As of November 3, 2015, the web site for Clarion University's Office of Institutional Research provided the following background information about the Common Data Set:
"The Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data provides in the higher education community and publishers as represented by the College Board, Peterson’s-Thomson Learning and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student’s transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers.
This goal is attained by the development of clear, standard data items and definitions in order to determine a specific cohort relevant to each item. Data items and definitions used by the U.S. Department of Education in its higher education surveys often serve as a guide in the continued development of the CDS. Common Data Set items undergo broad review by the CDS Advisory Board as well as by data providers representing secondary schools and two and four year colleges. Feedback from those who utilize the CDS also is considered throughout the annual review process.
The Common Data Set includes the following sections:
SECTION A: General Information
SECTION B: Enrollment and Persistence
SECTION C: First-time, First-year Admission
SECTION D: Transfer Admission
SECTION E: Academic Offerings and Policies
SECTION F: Student Life
SECTION G: Annual Expenses
SECTION H: Financial Aid
SECTION I: Instructional Faculty and Class Size
SECTION J: Degrees Conferred"
The web site also contains definitions of terms used within the Common Data Set:
Cohort – First time, full time, baccalaureate degree seeking, student.
First Time Student – A student attending for the first time at the level enrolled. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended a postsecondary institution for the first time at the same level in the prior summer term. Also includes students who entered with college credit earned before graduation from high school
First-time, first-year (freshman) student– A student attending for the first time at undergraduate level. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended for the first time in the prior summer term. Also includes students who entered with college credit earned before graduation from high school.
First Year Student– A student who has completed less than the equivalent of 1 full year of undergraduate work, less than 30 semester hours in a 120 hour degree program.
Freeze Date – 15 days after the first day of the semester.
Freshman – A first year undergraduate student.
Full Time Student – An undergraduate student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits; graduate student enrolled for 9 or more semester credits.
Full-time equivalent – The annual full-time equivalency for students is calculated based on the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) enrollment data. The total number of student credit hours (SCH) generated by a specific department at a specific course level are aggregated first in order to calculate FTE course credits and the FTEs generated are calculated at the course level (UG lower, UG upper, and Graduate) regardless of the level of the student enrolled in the course.
Annual Undergraduate FTE = SCH/30
Annual Graduate FTE = SCH/24
Under-Represented Minority - American Indian, Black, and Hispanic
New Student[b]– [/b]A student enrolled for the first time at Clarion.
Transfer Student– A student entering for the first time but know to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the same level (e.g., undergraduate). The student may transfer with or without credits.
Undergraduate– A student enrolled in a four or five year bachelor’s degree program, an associate degree program, or a vocational or technical program below the baccalaureate."
