at different times. In certain cases (known as the sidecar model) rather than a lab there is an additional course which is meant to assist with completion of the course in question. Students in one section of the primary course are enrolled in the additional course, while students in the other section are not.
3. Multiple sections of different courses which share a location, meeting dates and times, and an instructor.
An academic credential designated as Associate, Bachelor, Master, Ph.D., or other professional credential. Kirkwood degrees require 62-86 credit hours to complete.
An independent, officially recognized segment of the institution which exists within a division's formal hierarchical structure. This segment is led by a person or persons that report to the division's Cabinet representative, not led by the Cabinet representative themselves. Multiple departments can exist within a division, and departments can exist within departments. See also "Academic Department."
1. An academic credential awarded by Kirkwood Community College by completing a program of study that requires 30-48 credit hours.
2. A commonly used term for the paper document provided to students to represent their completed credential. This is often applied regardless of the level of the credential.
An officially recognized segment of the institution which is the highest order categorization and is led by a Cabinet representative.
Students whose first language is any other than English and who are enrolled in at least one course in Kirkwood Community College’s free non-credit ESL Program in the interest of obtaining English skills to help improve their job opportunities and prepare them to enter the workforce.
Managed by Secondary Programs, this is also known as the Free ESL program. Courses in this program are non-credit.
Managed by the Global Learning department, this refers to credit courses with an “ESI” prefix or select English courses.
Students whose first language is any other than English and who are enrolled in Kirkwood Community College’s academic credit ELA Course Sequence with the goal of obtaining the English skills necessary to obtain a degree at Kirkwood Community College or a transfer institution.
Students who are enrolled in either non-credit ESL or credit ELA courses.
Having at least one active registration.
The act of successfully registering an individual as a student at Kirkwood Community College.
A course which exclusively features regularly scheduled meeting times during which all students are intended to be present in the same physical location.
Distinct number of students enrolled according to the MIS Fall report (14th day census).
1. Students who report on Kirkwood Community College's Application for Admission that neither of their parents or guardians graduated from a four-year college or university.
2. Students who indicate on the FAFSA that the highest level of schooling completed by their parents is "High School" or "Middle school/Jr. High."
Students enrolling in a postsecondary institution for the first time following secondary completion, having attended no other postsecondary institution since secondary completion, excluding the summer of their secondary completion year.
A calculated value that combines the number of full time students with the number of credits hours taken by part time students divided by the number of credit hours that are considered full time.
A student attempting 12 or more credit hours in a Fall, Spring, or Summer term.
This relatively constant data point represents an individual's self-reported designation of male, female, or intersex. Kirkwood Community College is required to report student and employee gender on federal and state compliance reports.
A self-reported value of Agender/genderless, Androgyne, Bigender, Female, Hijra, Male, Non-Binary, Pangender, Prefer not to answer, or Transgender. This value is meant to communicate the gender designation by which the student or employee feels best represented, and it can be changed by the student or employee within the student portal (MyHub).
A self-reported value of He/Him/His, She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Theirs, Use my name as a pronoun, or Ze/Hir/Hirs. This value represents the verbiage which student or employee prefer others use when addressing them, and it can be changed by the student or employee within the student portal (MyHub).
Students who are non-U.S. citizens and/or non-U.S. permanent residents and are currently outside the U.S. enrolled in a completely online program.
Receiving a degree, diploma, or certificate. (Note: In federal and other contexts, the term certificate includes what in the state of Iowa is called a diploma as well as a certificate.)
A nationally recognized framework that Kirkwood is using to streamline students’ path from entrance to completion and improve the student experience. The framework is a guide to increasing the number of students who graduate, transfer with junior standing, and are prepared for high quality careers in the region.
A recommendation offered by Kirkwood Community College to assist members of its community with decision-making in certain situations, but which generally cannot account for specific circumstances.
An unduplicated number of students often as measured at a point in time or during a period of time.
Indicates high school students whose tuition is not contracted through their high school.
A course which features some regularly scheduled face-to-face classes and delivers the remaining content online through a Learning Management System (LMS). The balance is not to exceed 25% to 75%, favoring either format.
A package of courses within a certain academic discipline that functions as an area of emphasis within Liberal Arts. Interest Areas are intended to position students well to continue their coursework in the same discipline after transferring to a 4-year institution.
Students who are non-U.S. citizens and/or non-U.S. permanent residents and are currently in the U.S. enrolled in a Kirkwood Community College academic program on a non-immigrant student visa.
KSLOs provide a foundational learning experience that prepares flexible, adaptable learners capable of integrating and translating knowledge from one aspect of life to another. KSLOs include: Analytical Inquiry, Civic Engagement, Collaboration and Teamwork, Communication, Diversity and Inclusion, Ethical Reasoning, Information Literacy, and Quantitative Reasoning.
The unique identification number assigned by Kirkwood Community College to every distinct, individual entity within the system of record.
Kirkwood Community College's platform to deliver content online for learning purposes.
Students who identify as a race and ethnicity that is the majority in the geographic area being considered. For the United States, the State of Iowa, and Kirkwood Community College, the reported majority race and ethnicity is currently White, non-Hispanic, citizens or resident aliens.
A non-cross-listed course that is combined with another course in the Learning Management System (LMS) for improved efficiency within that platform. The courses are administered and graded independently, and merged only to prevent redundant work on the part of the instructor within the LMS.
Students who identify as a race or ethnicity that is not the majority in the geographic area being considered. For the United States, the State of Iowa, and Kirkwood Community College, the reported minority includes non-White races, Hispanic ethnicity, and non-resident aliens.
Students that are able to speak multiple languages, regardless of their place of residence or citizenship status.
NCCBP is a biannual survey of community colleges, the results of which provide a resource for community colleges to assess core indicators of institutional effectiveness. The NCCBP survey allows community colleges to conduct peer comparisons on leading measures of effectiveness.
Refers to actively enrolled Kirkwood Community College students that have expressed an intention to enroll in a particular academic program, but have not yet met the requirements to do so.
Individuals that completed some Kirkwood Community College courses but did not earn a credential. This group includes students that transferred to a 4-year institution.
Students who complete the application for admission to Kirkwood Community College and indicate that English is not their native language.
An introductory event required for all new degree-seeking Kirkwood Community College students for purposes of course registration, student resource introduction, and explanation of academic expectations. Multiple sessions are offered prior to each academic term and align with the modality in which the student will complete classes.
A student enrolled in greater than 18.0 credit hours in a Fall or Spring term is considered in overload. A student registered for 13.0 credit hours or more in a summer term is considered in overload.
A student attempting less than 12 credit hours in a Fall, Spring, or Summer term.
The percentage of fall credit students, both full and part time, who return the next spring term. This metric excludes students who graduated in the time frame. General Calculation = All students (excluding high school students) enrolled in spring who were enrolled in fall DIVIDED BY all students enrolled in fall LESS those who received an award by the end of fall.
Percent of Fall credit students, both full- and part-time, who return the next Spring term. This metric excludes students who graduated in the timeframe. This metric does not include College Credit in High School students.
A course of action sanctioned by Kirkwood Community College's Board of Trustees to be adhered to or carried out in applicable circumstances.
Indicates high school students enrolled in courses created for regular college population online or at a Kirkwood Community College location. PSEO is only used if their high school does not contract any concurrent enrollment. PSEO is part of Senior Year Plus.
Operational details necessary to implement policy and other responsibilities of the various units and functions of the college. Approval is required at the administrative level.
Collections of academic program options organized by similar career/interest categories. They are designed to provide a structure for students to explore an area of interest and choose a program of study.
Informative events held for certain academic programs at Kirkwood Community College designed to provide specific information for the program of interest, including special requirements, tool set details, time commitments, and academic expectations.
A tool employed by academic programs at Kirkwood Community College when they've reached enrollment capacity for the purpose of tracking prospective students that have demonstrated interest in enrolling.
The act of students remaining actively enrolled at Kirkwood Community College in a fall term after enrollment at Kirkwood Community College the previous fall term.
Percent of Fall credit students, both full and part time, who return the next Fall term. This metric excludes students who graduated in the timeframe. This metric does not include College Credit in High School students.
A timeframe for which a group of sections are scheduled within a term, such as 1st 6 weeks, 2nd 6 weeks, and winter session.
This field is meant to reflect an individual’s legal sex designation, which can be changed with specific documentation.
Indicates students whose tuition is sponsored by a third-party agreement.
A specific and measurable statement that describes what skills, concepts, and behaviors a student will know or be able to demonstrate upon completion of some period of learning. At Kirkwood Community College, there are SLOs written at the course, program, and institutional levels.
A period of time (semester) to which course sections are assigned for the purpose of processing billing, grading, payroll, and assessment. There are three terms within each academic year: fall, spring, and summer.
A Full Time Equivalency (FTE) calculation within a single academic term. It is characterized by the addition of the number of students attempting a full-time load and the sum of the credit hours attempted by part-time students divided by the full-time threshold. The full-time threshold is 12 credit hours for fall and spring terms, and 9 credit hours for summer terms.
The amount of time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate according to the institution’s catalog. This is typically two years (four semesters) for an associate degree in a standard term-based institution. NCCBP’s three-year time to completion is similar to the federal 150% of normal time to completion for a two-year program. However, for programs with normal time to completion of less than two years, NCCBP’s three-year time to completion is longer than the federal 150% of normal time to completion.
Attendance at a public or private 4-year institution after leaving Kirkwood.
A designation of the Liberal Arts Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree which denotes the discipline of coursework taken, suited to further study at the student's transfer institution (e.g. Biology-Transfer Major - A.A., Criminal Justice - Transfer Major - A.A.).
Percent of federal cohort (first-time at any post-secondary institution after high school and degree, diploma, or certificate seeking) students who did not earn an award, but transferred to a four-year post-secondary institution within three years.
Individual units counted only once even if they appear multiple times.
The voluntary discontinuation of enrollment in a Kirkwood Community College course prior to that course's completion. This action results in no earned/completed credit being awarded for the course.
The percentage of students who withdrew from a course section they attempted, which is calculated by dividing the number of students who withdrew by the number of students with any grade including those who withdrew.