Glossary
Terms and definitions used in higher education
Table section introduction
Accessibility
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Section 508 | Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that technology procured, developed, or maintained by institutions that receive federal funding must be accessible to people with disabilities. |
| Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) | A document template used to evaluate a technology's accessibility. Any company that produces a product to be sold to institutions that receive federal funding must ensure that their product does not violate Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. |
Table section introduction
Advancement
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Alumni Relations | A program that focuses on creating and sustaining relationships with graduates, usually to facilitate donations and support advancement of institutional goals and priorities. |
| University Fundraising | Raising money for use by a higher education institution to pay for various strategic programs. |
Table section introduction
Advising and Degree Management
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Academic Advising | The process by which a qualified person known as an advisor helps students develop an educational roadmap for the realization of academic goals. |
| Attendance Tracking | A type of software that records student attendance and absences per class. |
| Curriculum Advising and Program Planning (CAPP) | A tool that compares what courses a student has completed against program requirements needed for graduation. |
| Degree | A diploma awarded by a higher education institution to students after the successful completion of a program of study. |
| Degree Audit | A system that helps a student monitor their progression towards the completion of their program by tracking credits and classes needed to graduate. |
| Gateway Course Redesign | Reform efforts aimed at reducing the number and negative impact of “killer courses” through active learning techniques, greater student engagement, defined learning outcomes, and individual faculty/departmental goals. |
| Guided Pathways | A clear academic roadmap of the classes students need to take to complete a degree, with guidance to help them stay on plan and receive a degree in a timely fashion. |
| Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBU) | Historically black colleges and universities (HCBU) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, primarily serving the Black American community. |
| Individual Learning Plan (ILP) | A personalized student program for learning that takes into account the individual's strengths, weaknesses, and long-term goals. The ILP is developed during middle school and high school to facilitate the path to higher education. |
| Stackable Credentials | Certificate or degree programs that offer a systemized way for students to move between higher education and the workforce. Students' earned credits count toward the next certificate or degree, no matter when the credits are needed. |
| Structured Programs | Streamlined programs of study featuring clear choices, limited electives, and targeted coursework relevant to a degree. They typically enable a student to graduate on time. |
| Transcript | An official record of a student's coursework, grades, degrees, and awards provided to students by institutions. Transcripts are used by employers and other institutions to confirm a student's credentials. |
| Transfer Equivalency | The official evaluation of transfer credits and how they equate to a different school system, usually performed by the registrar's office. This is a way of granting credit to a student for educational experiences or courses completed at another institution. |
Table section introduction
Cloud
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cloud ERP | A technology system to manage all aspects of a higher education entity, including admissions, student information, certificates and documents, financials, supply chain, operations, commerce, reporting, and human resource activities, that is stored in the cloud instead of on-premises. |
| Cloud Transition | The process of moving an organization's applications, data, and software from local environments to hardware and servers in the cloud (or off-premises). |
| Multi-Tenant Public Cloud | A cloud model in which multiple customers share the same instance of the software application and database, typically divided to prevent companies from accessing each other’s information. |
| Private Cloud | A cloud model in which the hardware—including servers, storage, and computing power—is dedicated entirely to one customer and hosted either on-premises or in the cloud provider’s data center. It delivers the agility, scalability, and efficiency of public cloud, while providing greater levels of control and security for customers with strict data, regulation, and governance obligations. |
| Public Cloud | A cloud model in which the hardware—including servers, storage, and computing power—is owned and operated by a cloud provider and shared by multiple customers. This shared infrastructure enables customers to take a lower-cost, pay-as-you-go approach to managing IT services. Most “as-a-service” technology is provided through a public cloud. |
| Single-Tenant Public Cloud | A cloud model in which each customer has their own instance of a software application and its supporting infrastructure. |
Table section introduction
Data and Analytics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Big Data | All information available to an institution, including both structured data (information that has a high degree of organization, such as student ID numbers and dates of birth) and unstructured data (such as emails and social media posts). |
| Business Intelligence | A strategic approach that analyzes current and historical data to create a comprehensive view of an institution and inform decision-making. |
| Dark Data | Information that is collected and processed, but not analyzed. Often, this data is retained only for compliance. |
| Data Dictionary | A collection of detailed information that defines a piece of data, its value, and its use within a database. Establishing common definitions across databases enables accurate analysis. |
| Data Governance | Rules and regulations to help an institution decide what information is important, how it will (or won't) be used, and who has access to it. Data governance encompasses management and security, and in higher education, it ensures regulatory compliance with federal and state laws. |
| Data Lake | A large repository of all data from across an organization and its various departments and components. Data lakes hold raw, unstructured information, as well as structured information. |
| Data Management | Collecting, structuring, and mining institutional data for use in analytics and strategic decision-making. Data management can help institutions develop new programs to foster student success, greater efficiency, and cost savings. |
| Data Security | The strategies that ensure privacy and keep data safe from illegal access and use. Also called "information security" and "cybersecurity." |
| Data Warehouse | A form of data storage that defines uses for information and organizes it into a consistent filing structure. Information within a data warehouse has been scrubbed clean and pre-packaged for easy consumption. |
| Database | An organized collection of data stored in a computer system or in the cloud, ensuring information can be accessed, searched, retrieved, managed, and used for analytical operations. |
| Data-Driven Decision-Making | Using data and analytics to inform strategic plans, predict future developments, and make business decisions at all levels of an organization. |
| Enterprise Analytics | Methods and processes for collecting, interpreting, and analyzing information from an institutional perspective, rather than a departmental or divisional angle. This approach grants an institution a comprehensive view of information and influential factors that affect the entire organization. |
| Extract, Load, Transform (ELT) | A relatively new method for preparing data for analysis. In this approach, extracted data can be loaded into a repository—such as a data warehouse—and immediately structured for analysis. This process affords more flexibility and speed, enabling access to large amounts of data at any time. |
| Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) | A method for preparing data for analysis in which raw data is retrieved from a data pool, moved to a temporary location to be structured and organized, and then loaded to a data warehouse for analysis and reporting. |
| General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) | A regulation governing how personal data can be used, processed, and stored by companies. While the GPDR is a European Union law, it has been used as a model for many other legal frameworks around the world. |
| Learning Analytics | Collecting and analyzing data about student learning processes with the goal of improving and streamlining knowledge transfer. Analytics can be used by faculty, staff, and students to maximize student outcomes and inform decision-making. |
| Predictive Analytics | A branch of analytics that combines historical data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning to find patterns and make predictions. |
| Spend Management | The standardized process of collecting all data supporting purchases and expenses of goods and services while analyzing the information to make cost-saving procurement decisions. |
| Workflow | Customized, automated software processes to increase efficiency and accuracy. |
Table section introduction
Financial Aid
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Financial Aid | All types of money offered to a student to help pay costs of attending a postsecondary institution, such as tuition and fees. Monies typically come from loans, grants, scholarships, fellowships, and work-study programs. |
| Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | This is a form that students in the United States complete to apply for financial aid from federal and state governments. This aid can include grants, loans, and work-study opportunities to help cover the costs of postsecondary education. |
| FAFSA Simplification Act | The FAFSA Simplification Act represents a significant overhaul of the federal financial aid process, aiming to streamline the application and enhance accessibility for students. Key changes include reducing the number of questions on the FAFSA form and modifying the methodology for calculating aid eligibility. These reforms are designed to make it easier for students to apply for and receive financial assistance for their education. |
| Form 1098-T | Statement issued to students by institutions for use in reporting qualified tuition and expenses paid for a tax year. |
| Grant | Money to help students pay for postsecondary education, which typically does not have to be repaid. Grants can come from the federal or state government, a higher education institution, or a private or nonprofit organization. |
| Predictive Modeling | Predictive modeling in financial aid uses historical and real-time data to forecast student financial needs, aid eligibility, and enrollment trends. By analyzing factors such as family income, academic performance, and institutional aid distribution, predictive modeling helps colleges and universities optimize financial aid packages, improve student retention, and ensure equitable access to education. These models assist institutions in making data-driven decisions to allocate resources effectively and anticipate future funding requirements. |
| Scholarship | A type of financial aid given to a student by an institution, individual, organization, company, charity, or government. |
Table section introduction
Recruitment and Enrollment
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| College Admissions | The process by which prospective students apply to attend a higher educaiton institution. Admissions processes work in tandem with recruitment. |
| Enrollment Management | A comprehensive process for improving outcomes throughout the student lifecycle, targeting student recruitment, retention, and graduation. |
| Recruit | The process of encouraging students to attend a specific postsecondary institution by providing information about the school, student activities, and paths of study. Modern recruitment strategies are highly dependent on technology, including recruiting software, social media platforms, and CRM systems. |
| Registration | The process in which students sign up for courses and are charged tuition and fees. Registration is a key revenue KPI for higher education institutions. |
Table section introduction
Social Responsibility
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) | Business practices and policies which uphold philanthropic or charitable goals by supporting volunteering, environmental best practices, and activism. |
| Sustainability | A broad policy concept designed to maintain ecological balance through environmental, economic, and social action. For higher education, sustainability is practiced through institutional decision-making and the incorporation of its associated knowledge, skills, and values into the curriculum. |
Table section introduction
Strategy
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Campus Management | Describes the processes, software, and personnel involved in the administration of an institution. |
| Change Leadership | A growth-oriented methodology that proactively directs teams and organizations to minimize disruptions during change and make the most of new opportunities. |
| Change Management | Describes a set of tools and structures used in response to business disruptions with the goal of minimizing negative impacts. |
| Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) Software | A combination of business strategies, software, and processes to manage and unify communications to institutional contacts. |
| Higher Education Services | Systems of support for higher education technology strategies, including consulting, software implementations, assessments, deployments, managed services, training, and call center services. |
| Systems | A coordinated group of postsecondary institutions (such as universities, colleges, and community colleges) that are governed under a shared administrative or policy structure, often at the state, provincial, or national level. |
| Systemwide | A policy, initiative, program, or standard that affects or is implemented across all campuses or institutions within a higher education system. All-encompassing across the whole system, ensuring consistency, coordination, or collective impact. |
| Systemization | Institutions working together—either through formal systems or informal partnerships—to achieve shared goals. This could mean statewide systems with centralized leadership, consortia of independent institutions pooling resources, or even tech-driven collaborations like shared data platforms. What unites them is a commitment to leveraging scale for smarter operations, stronger outcomes, and student-first impact. |
Table section introduction
Student Success
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Campus Life | The daily life of a student—including academics and social activities—within the educational campus. Campus life is enhanced by opportunities with student organizations, sports, fraternities and sororities, civic engagement, community volunteering, and the arts. |
| Constituent Experience | Interactions between institutions and their constituents, including alumni, donors, faculty, staff, parents, students, businesses, foundations, and partners. |
| E-Communities | A network of people online supporting each other's goals, sharing ideas, and building relationships. These virtual spaces are designed to decrease feelings of isolation and make connections across distances. |
| Killer Courses | Large, entry-level courses required for progress within the major that have high rates of DFWI (D/failure/withdrawal/incomplete) and terminate students’ degree progress, motivation, financial aid eligibility, and GPA. |
| Meta-Majors | Clusters of academic programs, grouped together by common or related courses or occupations, that help students focus their interests early and enroll in relevant courses aligned with a coherent degree program. |
| Student Engagement | Activities and strategies to ensure students are involved and passionate about their higher education pathway, degree, classes, and experience. High engagement leads to better outcomes throughout the student lifecycle. |
| Student Lifecycle | The student's entire journey through a higher education institution, encompassing the time from application to graduation and post-baccalaureate achievement. |
| Student Retention | The ability to keep students enrolled at an institution through completion of a program or degree path. |
| Student Self-Service | Technology and business processes that give students the agency to manage aspects of their education online. Examples include viewing enrollment information, obtaining enrollment verification certificates, ordering transcripts, and more. |
| Student Success | How well students are prepared to accomplish their goals through the development of knowledge, a sense of responsibility and self-reliance, and a connection to society. |
Table section introduction
Teaching and Learning
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Blended Learning | Learning model that combines classroom instruction with online teaching. Also called "HyFlex," blended learning does not replace in-person meetings, but supplements class time with online activities. |
| E-Learning | An electronic learning model allows students to receive instruction and take classes digitally, enabling educators to reach students regardless of geographic distance. E-learning can be synchronous—with students and educators interacting in real time—or asynchronous—such as when pre-recorded classes are available on-demand. |
| Gamification | A teaching mode that seeks to make learning fun and engaging by incorporating video game design elements such as competitive play. |
| Instructor-Led Training | Classes facilitated by one or more teachers, either online or in person, typically involving interaction. Does not include self-paced or on-demand learning. |
| Learning Management System (LMS) | Software used for creating, delivering, tracking, and reporting classes. Institutions use LMS software to plan, implement, facilitate, assess, and monitor student learning. |
| M-Learning | Using mobile devices, such as phones or tablets to access content needed to complete a class. M-learning or mobile learning allows students to access information and learn at any time. |
| Onboarding | Part of the hiring process to integrate people to a new organization, which includes training about processes, systems and the culture and structure. |
| Orientation | The process of helping students prepare for and acclimate to campus life by supporting admissions, financial aid, orientation, and registration. |
| Personalized Learning | An educational approach that customizes learning and assignments for each student's strengths, needs, skills, and interests. Students can work at their own pace in ways that appeal to them. |
Table section introduction
Technology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Application Programming Interface (API) | Software that allows two applications to communicate with one another. Programmers use APIs to connect systems and programs so they can share data and work together. |
| Campus Modernization | The digital transformation of school technology, which includes updating all hardware, software, and applications to be interconnected and always accessible. Often involves migrating systems to the cloud. |
| Campus Technology | The hardware, software, network infrastructure, and internet-connected devices that support the transactions needed to run a higher education institution. |
| Chatbot | Software based on artificial intelligence that interacts with humans to answer basic questions and provide information. |
| Digital Transformation | Describes the advancement in technology used to manage business processes and meet evolving market expectations. Includes both the adoption of new tools as well as shifts in company culture to embrace them. |
| Document Management | A system that tracks, stores, and provides access to electronic documents. Features include security tools, centralized storage, audit trails, and search and retrieval processes. |
| Educational Technology (Ed Tech) | Digital tools and processes that support teaching and learning. This includes software in the classroom and the underlying infrastructure of the campus to run multiple departments. |
| Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System | Technology that manages and integrates business processes in order to maintain daily activities and business workflows. ERP systems streamline the flow of information between all business systems, functions, and departments within the institution. |
| Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) | Hardware—including servers, storage, and networks—owned and managed by the vendor and made accessible to customers on demand via the internet. |
| Interoperability | The ability to share, secure, and access data between different applications and technologies. Best practices include adhering to IMS Global standards for higher education technology to provide solutions as an integrated, open platform in which data flows freely and securely between software solutions. |
| Open Technology | Software, hardware, and applications that are compatible with other systems and allow for easy integration with open source code. Not proprietary. |
| Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) | Operating system/middleware hosted by the vendor on which customers can develop and manage their applications over the internet. |
| Shared Technology Platform | A grouping of hardware, software, and applications shared by multiple institutions to accomplish a particular task while pooling resources and driving innovation. This includes standardized, modernized business practices with new efficiencies created to deliver improved student outcomes through the sharing of actionable data. |
| Single Sign-On (SSO) | An authentication protocol using one login and password to access an institution's technology systems. All stakeholders—including students, staff and faculty—can sign in to multiple applications through one set of credentials. |
| Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) | Software hosted and maintained by the vendor and delivered over the internet via subscription. SaaS models give students access to coursework and faculty to school systems no matter where they are located. |
| Strategic Tech | A roadmap of technology systems institutions can employ to keep their campuses up to date. It involves evaluating people, processes, and systems used to run all aspects of the school. |
| Student Information Systems (SIS) | A software platform that manages and reports on the student lifecycle, including grades, attendance, and schedules. It is a solution that allows schools to manage all aspects of a student's life digitally. |
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