Data Dictionary
The Institutional Data Dictionary provides standardized definitions for commonly used institutional terms, metrics, and data elements at Howard University. It promotes a shared understanding of institutional data and supports consistency across reporting, analysis, planning, and decision-making. Definitions are developed and maintained by the Institutional Research in alignment with University policies, reporting standards, and applicable external requirements.
The Institutional Data Dictionary serves as a reference for faculty, staff, administrators, and other authorized users who work with University data. Users should refer to these definitions when interpreting institutional reports, dashboards, and analyses to ensure consistent understanding of University metrics. Where a definition is specific to an external reporting requirement, the applicable reporting standard is identified.
Enrollment
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Term | The periods of instruction into which the academic year is divided. There are three terms at Howard: Fall, Spring, and Summer |
| Banner ID | Unique student identifier in Banner. A 9-character code that starts with a '@' followed by 8 numbers. |
| Workday ID | Unique student identifier in Workday (also known as BisonHub). A 9-character code that starts with a '0' followed by 8 numbers. |
| Cohort | A specific group of students established for tracking purposes. At Howard, students are assigned to cohorts based on admission term and type (e.g. Fall 2026 FTIC) |
| First Time in College (FTIC) | A student entering college for the first time at the undergraduate level. |
| First Time Graduate (FTG) | A student entering college for the first time at the graduate level. |
| First Time Professional (FTP) | A student entering college for the first time at the professional level. |
| First Time Transfer (FTIT) | A student who enters the University after previously attending another postsecondary institution. |
| Degree-Seeking Student | A student officially admitted to and pursuing a degree program at the University. |
| Non-Degree Seeking Student | Howard admits a small number of special students who are not degree candidates at the University. These individuals may or may not be degree candidates at another institution and have a unique reason to attend Howard. Examples include Dual Enrollment, Consortium, and Visiting students. |
| Returning Student | A student who previously attended the University and subsequently returns after an interruption in enrollment. |
| Student Level | Each student is assigned one student level in Admissions based on their program/curriculum. A subsequent change in the student's curriculum therefore can change the student level. The possible values are: Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional. |
| Enrollment Load Status | A student's classification based on their enrollment credits during a specified term, such as full-time or part-time. |
| Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) | There are 2 definitions for FTE:
2. Defined by Howard University: The number of FTE students is calculated based on the enrollment load status reported by the institution.
|
| Attempted Credit Hours | Credit hours for courses in which a student is officially enrolled and that are included in the applicable attempted-credit calculation. |
| Earned Credit Hours | Credit hours successfully completed by a student for which they received a passing grade. |
| Major/Primary Program of Study | A student's primary academic field of study within an undergraduate or applicable academic program. |
| Minor | A secondary academic field of study completed in addition to a student's primary major, when applicable. |
| Concentration | A specialized area of study within an academic program or major. |
Admissions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| High School Class Size | The total number of students included in the high school graduating class used to calculate a student's class rank. |
| High School Class Rank | A student's relative academic position within their graduating high school class, as reported by the high school or applicant. |
| High School GPA | A student's grade point average as reported by their high school or calculated according to the applicable reporting methodology (out of 4.0). |
| Standardized Test Score | A score from a standardized examination used in the admissions process (e.g. SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS). As a note, Howard University is a test optional institute i.e. Howard University does not require submission of standardized test scores. |
| Applicant | An individual who submits a completed application for admission to the University for a specified term. |
| Admit | An applicant who has been offered admission to the University for a specified term. |
| Enrolled | An admitted student who subsequently enrolls at the University during the applicable term. |
| Admission Rate | The percentage of applicants who are admitted to the University. |
| Yield Rate/Matriculation Rate | The percentage of admitted students who enroll at the University. |
Retention & Graduation
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| First-Year Retention Rate | The percentage of First-time in College students in a specified entering fall cohort who remain enrolled at the university in the subsequent fall term (e.g. A student enters as a first time in college student in Fall 2024 and returns in Fall 2025 will be considered retained) |
| School/College Retention Rate | The percentage of First-time in College students in a specified entering fall cohort who remain enrolled at the university in the same school/college in the subsequent fall term (e.g. A student enters in College of Arts & Sciences in Fall 2024 and returns in College of Arts & Sciences in Fall 2025 will be considered retained) |
| Program Retention Rate | The percentage of First-time in College students in a specified entering fall cohort who remain enrolled at the university in the same program in the subsequent fall term (e.g. A student enters in BS in Biology in Fall 2024 and returns in BS in Biology in Fall 2025 will be considered retained) |
| Attrition | The loss of students from a defined population due to non-enrollment, withdrawal, transfer, or other applicable reasons. |
| Withdrawal | The process by which a student formally ends enrollment in courses or at the University during a specified term. |
| Academic Standing | A student's academic classification based on Howard's standards, such as good standing. |
| Graduation Rate | The percentage of students in a defined cohort who complete a degree or credential within a specified period, such as 4-year, 6-year, or 8-year. |
| Time to Degree Earned | The number of years it takes a student to complete a Graduate School program's requirement. It is calculated by determining the number of years from the date a student began a program (Admit Start Date) and the Effective Date of the Completion of Candidacy. |
| Degree Awarded | A degree formally conferred by the University to a student who has fulfilled applicable requirements. |
| Expected Graduation Date | The anticipated date on which a student is expected to complete the requirements for an academic program. |
| Actual Graduation Date | The date associated with the formal awarding or conferral of a student's degree or credential. This date may be different from the expected graduation date. |
| Degree Type | The classification of a degree or credential, such as bachelor's, certificate, master's, doctoral, or professional degree. |
| Graduating Class | Students who are awarded degrees or eligible credentials during a specified graduation period or academic year. |
Academic Programs
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Academic Program | An organized course of study leading to a degree, certificate, or other academic credential. |
| Primary Program of Study | The academic program designated as the student's primary program in the University's student information system. |
| Secondary Program of Study | An additional academic program associated with a student beyond their primary program. |
| CIP Code | Classification of Instructional Programs, a federal taxonomy developed by the National Center for Education Statistics to classify instructional programs. |
| School/College | An academic organizational unit responsible for administering one or more academic programs. |
| Department | An academic or administrative organizational unit within the University. |
| Class Standing | A student's classification within an academic progression, such as freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, master's, or doctoral level. |
| Program Status | The status of an academic program, such as active, inactive, or discontinued, according to University records. |
Faculty & Employees
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Faculty | Individuals employed by the University in instructional, research, or other faculty roles. |
| Full-Time Faculty | Faculty members classified as full-time under University employment or reporting standards. |
| Part-Time Faculty | Faculty members classified as part-time under University employment or reporting standards. |
| Tenured Faculty | Faculty members who have been granted tenure under University policies. |
| Tenure-Track Faculty | Faculty members appointed to positions that are eligible for consideration for tenure. |
| Non-Tenure-Track Faculty | Faculty members whose appointments are not on a tenure-eligible track. |
| Staff | University employees who are not classified as faculty under the applicable institutional classification. |
| Employee Headcount | The number of employees included in a specified employee population. |
| FTE Employee | A standardized measure representing employee workload in relation to a full-time position. |
| Student-to-Faculty Ratio | A ratio comparing the number of students to the number of faculty members. |
Diversity & Demographics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Race/Ethnicity | A classification used in institutional reporting to categorize students and employees according to the race and ethnicity categories established by the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
For non-Hispanics only:
|
| International Student | A student classified as a U.S. Nonresident for applicable institutional and federal reporting purposes. This classification is based on citizenship and visa/residency information rather than the student's self-reported race or ethnicity. |
| Gender/Sex | A demographic classification maintained and reported according to IPEDS reporting standards. Federal IPEDS reporting only allows two categories: male and female. |
| Veteran | Student is a veteran of the U.S. armed forces. |
| First-Generation Student | An undergraduate student whose parents did not graduate from college with a baccalaureate degree. |
| Pell Eligible | A student who is eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant during the applicable reporting period. |
| Pell Recipient | A student who received a Federal Pell Grant during the applicable reporting period. |
| In-State Student | A student classified as a resident of the applicable state under established residency criteria. At Howard University, we classify students with a primary home address of DC as in-state students. |
| Out-of-State Student | A student who does not meet the applicable in-state residency criteria. At Howard University, we classify students with primary home address of any state/district other than DC as out-of-state students (excluding international students). |
| Primary Nationality | The country associated with an international student's reported or officially determined origin or citizenship. |
Institutional Reporting
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| IPEDS | The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, a system of interrelated surveys conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics that collects data from postsecondary institutions. |
| Common Data Set (CDS) | A standardized collection of institutional data elements designed to provide consistent information about colleges and universities. |
| Accreditation Reporting | The submission of institutional information and evidence required by an institution's accrediting organization. |
| Federal Reporting | Reporting submitted to federal agencies according to applicable federal requirements. |
| State Reporting | Reporting submitted to state agencies according to applicable state requirements. |
| External Reporting | Reporting provided to organizations outside the University, including government agencies, accreditors, rankings organizations, and other entities. |
| Internal Reporting | Reports produced for University leadership, departments, schools, colleges, or other internal stakeholders. |
| Data Validation | The process of reviewing data for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and adherence to established definitions or reporting requirements. |