12-month Enrollment

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

This IPEDS 12-month Enrollment data collection instrument was used 

during the 2012-13 data collection and will be used again during the 

2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16 data collections.
2012-13 Survey Materials > Form date: 9/6/2012

12-month Enrollment for 4-year institutions

Undergraduate Instructional Activity Type 

Undergraduate instructional activity data in Part B may be reported in units of contact hours or credit hours.

Which instructional activity units will you use to report undergraduate instructional activity?

Please note that any graduate level instructional activity must be reported in credit hours.

   Contact hours

Credit hours

Both contact and credit hours (some undergraduate programs measured in contact hours and some measured

in credit hours)

You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.
Part A - Unduplicated Count 

12-month Unduplicated Count by Race/Ethnicity and Gender

July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

Race/Ethnicity Reporting Reminder:

•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino

•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Graduate Student Reporting Reminder:

•Report all postbaccalaureate degree and certificate students as graduate students, including any doctor's-professional

practice students (formerly first-professional)

Students enrolled for credit Undergraduate

students

Graduate

students

Men

Nonresident alien

Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Two or more races

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men      

Total men prior year 

Women

Nonresident alien

Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Two or more races

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women      

Total women prior year 

Grand total (2011-12)      

Prior year data:

    Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) 

    Total enrollment Fall 2011

NOTE: Grand total (2011-12) calculated above is expected to be greater than

Total enrollment Fall 2011.

 
Part B - Instructional Activity 

12-month Instructional Activity

July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

2011-12 total

activity

Prior year

data

Undergraduate level:

Contact hour activity 

Credit hour activity 

Graduate level:

Credit hour activity

(Do not include doctor's-professional practice instructional activity here; the total FTE of

those students should be entered separately below)

 

Doctor's-professional practice level:

Doctor's-professional practice FTE student estimate

Calendar system (as reported on the prior year IC survey component): 

If the calculated FTE estimates below are not reasonable, AND you have reported the correct instructional activity hours

above, enter your best FTE estimate in the "Institution reported FTE" column below and save the page. This option

should be used ONLY if the calculated estimate is not reasonable for your institution.

Please provide your best estimate of undergraduate and graduate FTE for the 12-month reporting period only if the

calculated FTE estimate below is not reasonable:

Calculated FTE

2011-12

Institution reported

FTE 2011-12

Prior year FTE

2010-11

Undergraduate student FTE    

Graduate student FTE

(excluding doctor's-professional practice student FTE)

   

Doctor's-professional practice student FTE   

Total FTE student enrollment    
Prepared by 

This survey component was prepared by:

Keyholder SFA Contact HR Contact Finance Contact Other

Name:

Email:

How long did it take to prepare this survey component? hours minutes

The name of the preparer is being collected so that we can follow up with the appropriate person in the event that there

are questions concerning the data. The Keyholder will be copied on all email correspondence to other preparers.

The time it took to prepare this component is being collected so that we can continue to improve our estimate of the

reporting burden associated with IPEDS. Please include in your estimate the time it took for you to review instructions,

query and search data sources, complete and review the component, and submit the data through the Data Collection

System.

Thank you for your assistance.
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2012-13 Survey Materials > Instructions date: 9/6/2012

12-Month Enrollment Full Instructions

Purpose of the Survey

Changes in Reporting

General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered

Context Boxes

Coverage

Who To Include

Who To Exclude

Where to Get Help for Reporting

IPEDS Help Desk

AIR Website

IPEDS Website Resources

Where the Reported Data Will Appear

Institution Level

Aggregate Level

Reporting Directions

Screening Question

Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories

Part A: Unduplicated Count by Student Level, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender

Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment

Purpose of Survey

The purpose of the 12-Month Enrollment component of IPEDS is to collect unduplicated student

enrollment counts and instructional activity data in postsecondary institutions for an entire 12-

month period. Data are collected by level of student and by race/ethnicity and gender.

Instructional activity is collected as total credit and/or contact hours attempted at the

undergraduate and graduate level. Using the instructional activity data reported, a full-time

equivalent (FTE) student enrollment at the undergraduate and graduate level is estimated.

Changes in Reporting

• All institutions must now use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period. In previous collections, institutions

selected from two reporting period options; the July 1-June 30 reporting period became mandatory

starting with the Fall 2011 data collection. Institutions must continue to use the July 1 - June 30

reporting period.

• Institutions are required to report using the new race/ethnicity categories. Using the new categories

was optional in the Fall 2008, 2009, and 2010 collections for the 12-month enrollment component

and has been required since the Fall 2011 collection.

• Using the new postbaccaluareate degree categories became mandatory in the Fall 2010 collection.

Institutions are reminded to continue to use the new postbaccalaureate degree categories. For Part

A, all postbaccalaureate students are to be reported as graduate students for enrollment purposes,

including any doctor's-professional practice students (formerly first-professional).
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• In Part B, doctor's-professional practice (DPP) students should not be included in the

graduate student credit hours. Instead, the institution should enter their estimate of the

doctor's-professional practice FTE enrollment separately in the "Doctor's-professional

practice" section. If your institution has DPP students but does not see the DPP section on

your screen, please call the IPEDS Help Desk.

• Institutions are no longer asked if the calculated FTE estimate is reasonable or if they would like to

report a more accurate number for FTE enrollment. Instead, if an institution does NOT find the

calculated FTE estimate to be reasonable, then they can report their own FTE enrollment in the

"Institution reported FTE" column of Part B.

General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered

The 12-month reporting period is July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012.

Context Boxes

Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component

items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search

tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness

before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of

their entries.

Coverage

Who to Include

Include all students enrolled for credit (courses or programs that can be

applied towards the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma,

certificate, or other formal award), regardless of whether or not they are

seeking a degree or certificate. This includes:

• Students enrolled for credit in off-campus centers

• High school students taking regular college courses for credit

• Students taking remedial courses if the student is degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial

aid determination

• Students from overseas enrolled in U.S. courses for credit (e.g., online students)

• Graduate students enrolled for thesis credits, even when zero credits are awarded, as these students

are still enrolled and seeking their degree

Who to Exclude

Exclude students who are not enrolled for credit. For example, exclude:

• Students enrolled exclusively in courses that cannot be applied towards a formal award

• Students enrolled exclusively in Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

• Students exclusively auditing classes

• Residents or interns in doctor's - professional practice programs, since they have already received

their doctor's degree

In addition, the following students should be excluded:

• Any student studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at the 'home' institution

is only an administrative record and the fee is nominal

• Students in any branch campus located in a foreign country

Where to Get Help
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IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk

Phone: 1-877-225-2568

Email: ipedshelp@rti.org

AIR Website

You can also consult the AIR website that contains several tutorials on IPEDS data collection, a self-paced

overview of IPEDS tools and other valuable resources.

IPEDS Resources Page

In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip

sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant

information.

Where the Data Will Appear

Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.

At the institution-level, data will appear in the:

• College Navigator Website

• IPEDS Data Center

• IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:

• IPEDS First Looks

• IPEDS Table Library

• IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

• The Digest of Education Statistics

• The Condition of Education

Reporting Directions

Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category

Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)

This information is being collected in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Sec. 421(a)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational

Education Act. These instructions correspond with the Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting,

and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S. Department of Education, published in the

Federal Register on October 19, 2007.

Method of collection - Institutions must collect race and ethnicity information using a 2-question

format. The first question is whether the respondent is Hispanic/Latino. The second question is

whether the respondent is from one or more races from the following list: American Indian or

Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and

White. Institutions should allow students and staff to self-identify their race and ethnicity. For

further details on the guidance for collecting data, please see the full Federal Register notice.

Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of

Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States

citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.

• Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

• White

• Two or more races

In addition, the following categories may be used:

• Nonresident alien

• Race and ethnicity unknown

Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific

definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:

• Hispanic or Latino- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other

Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
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• American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and

South America (including Central America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal

affiliation or community attachment.

• Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the

Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,

Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Black or African American- A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of

Hawaii, Guan, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

• White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North

Africa.

Other descriptive categories

• Nonresident alien - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this

country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. NOTE -

Nonresident aliens are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of

the seven racial/ethnic categories. Resident aliens and other eligible (for financial aid purposes) noncitizens who are not citizens or nationals of the United States and who have been admitted as legal

immigrants for the purpose of obtaining permanent resident alien status (and who hold either an alien

registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an ArrivalDeparture Record (Form I-94) with a notation that conveys legal immigrant status such as Section

207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee or Cuban-Haitian) are to be reported in

the appropriate racial/ethnic categories along with United States citizens.

• Race and ethnicity unknown - This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a

racial or ethnic designation.

Part A: Unduplicated Count by Student Level, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity

Report all students enrolled for credit at any time during the July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 reporting period.

Students are reported by gender, race/ethnicity, and their level of standing with the institution.

Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the

official add period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each

regular program, and the 5th day of each short program.

To determine the unduplicated 12-month enrollment, count each student only once during the 12-month

period. For example: If a student enrolls in the fall term, drops out in winter, but enrolls again in spring,

count that student once.

Student Level Reporting Reminders:

• Students who already hold a baccalaureate degree but are enrolled as an undergraduate for additional

undergraduate courses should be reported as undergraduates

• Students admitted with graduate standing should be counted as graduate students, even if they are

taking some undergraduate courses

• If a student's level (undergraduate or graduate) changes during the 12-month period, count the

student at his/her highest level enrolled. For example: If a student is an undergraduate in the fall and

a graduate student in the spring, count the student as a graduate student.

• Doctor's-professional practice students (formerly called first-professional students) should be counted

in the graduate student enrollment counts for Part A.

To provide context, two prior year enrollment totals are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The first is the

total 12-month unduplicated count reported last year (2010-11 reporting period). The second is the total fall

enrollment from Fall 2011, as reported on the Fall Enrollment survey component. Since the Fall 2011

enrollment falls within the 12-month period currently being reported (2011-12), the 12-month unduplicated

count must be greater than or equal to the Fall 2011 total enrollment.

Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment

Report the total contact hour and/or credit hour activity attempted during the 12-month period of July 1,

2011 - June 30, 2012. The instructional activity data reported will be used to calculate full-time equivalent

(FTE) student enrollment at the institution.

Reporting Contact Hour Activity

To determine the contact hour activity for a course, multiply the contact hour value of the course

by the number of students enrolled in the course for credit. When computing total contact hour

activity for the institution, include all courses offered for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the

definition of "credit course") that are measured in contact or clock hours, do not convert credit

hour activity into contact hour activity.

Contact Hour Activity of a Course = Course Contact Hour Value * Number of Students

Enrolled for Credit
Contact Hour Value of a Course: The contact hour value of a course is the number of hours per

week that the course meets multiplied by the number of weeks the course is given. For example, a

3-week real estate licensure course that meets 15 hours per week has a value of 45 contact hours.

Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the

close of the official add period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the

15th day of each regular program, and the 5th day of each short program. Example Calculation:

Total contact hour activity for Institution ABC.

Institution ABC offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 reporting period:

• Course 1 is a 50-week course with 30 contact hours per week and 10 students.

• Course 2 is a 20-week course with 35 contact hours per week and 5 students.

• Course 3 is a 15-week course with 20 contact hours per week and 10 students.

Compute the contact hour activity for each course:

• Course 1: 50 * 30 * 10 = 15,000 hours

• Course 2: 20 * 35 * 5 = 3,500 hours

• Course 3: 15 * 20 * 10 = 3,000 hours

Compute the total contact hour activity for the institution by summing the contact hour activity for

all courses offered for credit that are measured in terms of contact or clock hours:

• 15,000 hours + 3,500 hours + 3,000 hours = 21,500 hours

Note: If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, the contact

hour activity reported should be only for the number of weeks which fall within the July 1 - June 30

period. For example, if only 40 weeks of a 64 week course (which meets 15 hours per week and

has an enrollment of 30 students) falls within the 12-month period, the contact hour activity for

this course would be computed as follows: 40 weeks x 15 hours per week x 30 students = 18,000

contact hours.

Reporting Credit Hour Activity

To determine the credit hour activity for a course, multiply the credit hour value of the course by

the number of students enrolled in the course for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition

of "credit course"). When computing total credit hour activity for the institution, include only those

courses offered for credit that are measured in credit hours, do not convert contact hour

activity into credit hour activity.

Credit Hour Activity of a Course = Course Credit Hour Value * Number of Students

Enrolled for Credit

Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the

close of the official add period for each term. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th

day of each regular term and the 5th day of each summer or short term. Example Calculation:

Total credit hour activity for Institution DEZ.

Institution DEZ offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 reporting period:

• Course 1 is a 3 credit hour course with 20 students.

• Course 2 is a 5 credit hour course with 10 students.

• Course 3 is a 4 credit hour course with 15 students.

Compute the credit hour activity for each course:

• Course 1: 3*20 = 60 hours

• Course 2: 5*10 = 50 hours

• Course 3: 4*15 = 60 hours

Compute the total credit hour activity for the institution by summing the credit hour activity for all

courses offered for credit and measured in credit hours:

• 60 hours + 50 hours + 60 hours = 170 hours

Report credit hour activity by course level, if applicable to your institution. The level of each course

(undergraduate or graduate) should be the level of the course as designated by the institution. If there are

courses that cannot be assigned to a single level (i.e., if some courses serve both undergraduates and

graduates), partition the enrollment in the course based on the level of the student. For example, a 3-credit

course has 5 graduate students and 10 undergraduate students enrolled. The total credit hour activity for the

course is 45 hours (3x15). The undergraduate credit hour activity for the course is 30 hours (3x10), and the

graduate credit hour activity for the course is 15 hours (3x5).
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Note: If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report all credit hour

activity for the course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because course enrollment counts

(necessary for calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at the close of the official add/drop

period for a course, this date can also be used as the course start date for the purposes of determining the

appropriate 12-month period. If there is no official add/drop period, the 15th day of a regular term and the

5th day of a summer or short term can be used.

Graduate Level Instructional Activity Reporting Reminder: Be sure to exclude doctor's-professional

practice activity (formerly first-professional) from the graduate level instructional activity.

If your institution has doctor's-professional practice students but does not see the section to report them on

their survey screens, you must contact the IPEDS Help Desk.

Once you have entered the instructional activity information, then click "save" and the FTE student enrollment

will be calculated and appear on the screen.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Calculation

Full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment, by level (undergraduate and graduate) will be

calculated for the institution using the instructional activity data reported in Part B. This total FTE

student count will be used in computing indicators such as expenses by function per FTE and

revenues per FTE, which are reported on the IPEDS Data Feedback Report (DFR). A FTE student is

a unit of measurement intended to represent one student enrolled full time for one academic year.

Calculated Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Estimate. After entering the instructional activity, the

FTE estimate will be calculated as follows:

• For institutions reporting contact or clock hours, the number of contact hours is divided by 900.

For example, the FTE for Institution ABC would be 1150/900, or approximately 1 student.

• For institutions operating on a Quarter calendar system (as reported in the prior year

Institutional Characteristics (IC) survey component), undergraduate credit hours are divided by 45,

and graduate credit hours are divided by 36. If Institution DEZ from the example above was an

undergraduate program on the quarter system, the FTE would be 170/45, or approximately 4

students.

• For institutions operating on a semester, 4-1-4 Plan, or other calendar type (as reported in

the prior year IC survey component), undergraduate credit hours are divided by 30, and graduate

credit hours are divided by 24. If Institution DEZ was an undergraduate program on the one of these

systems, the FTE would be 170/30, or approximately 6 students.

If these calculated estimates are not reasonable for the institution, please double check the credit

and/or contact hours reported to ensure their accuracy. If the instructional activity data reported

are inaccurate, then the calculated FTE estimate will also be inaccurate.

After double checking the instructional activity data reported, if the FTE count estimated for the

institution is still not reasonable, the system will allow you to enter more accurate FTE data for the

institution in the "Institution reported FTE" column below. This option should be used ONLY if

the system calculated estimates are not reasonable for the institution.
Glossary date: 9/6/2012

Term Definition

4-1-4 (calendar system) The 4-1-4 calendar usually consists of 4 courses taken for 4 months, 1 course taken for 1 month, and

4 courses taken for 4 months. There may be an additional summer session.

American Indian or

Alaska Native (new

definition)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central

America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian (new definition) A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian

Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the

Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Audit/auditing (a class) Term used when a student elects to take a course, but does not wish to receive credit for the course

toward a degree or other formal award.

Black or African American

(new definition)

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Calculation of FTE

students (using

instructional activity)

The number of FTE students is calculated based on the credit and/or contact hours reported by the

institution on the IPEDS 12-month enrollment (E12) component and the institution's calendar

system, as reported on the Institutional Characteristics (IC) component. The following table indicates

the level of instructional activity used to convert the credit and/or contact hours reported to an

indicator of full-time equivalents (FTE students):

• Quarter calendar system

◦ Enrollment level (One FTE over 12-month period)

▪ Undergraduate 45 credit hours, 900 contact hours

▪ Graduate 36 credit hours

• Semester/trimester/4-1-4 plan/other calendar system

◦ Enrollment level (one FTE over 12-month period)

▪ Undergraduate 30 credit hours 900 contact hours

▪ Graduate 24 credit hours

For institutions with continuous enrollment programs, FTE is determined by dividing the number of

contact hours attempted by 900.

The total 12-month FTE is generated by summing the estimated or reported undergraduate FTE and

the estimated or reported graduate FTE.

Calendar system The method by which an institution structures most of its courses for the academic year.

Clock hour A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to

as contact hour.

Contact hour A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to

as clock hour.

Contact hour activity The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of contact or clock hours .

Continuous basis A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that allow students to enroll/start classes

at any time during the year. For example, a cosmetology school or a word processing school might

allow students to enroll and begin studies at various times, with no requirement that classes begin on

a certain date.

Credit Recognition of attendance or performance in an instructional activity (course or program) that can be

applied by a recipient toward the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or

other formal award, irrespective of the activity?s unit of measurement.

Credit course A course that, if successfully completed, can be applied toward the number of courses required for

achieving a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award, irrespective of the

activity's unit of measurement.

Credit hour A 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.

Credit hour activity The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of credit hours.

Differs by program

(calendar system)

A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that have occupational/vocational

programs of varying lengths. These schools may enroll students at specific times depending on the

program desired. For example, a school might offer a 2-month program in January, March, May,

September, and November; and a 3-month program in January, April, and October.

Doctor's degree -

professional practice

A doctor's degree that is conferred upon completion of a program providing the knowledge and skills

for the recognition, credential, or license required for professional practice. The degree is awarded

after a period of study such that the total time to the degree, including both pre-professional and

professional preparation, equals at least six full-time equivalent academic years. Some of these

degrees were formerly classified as first-professional and may include: Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.);

Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.); Law (L.L.B. or J.D.); Medicine (M.D.); Optometry (O.D.); Osteopathic

Medicine (D.O); Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); Podiatry (D.P.M., Pod.D., D.P.); or, Veterinary Medicine

(D.V.M.), and others, as designated by the awarding institution.

Dual enrollment A program through which high school students may enroll in college courses while still enrolled in

high school. Students are not required to apply for admission to the college in order to participate.

Graduate student A student who holds a bachelor's degree or above and is taking courses at the postbaccalaureate

level. These students may or may not be enrolled in graduate programs.
Hispanic or Latino (new

definition)

A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or

origin, regardless of race.

Instructional activity The total number of credit and contact hours all students are engaged in during the specified period.

Native Hawaiian or Other

Pacific Islander (new

definition)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific

Islands.

Noncredit course A course or activity having no credit applicable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal

award.

Nonresident alien A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or

temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely.

Other academic calendar

system

Category used to describe "non-traditional" calendar systems at 4-year and 2-year degree-granting

institutions. These can include schools that offer primarily on-line courses or "one course at a time."

Quarter (calendar

system)

A calendar system in which the academic year consists of 3 sessions called quarters of about 12

weeks each. The range may be from 10 to 15 weeks as defined by the institution. There may be an

additional quarter in the summer.

Race/ethnicity Categories used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of

the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. They are

used to categorize U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.

New Categories (1997 OMB)

A new methodology was developed in 1997 by OMB to be used in reporting race/ethnicity. Individuals

are asked to first designate ethnicity as:

• Hispanic or Latino or

• Not Hispanic or Latino

Second, individuals are asked to indicate one or more races that apply among the following:

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

• White

Old Categories (1977 OMB)

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) established the following five racial/ethnic categories. A

person may be counted in only one group. The groups used to are as follows:

• Black, non-Hispanic,

• American Indian/Alaska Native,

• Asian/Pacific Islander,

• Hispanic,

• White, non-Hispanic.

Race/ethnicity unknown The category used to report students or employees whose race and ethnicity are not known.

Remedial courses Instructional courses designed for students deficient in the general competencies necessary for a

regular postsecondary curriculum and educational setting.

Semester (calendar

system)

A calendar system that consists of two sessions called semesters during the academic year with

about 15 weeks for each semester of instruction. There may be an additional summer session.

Study abroad Arrangement by which a student completes part of the college program studying in another country.

Can be at a campus abroad or through a cooperative agreement with some other U.S. college or an

institution of another country.

Trimester (calendar

system)

An academic year consisting of 3 terms of about 15 weeks each.

Undergraduate A student enrolled in a 4- or 5-year bachelor's degree program, an associate's degree program, or a

vocational or technical program below the baccalaureate.

Unduplicated count The sum of students enrolled for credit with each student counted only once during the reporting

period, regardless of when the student enrolled.

White (new definition) A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
2012-13 Survey Materials > F.A.Q. date: 9/6/2012

12-month Enrollment

Click one of the following questions to view the answer.

General

1) Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?

2) What is the reporting period for 12-month enrollment?

3) What is the difference between 12-month enrollment and Fall enrollment?

4) In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column for reporting firstprofessional students?

Unduplicated Count (Part A)

1) Why does the total 12-month enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year fall enrollment?

2) How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?

3) How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?

Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)

1) How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in the next 12-month

reporting year?

2) Instructional activity in doctor's-professional practice programs is measured differently from other graduate programs. How

should I report the activity for these programs?

3) How is the estimate of full-time equivalent (FTE) students calculated?

4) The calculated FTE is not a reasonable estimate for my institution. What should I do?

Answers:

General

1) Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?

All students enrolled for credit should be reported. Credit is defined as "recognition of attendance or

performance in an instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a recipient toward the

requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award, irrespective of the

activity’s unit of measurement."

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2) What is the reporting period for 12-month enrollment?

The reporting period for the 12-month enrollment component is July 1 - June 30. In the past, institutions had

the option to report using the July 1 - June 30 period or the September 1 - August 31 period. Since the 2011

-12 collection year, institutions have been required to use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period.

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3) What is the difference between 12-month enrollment and Fall enrollment?

12-month enrollment is a cumulative unduplicated headcount of enrollment over the full 12-month period

beginning July 1 and ending June 30. In contrast, Fall enrollment is a count of students enrolled on a

particular date in the Fall. Fall enrollment is often referred to as a "snapshot" of an institution's enrollment at

a specific time.

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4) In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column for

reporting first-professional students?

Since the 2010-11 collection year, institutions have been required to use the new postbaccalaureate degree

categories (eliminating the first-professional category and reclassifying those programs). In part A, all

postbaccalaureate students are to be reported as graduate students (including students formerly reported as

first-professional).

In Part B, Doctor's-professional practice activity (formerly first-professional) will be reported separately from

the graduate instructional activity. FTE for these programs should be reported as defined by the institution.

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Unduplicated Count (Part A)

1) Why does the total 12-month enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year fall enrollment?

The 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or greater than the corresponding prior year fall

enrollment. Since Fall 2011 falls within the 12-month period currently being reported on the 12-Month

Enrollment survey component (2011-12), the 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or greater than

the Fall 2011 reported enrollments.

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2) How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?

Students should be reported at their highest level of enrollment. For example, a student enrolled as an

undergraduate in the fall and then as a graduate student in the spring should be reported as a graduate

student on the 12-Month Enrollment Survey component.

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3) How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?

There has been no change to how these students should be reported with the new race/ethnicity reporting

method. Foreign students living outside the U.S., such as a foreign student living outside the U.S. who is

enrolled in distance education at your institution, should be classified in the Race/Ethnicity Unknown

category. Only U.S. citizens are to be categorized in the specific Race/Ethnicity categories. The non-resident

alien category is reserved specifically for students that are in the U.S. under that specific legal status.

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Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)

1) How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in the next 12

-month reporting year?

If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report that activity using the

following guidelines:

Contact Hour Reporting:

Report only the activity for the number of weeks that fall within the 12-month period being reported on. For

example, if only 40 weeks of a 64 week course occurred before the June 30 end of the current reporting

period, then report only those 40 weeks worth of activity. Next year, report the 24 weeks worth of activity

for that course that occurred after July 1. For guidance on calculating total contact hour activity, refer to the

12-month Enrollment survey component instructions.

Credit Hour Reporting:

Report all activity for a course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because course enrollment

counts (necessary for calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at the close of the official

add/drop period for a course, this date can also be used as the course start date for the purposes of

determining the appropriate 12-month period. If there is no official add/drop period, the 15th day of a

regular term and the 5th day of a summer or short term can be used.

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2) Instructional activity in doctor's-professional practice programs is measured differently from other graduate

programs. How should I report the activity for these programs?

Starting with the 2012-13 data collection, institutions should report the FTE for doctor's-professional practice

(DPP) programs as a separate amount in Part B. This DPP FTE amount will then be summed with the

undergraduate and graduate FTE amounts to create the total FTE enrollment for the institution.

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3) How is the estimate of full-time equivalent (FTE) students calculated?

The FTE enrollment estimate is calculated based on the total credit and/or contact hours reported in Part B

and the institution's calendar system, as reported on the prior year Institutional Characteristics (IC)

component. The following method is used to convert the credit and/or contact hours reported to an indicator

of full-time equivalent students:

Contact Hour Reporters: Contact hours are divided by 900

Quarter Calendar System: Undergraduate credit hours are divided by 45 and graduate credit hours are

divided by 36

Semester/Trimester/4-1-4 Plan/Other Calendar System: Undergraduate credit hours are divided by

30 and graduate credit hours are divided by 24.

Doctor's-professional practice (DPP) FTE student enrollment is reported by the institution, based on the

institution's definition of a full-time equivalent DPP student. This amount is then added to the undergraduate

and graduate FTE amounts to create a total FTE student enrollment count.

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4) The calculated FTE is not a reasonable estimate for my institution. What should I do?

First, double check the instructional activity data reported on the Part B screen. If your instructional activity

data is accurate and the FTE calculation is not providing a reasonable FTE estimate for your institution, there

is the option to report a more accurate FTE in Part B. This option should be used ONLY if the system

calculation is not a reasonable estimate for your institution.

If a more accurate FTE is provided and an edit is received on that data entry, make sure to detail the

methodology used to arrive at the reported FTE and explain why this is a better measure for the institution.
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2012-13 Survey Materials > Narrative Edits date: 9/6/2012

12-month Enrollment

Edit specifications for the 2012-13 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection

12-month Enrollment (E12) Component

Note: The specifications in this document apply to all institutions completing the IPEDS 12-month Enrollment

component. Some sections and parts may not apply to your particular institution. Please read the specifications

carefully to determine which sections and/or parts apply to your institution.

All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.

Screening Question

Part A: 12-month Unduplicated Count

Part B: 12-month Instructional Activity and FTE

Screening Question

You must respond to the following screening question. The answer given here will determine which screens your institution is

shown.

Instructional/Activity Units

Applicable to all institutions with undergraduate student enrollment

Undergraduate instructional activity can be reported in units of contact hours, credit hours, or both. You must choose one of

the following options:

• Contact hours

• Credit hours

• Both contact and credit hours (some undergraduate programs measured in contact hours and some measured in

credit hours)

Note: All graduate student instructional activity must be reported in credit hours with the exception of doctor's-professional

practice students which are only reported as a full-time equivalent estimate.  

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Part A: 12-month Unduplicated Count

On this screen, you must enter your institution's 12-month unduplicated student count by race/ethnicity and gender for the

July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 reporting period. Columns are displayed for Undergraduate students, Graduate Students, or

both. The available columns are based on the student levels known to be offered by your institution from the prior year Fall

Enrollment survey, or those reported in the Levels of Enrollment Offered screening question in Part C of the IC Header

survey (for new institutions).

Undergraduate students

Applicable to all institutions with undergraduate student enrollment

In the Undergraduate students column, enter the 12-month unduplicated count of undergraduate students at the institution

by race/ethnicity and gender. Prior year amounts are displayed for Total men and Total women. Additionally, the

Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) and Total enrollment Fall 2011 values are displayed for your reference. 

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:

• If your institution reported undergraduate students on last year's Fall Enrollment survey (which is part of the 12-

month period currently being reported), then you are expected to report Undergraduate students on this

screen.

• The Grand total (2011-12) 12-month unduplicated count of Undergraduate students is expected to be

greater than the Total enrollment Fall 2011 value (the corresponding total from the prior year's Fall Enrollment

survey).

• The Grand total (2011-12) 12-month unduplicated count of Undergraduate students is expected to be within

a certain range of the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value (the prior year's unduplicated count), as

outlined below:

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is less than 25, then the current year value must be

within a 50% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is between 26 and 100, then the current year value

must be within a 40% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is between 101 and 500, then the current year value

must be within a 30% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is greater than 500, then the current year value must

be within a 20% range of that number.

• If the percent of Undergraduate students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category is between

50 percent and 99 percent, then an explanation is required.

• If the percent of Undergraduate students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category is greater

than 99 percent, then a fatal error will occur.

Graduate students

Applicable to all institutions with Graduate student enrollment
In the Graduate students column, enter the 12-month unduplicated count of graduate students at the institution by

race/ethnicity and gender. Prior year amounts are displayed for Total men and Total women. Additionally, the

Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) and Total enrollment Fall 2011 values are displayed for your reference. 

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:

• If your institution reported graduate students on last year's Fall Enrollment survey (which is part of the 12-month

period currently being reported), then you are expected to report Graduate students on this screen.

• The Grand total (2011-12) 12-month unduplicated count of Graduate students is expected to be greater than

the Total enrollment Fall 2011 value (the corresponding total from the prior year's Fall Enrollment survey).

• The Grand total (2011-12) 12-month unduplicated count of Graduate students is expected to be within a

certain range of the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value (the prior year's unduplicated count), as

outlined below:

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is less than 25, then the current year value must be

within a 50% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is between 26 and 100, then the current year value

must be within a 40% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is between 101 and 500, then the current year value

must be within a 30% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is greater than 500, then the current year value must

be within a 20% range of that number.

• If the percent of Graduate students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category is between 50

percent and 99 percent, then an explanation is required.

• If the percent of Graduate students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category is greater than 99

percent, then a fatal error will occur.

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Part B: 12-month Instructional Activity and FTE

In this portion of the survey component, screens are generated based on the levels of enrollment offered by your institution.

This may include undergraduate, graduate, and doctor's-professional practice (4-year institutions only). Undergraduate

Instructional Activity is reported by contact hours and/or credit hours based on the selection made on the Screening

Question screen of this survey. The system will also use the information previously entered by your institution in the IC

Header survey to determine which levels of enrollment are displayed.

Note: The 12-month Instructional Activity screen is broken into two “screen sections.” Once the first "Instructional

Activity" section is saved, the "FTE" section will appear.

Section 1: Instructional Activity

In the first section, enter the Total 12-month activity for the following student levels, as applicable to your institution:

Undergraduate level:

• Contact hour activity

• Credit hour activity

Graduate level:

• Credit hour activity (Do not include doctor's-professional practice instructional activity here; the total FTE of those

students should be entered separately below.)

Doctor's-professional practice level:

• Doctor's-professional practice FTE student estimate

Note: For existing institutions, the Prior year data amount is preloaded for your reference.

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in this section for institutions that enroll Undergraduate

students:

• If your institution selected "Contact hours" or "Both" in the screening question and the current year

Undergraduate Contact hour activity is equal to the value listed in the corresponding Prior year data column,

then a fatal error will occur.

• If your institution selected "Contact hours" or "Both" in the screening question and the Undergraduate Contact

hour activity is greater than 0, then the calculated Undergraduate Student FTE must be greater than 0.

• If your institution selected "Contact hours" in the screening question, then the total Contact hour activity over

the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 300 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this

survey; and

◦ less than or equal to 1500 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this

survey.

• If your institution selected "Credit hours" or "Both" in the screening question and the current year

Undergraduate Credit hour activity is equal to the value listed in the corresponding Prior year data column,

then a fatal error will occur.

• If your institution selected "Credit hours" in the screening question and the Undergraduate Credit hour activity

is greater than 0, then the calculated Undergraduate Student FTE must be greater than 0.

• If your institution selected "Credit hours" in the screening question and your institution's predominant calendar

system is a “Quarter” system (as reported in the IC Header survey), then the total Undergraduate Credit hour

activity over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 18 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this

survey; and

◦ less than or equal to 50 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this survey.
• If your institution selected "Credit hours" in the screening question and your institution's predominant calendar

system is a calendar system other than "Quarter" (as reported in the IC Header survey), then the total

Undergraduate Credit hour activity over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 10 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this

survey; and

◦ less than or equal to 35 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

• If your institution selected "Both" in the screening question, then the sum of undergraduate Contact hour

activity and Credit hour activity must produce an estimated full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment of 30% to

100% of the Grand Total unduplicated undergraduate student count from Part A of this survey.

Note: If your institution's FTE enrollment is over 100%, make sure you are not duplicating any contact or credit

hour counts.

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in this section for institutions that enroll Graduate and/or

Doctor's-professional practice students:

• If the current year Graduate Credit hour activity is equal to the value listed in the corresponding Prior year

data column, then a fatal error will occur.

• If the Graduate Credit hour activity is greater than 0, then the calculated Graduate Student FTE must be

greater than 0.

• If your institution enrolls Doctor-professional practice students and your institution's predominant calendar system

is a “Quarter” (as reported in the IC Header survey), then the total Graduate Credit hour activity generated

over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 7 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey;

and

◦ less than or equal to 40 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

• If your institution enrolls Doctor-professional practice students and your institution's predominant calendar system

is a “Semester”, “Trimester”, “4-1-4”, or “Other academic calendar” system (as reported in the IC Header survey),

then the total Graduate Credit hour activity generated over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 4 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey;

and

◦ less than or equal to 30 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

• If your institution does not enroll Doctor-professional practice students and your institution's predominant

calendar system is a “Quarter” (as reported in the IC Header survey), then the total Graduate Credit hour

activity generated over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 10 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey;

and

◦ less than or equal to 40 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

• If your institution does not enroll Doctor-professional practice students and your institution's predominant

calendar system is a “Semester”, “Trimester”, “4-1-4”, or “Other academic calendar” system (as reported in the

IC Header survey), then the total Graduate Credit hour activity generated over the 12-month period is

expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 6 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey;

and

◦ less than or equal to 30 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in this section for institutions that enroll Doctor's-professional

practice (DPP) students:

• If your institution enrolls graduate students, including DPP students, then the FTE reported for Doctor-professional

practice must be greater than 0. 

• If your institution does not enroll graduate students other than DPP students, then the FTE reported for Doctorprofessional practice must be greater than or equal to the total number of full-time graduate student reported on last

year's Fall Enrollment survey.

Section 2: FTE

Upon saving the previous section, the system will estimate the FTE enrollment for each applicable student level. At this time,

if the calculated FTE estimates listed are not reasonable AND you have reported the correct instructional activity hours, then

you may provide an Institution reported FTE 2011-12. Prior year amount are displayed for your reference.

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in this section:

• For each student level, the Institution reported FTE is not expected to deviate from the Calculated FTE by

more than a certain percentage, as outlined below:

◦ If the institution reported FTE deviates from the calculated FTE by 20% to 75%, then an explanation error

will occur.

◦ If the institution reported FTE deviates from the calculated FTE by more than 75%, then a fatal error will

occur.

Note: Your institution's FTE enrollment should be calculated based on the amount of instructional activity an average

full-time student is expected to be enrolled in over the 12-month period.

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2012-13 Survey Materials > Form date: 9/4/2012

12-month Enrollment for less than 4-year institutions

Undergraduate Instructional Activity Type 

Undergraduate instructional activity data in Part B may be reported in units of contact hours or credit hours.

Which instructional activity units will you use to report undergraduate instructional activity?

Please note that any graduate level instructional activity must be reported in credit hours.

   Contact hours

Credit hours

Both contact and credit hours (some undergraduate programs measured in contact hours and some measured

in credit hours)

You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.
Part A - Unduplicated Count 

12-month Unduplicated Count by Race/Ethnicity and Gender

July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

Race/Ethnicity Reporting Reminder:

•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino

•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Students enrolled for credit Undergraduate

students

Men

Nonresident alien

Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Two or more races

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men   

Total men prior year 

Women

Nonresident alien

Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Two or more races

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women   

Total women prior year 

Grand total (2011-12)   

Prior year data:

    Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) 

    Total enrollment Fall 2011

NOTE: Grand total (2011-12) calculated above is expected to be greater than Total enrollment

Fall 2011.

 
Part B - Instructional Activity 

12-month Instructional Activity

July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

2011-12 total activity Prior year data

Undergraduate level:

Contact hour activity 

Credit hour activity 

Calendar system (as reported on the prior year IC survey component): 

If the calculated FTE estimates below are not reasonable, AND you have reported the correct instructional activity hours

above, enter your best FTE estimate in the "Institution reported FTE" column below and save the page. This option

should be used ONLY if the calculated estimate is not reasonable for your institution.

Please provide your best estimate of undergraduate student FTE for the 12-month reporting period only if the

calculated FTE estimate below is not reasonable:

Calculated FTE

2011-12

Institution reported

FTE 2011-12

Prior year FTE

2010-11

Undergraduate student FTE    
Prepared by 

This survey component was prepared by:

Keyholder SFA Contact HR Contact Finance Contact Other

Name:

Email:

How long did it take to prepare this survey component? hours minutes

The name of the preparer is being collected so that we can follow up with the appropriate person in the event that there

are questions concerning the data. The Keyholder will be copied on all email correspondence to other preparers.

The time it took to prepare this component is being collected so that we can continue to improve our estimate of the

reporting burden associated with IPEDS. Please include in your estimate the time it took for you to review instructions,

query and search data sources, complete and review the component, and submit the data through the Data Collection

System.

Thank you for your assistance.
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2012-13 Survey Materials > Instructions date: 9/4/2012

12-Month Enrollment Full Instructions

Purpose of the Survey

Changes in Reporting

General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered

Context Boxes

Coverage

Who To Include

Who To Exclude

Where to Get Help for Reporting

IPEDS Help Desk

AIR Website

IPEDS Website Resources

Where the Reported Data Will Appear

Institution Level

Aggregate Level

Reporting Directions

Screening Question

Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories

Part A: Unduplicated Count by Student Level, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender

Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment

Purpose of Survey

The purpose of the 12-Month Enrollment component of IPEDS is to collect unduplicated student

enrollment counts and instructional activity data in postsecondary institutions for an entire 12-

month period. Data are collected by level of student and by race/ethnicity and gender.

Instructional activity is collected as total credit and/or contact hours attempted at the

undergraduate and graduate level. Using the instructional activity data reported, a full-time

equivalent (FTE) student enrollment at the undergraduate and graduate level is estimated.

Changes in Reporting

• All institutions must now use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period. In previous collections, institutions

selected from two reporting period options; the July 1-June 30 reporting period became mandatory

starting with the Fall 2011 data collection. Institutions must continue to use the July 1 - June 30

reporting period.

• Institutions are now required to report using the new race/ethnicity categories. Using the new

categories was optional in the Fall 2008, 2009, and 2010 collections for 12-month enrollment and has

been required since the Fall 2011 collection.

• Institutions are no longer asked if the calculated FTE estimate is reasonable or if they would like to

report a more accurate number for FTE enrollment. Instead, if an institution does NOT find the

calculated FTE estimate to be reasonable, then they can report their own FTE enrollment in the

"Institution reported FTE" column of Part B.
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General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered

The 12-month reporting period is July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012.

Context Boxes

Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component

items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search

tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness

before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of

their entries.

Coverage

Who to Include

Include all students enrolled for credit (courses or programs that can be applied towards the requirements

for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award), regardless of whether or not they

are seeking a degree or certificate. This includes:

• Students enrolled for credit in off-campus centers

• High school students taking regular college courses for credit

• Students taking remedial courses if the student is degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial

aid determination

• Students from overseas enrolled in U.S. courses for credit (e.g., online students)

Who to Exclude

Exclude students who are not enrolled for credit. For example, exclude:

• Students enrolled exclusively in courses that cannot be applied towards a formal award

• Students enrolled exclusively in Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

• Students exclusively auditing classes

In addition, the following students should be excluded:

• Any student studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at the 'home' institution

is only an administrative record and the fee is nominal

• Students in any branch campus located in a foreign country

Where to Get Help

IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk

Phone: 1-877-225-2568

Email: ipedshelp@rti.org

AIR Website

You can also consult the AIR website that contains several tutorials on IPEDS data collection, a self-paced

overview of IPEDS tools and other valuable resources.

IPEDS Resources Page

In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip

sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant

information.

Where the Data Will Appear

Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.

At the institution-level, data will appear in the:

• College Navigator Website

• IPEDS Data Center

• IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:

• IPEDS First Looks
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• IPEDS Table Library

• IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

• The Digest of Education Statistics

• The Condition of Education

Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category

Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)

This information is being collected in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Sec. 421(a)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational

Education Act. These instructions correspond with the Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting,

and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S. Department of Education, published in the

Federal Register on October 19, 2007.

Method of collection - Institutions must collect race and ethnicity information using a 2-question

format. The first question is whether the respondent is Hispanic/Latino. The second question is

whether the respondent is from one or more races from the following list: American Indian or

Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and

White. Institutions should allow students and staff to self-identify their race and ethnicity. For

further details on the guidance for collecting data, please see the full Federal Register notice.

Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of

Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States

citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.

• Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

• White

• Two or more races

In addition, the following categories may be used:

• Nonresident alien

• Race and ethnicity unknown

Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific

definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:

• Hispanic or Latino- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other

Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

• American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and

South America (including Central America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal

affiliation or community attachment.

• Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the

Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,

Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Black or African American- A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of

Hawaii, Guan, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

• White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North

Africa.

Other descriptive categories

• Nonresident alien - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this

country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. NOTE -

Nonresident aliens are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of

the seven racial/ethnic categories. Resident aliens and other eligible (for financial aid purposes) noncitizens who are not citizens or nationals of the United States and who have been admitted as legal

immigrants for the purpose of obtaining permanent resident alien status (and who hold either an alien

registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an ArrivalDeparture Record (Form I-94) with a notation that conveys legal immigrant status such as Section

207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee or Cuban-Haitian) are to be reported in

the appropriate racial/ethnic categories along with United States citizens.

• Race and ethnicity unknown - This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a

racial or ethnic designation.

Part A: Unduplicated Count by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
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Report all students enrolled for credit at any time during the July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 reporting period.

Students are reported by gender and race/ethnicity.

Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the

official add period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each

regular program, and the 5th day of each short program.

To determine the unduplicated 12-month enrollment, count each student only once during the 12-month

period. For example: If a student enrolls in the fall term, drops out in winter, but enrolls again in spring,

count that student once.

Note: Students who already hold a baccalaureate degree but are enrolled as an undergraduate for additional

undergraduate courses should be reported as undergraduates.

To provide context, two prior year enrollment totals are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The first is the

total 12-month unduplicated count reported from last year (2010-11 reporting period). The second is the total

fall enrollment from Fall 2011, as reported on the Fall Enrollment survey component. Since the Fall 2011

enrollment falls within the 12-month period currently being reported (2011-12), the 12-month unduplicated

count must be greater than or equal to the Fall 2011 total enrollment.

Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment

Report the total contact hour and/or credit hour activity attempted during the 12-month

period of July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012. The instructional activity data reported will be

used to calculate full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment at the institution.

Reporting Contact Hour Activity

To determine the contact hour activity for a course, multiply the contact hour value of the course

by the number of students enrolled in the course for credit. When computing total contact hour

activity for the institution, include all courses offered for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the

definition of "credit course") that are measured in contact or clock hours, do not convert credit

hour activity into contact hour activity.

Contact Hour Activity of a Course = Course Contact Hour Value * Number of Students

Enrolled for Credit

Contact Hour Value of a Course: The contact hour value of a course is the number of hours per

week that the course meets multiplied by the number of weeks the course is given. For example, a

3-week real estate licensure course that meets 15 hours per week has a value of 45 contact hours.

Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the

close of the official add period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the

15th day of each regular program, and the 5th day of each short program. Example Calculation:

Total contact hour activity for Institution ABC.

Institution ABC offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 reporting period:

• Course 1 is a 50-week course with 30 contact hours per week and 10 students.

• Course 2 is a 20-week course with 35 contact hours per week and 5 students.

• Course 3 is a 15-week course with 20 contact hours per week and 10 students.

Compute the contact hour activity for each course:

• Course 1: 50 * 30 * 10 = 15,000 hours

• Course 2: 20 * 35 * 5 = 3,500 hours

• Course 3: 15 * 20 * 10 = 3,000 hours

Compute the total contact hour activity for the institution by summing the contact hour activity for

all courses offered for credit that are measured in terms of contact or clock hours:

• 15,000 hours + 3,500 hours + 3,000 hours = 21,500 hours

Note: If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, the contact

hour activity reported should be only for the number of weeks which fall within the July 1 - June 30

period. For example, if only 40 weeks of a 64 week course (which meets 15 hours per week and

has an enrollment of 30 students) falls within the 12-month period, the contact hour activity for

this course would be computed as follows: 40 weeks x 15 hours per week x 30 students = 18,000

contact hours.

Reporting Credit Hour Activity
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To determine the credit hour activity for a course, multiply the credit hour value of the course by

the number of students enrolled in the course for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition

of "credit course"). When computing total credit hour activity for the institution, include only those

courses offered for credit that are measured in credit hours, do not convert contact hour

activity into credit hour activity.

Credit Hour Activity of a Course = Course Credit Hour Value * Number of Students

Enrolled for Credit

Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the

close of the official add period for each term. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th

day of each regular term and the 5th day of each summer or short term. Example Calculation:

Total credit hour activity for Institution DEZ.

Institution DEZ offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 reporting period:

• Course 1 is a 3 credit hour course with 20 students.

• Course 2 is a 5 credit hour course with 10 students.

• Course 3 is a 4 credit hour course with 15 students.

Compute the credit hour activity for each course:

• Course 1: 3*20 = 60 hours

• Course 2: 5*10 = 50 hours

• Course 3: 4*15 = 60 hours

Compute the total credit hour activity for the institution by summing the credit hour activity for all

courses offered for credit and measured in credit hours:

• 60 hours + 50 hours + 60 hours = 170 hours

Note: If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report all

credit hour activity for the course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because

course enrollment counts (necessary for calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at

the close of the official add/drop period for a course, this date can also be used as the course start

date for the purposes of determining the appropriate 12-month period. If there is no official

add/drop period, the 15th day of a regular term and the 5th day of a summer or short term can be

used.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Calculation

Full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment will be calculated for the institution using the

instructional activity data (total contact hour and credit hour activity) reported in Part B. This

FTE student count will be used in computing indicators such as expenses by function per FTE and

revenues per FTE, which are reported on the IPEDS Data Feedback Report (DFR). A FTE student is

a unit of measurement intended to represent one student enrolled full time for one academic year.

Calculated Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Estimate. After entering the instructional activity, the

FTE estimate will be calculated as follows:

• For institutions reporting contact or clock hours, the number of contact hours is divided by 900.

For example, the FTE for Institution ABC would be 1150/900, or approximately 1 student.

• For institutions operating on a Quarter calendar system (as reported in the prior year

Institutional Characteristics (IC) survey component), undergraduate credit hours are divided by 45. If

Institution DEZ from the example above was an undergraduate program on the quarter system, the

FTE would be 170/45, or approximately 4 students.

• For institutions operating on a semester, 4-1-4 Plan, or other calendar type (as reported in

the prior year IC survey component), undergraduate credit hours are divided by 30. If Institution DEZ

was an undergraduate program on the one of these systems, the FTE would be 170/30, or

approximately 6 students.

If the calculated estimate is not reasonable for the institution, please double check the credit

and/or contact hours reported to ensure their accuracy. If the instructional activity data reported

are inaccurate, then the calculated FTE amount will also be inaccurate.

After double checking the instructional activity data reported, if the FTE estimated for the

institution is still not reasonable the system will allow you to enter more accurate FTE data for the

institution in the "Institution reported FTE" column. This option should be used ONLY if the

system calculated estimate is not reasonable for the institution.
Glossary date: 9/4/2012

Term Definition

4-1-4 (calendar system) The 4-1-4 calendar usually consists of 4 courses taken for 4 months, 1 course taken for 1 month, and

4 courses taken for 4 months. There may be an additional summer session.

American Indian or

Alaska Native (new

definition)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central

America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian (new definition) A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian

Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the

Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Audit/auditing (a class) Term used when a student elects to take a course, but does not wish to receive credit for the course

toward a degree or other formal award.

Black or African American

(new definition)

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Calculation of FTE

students (using

instructional activity)

The number of FTE students is calculated based on the credit and/or contact hours reported by the

institution on the IPEDS 12-month enrollment (E12) component and the institution's calendar

system, as reported on the Institutional Characteristics (IC) component. The following table indicates

the level of instructional activity used to convert the credit and/or contact hours reported to an

indicator of full-time equivalents (FTE students):

• Quarter calendar system

◦ Enrollment level (One FTE over 12-month period)

▪ Undergraduate 45 credit hours, 900 contact hours

▪ Graduate 36 credit hours

• Semester/trimester/4-1-4 plan/other calendar system

◦ Enrollment level (one FTE over 12-month period)

▪ Undergraduate 30 credit hours 900 contact hours

▪ Graduate 24 credit hours

For institutions with continuous enrollment programs, FTE is determined by dividing the number of

contact hours attempted by 900.

The total 12-month FTE is generated by summing the estimated or reported undergraduate FTE and

the estimated or reported graduate FTE.

Calendar system The method by which an institution structures most of its courses for the academic year.

Clock hour A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to

as contact hour.

Contact hour A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to

as clock hour.

Contact hour activity The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of contact or clock hours .

Continuous basis A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that allow students to enroll/start classes

at any time during the year. For example, a cosmetology school or a word processing school might

allow students to enroll and begin studies at various times, with no requirement that classes begin on

a certain date.

Credit Recognition of attendance or performance in an instructional activity (course or program) that can be

applied by a recipient toward the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or

other formal award, irrespective of the activity?s unit of measurement.

Credit course A course that, if successfully completed, can be applied toward the number of courses required for

achieving a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award, irrespective of the

activity's unit of measurement.

Credit hour A 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.

Credit hour activity The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of credit hours.

Differs by program

(calendar system)

A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that have occupational/vocational

programs of varying lengths. These schools may enroll students at specific times depending on the

program desired. For example, a school might offer a 2-month program in January, March, May,

September, and November; and a 3-month program in January, April, and October.

Dual enrollment A program through which high school students may enroll in college courses while still enrolled in

high school. Students are not required to apply for admission to the college in order to participate.

Hispanic or Latino (new

definition)

A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or

origin, regardless of race.

Instructional activity The total number of credit and contact hours all students are engaged in during the specified period.

Native Hawaiian or Other

Pacific Islander (new

definition)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific

Islands.

Noncredit course A course or activity having no credit applicable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal

award.
Nonresident alien A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or

temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely.

Other academic calendar

system

Category used to describe "non-traditional" calendar systems at 4-year and 2-year degree-granting

institutions. These can include schools that offer primarily on-line courses or "one course at a time."

Quarter (calendar

system)

A calendar system in which the academic year consists of 3 sessions called quarters of about 12

weeks each. The range may be from 10 to 15 weeks as defined by the institution. There may be an

additional quarter in the summer.

Race/ethnicity Categories used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of

the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. They are

used to categorize U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.

New Categories (1997 OMB)

A new methodology was developed in 1997 by OMB to be used in reporting race/ethnicity. Individuals

are asked to first designate ethnicity as:

• Hispanic or Latino or

• Not Hispanic or Latino

Second, individuals are asked to indicate one or more races that apply among the following:

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

• White

Old Categories (1977 OMB)

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) established the following five racial/ethnic categories. A

person may be counted in only one group. The groups used to are as follows:

• Black, non-Hispanic,

• American Indian/Alaska Native,

• Asian/Pacific Islander,

• Hispanic,

• White, non-Hispanic.

Race/ethnicity unknown The category used to report students or employees whose race and ethnicity are not known.

Remedial courses Instructional courses designed for students deficient in the general competencies necessary for a

regular postsecondary curriculum and educational setting.

Semester (calendar

system)

A calendar system that consists of two sessions called semesters during the academic year with

about 15 weeks for each semester of instruction. There may be an additional summer session.

Study abroad Arrangement by which a student completes part of the college program studying in another country.

Can be at a campus abroad or through a cooperative agreement with some other U.S. college or an

institution of another country.

Trimester (calendar

system)

An academic year consisting of 3 terms of about 15 weeks each.

Undergraduate A student enrolled in a 4- or 5-year bachelor's degree program, an associate's degree program, or a

vocational or technical program below the baccalaureate.

Unduplicated count The sum of students enrolled for credit with each student counted only once during the reporting

period, regardless of when the student enrolled.

White (new definition) A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
2012-13 Survey Materials > F.A.Q. date: 9/4/2012

12-month Enrollment

Click one of the following questions to view the answer.

General

1) Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?

2) What is the reporting period for 12-month enrollment?

3) What is the difference between 12-month enrollment and Fall enrollment?

4) In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column for reporting firstprofessional students?

Unduplicated Count (Part A)

1) Why does the total 12-month enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year fall enrollment?

2) How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?

3) How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?

Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)

1) How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in the next 12-month

reporting year?

2) Instructional activity in doctor's-professional practice programs is measured differently from other graduate programs. How

should I report the activity for these programs?

3) How is the estimate of full-time equivalent (FTE) students calculated?

4) The calculated FTE is not a reasonable estimate for my institution. What should I do?

Answers:

General

1) Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?

All students enrolled for credit should be reported. Credit is defined as "recognition of attendance or

performance in an instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a recipient toward the

requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award, irrespective of the

activity’s unit of measurement."

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2) What is the reporting period for 12-month enrollment?

The reporting period for the 12-month enrollment component is July 1 - June 30. In the past, institutions had

the option to report using the July 1 - June 30 period or the September 1 - August 31 period. Since the 2011

-12 collection year, institutions have been required to use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period.

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3) What is the difference between 12-month enrollment and Fall enrollment?

12-month enrollment is a cumulative unduplicated headcount of enrollment over the full 12-month period

beginning July 1 and ending June 30. In contrast, Fall enrollment is a count of students enrolled on a

particular date in the Fall. Fall enrollment is often referred to as a "snapshot" of an institution's enrollment at

a specific time.

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4) In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column for

reporting first-professional students?

Since the 2010-11 collection year, institutions have been required to use the new postbaccalaureate degree

categories (eliminating the first-professional category and reclassifying those programs). In part A, all

postbaccalaureate students are to be reported as graduate students (including students formerly reported as

first-professional).

In Part B, Doctor's-professional practice activity (formerly first-professional) will be reported separately from

the graduate instructional activity. FTE for these programs should be reported as defined by the institution.

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Unduplicated Count (Part A)

1) Why does the total 12-month enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year fall enrollment?

The 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or greater than the corresponding prior year fall

enrollment. Since Fall 2011 falls within the 12-month period currently being reported on the 12-Month

Enrollment survey component (2011-12), the 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or greater than

the Fall 2011 reported enrollments.

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2) How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?

Students should be reported at their highest level of enrollment. For example, a student enrolled as an

undergraduate in the fall and then as a graduate student in the spring should be reported as a graduate

student on the 12-Month Enrollment Survey component.

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3) How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?

There has been no change to how these students should be reported with the new race/ethnicity reporting

method. Foreign students living outside the U.S., such as a foreign student living outside the U.S. who is

enrolled in distance education at your institution, should be classified in the Race/Ethnicity Unknown

category. Only U.S. citizens are to be categorized in the specific Race/Ethnicity categories. The non-resident

alien category is reserved specifically for students that are in the U.S. under that specific legal status.

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Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)

1) How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in the next 12

-month reporting year?

If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report that activity using the

following guidelines:

Contact Hour Reporting:

Report only the activity for the number of weeks that fall within the 12-month period being reported on. For

example, if only 40 weeks of a 64 week course occurred before the June 30 end of the current reporting

period, then report only those 40 weeks worth of activity. Next year, report the 24 weeks worth of activity

for that course that occurred after July 1. For guidance on calculating total contact hour activity, refer to the

12-month Enrollment survey component instructions.

Credit Hour Reporting:

Report all activity for a course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because course enrollment

counts (necessary for calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at the close of the official

add/drop period for a course, this date can also be used as the course start date for the purposes of

determining the appropriate 12-month period. If there is no official add/drop period, the 15th day of a

regular term and the 5th day of a summer or short term can be used.

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2) Instructional activity in doctor's-professional practice programs is measured differently from other graduate

programs. How should I report the activity for these programs?

Starting with the 2012-13 data collection, institutions should report the FTE for doctor's-professional practice

(DPP) programs as a separate amount in Part B. This DPP FTE amount will then be summed with the

undergraduate and graduate FTE amounts to create the total FTE enrollment for the institution.

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3) How is the estimate of full-time equivalent (FTE) students calculated?

The FTE enrollment estimate is calculated based on the total credit and/or contact hours reported in Part B

and the institution's calendar system, as reported on the prior year Institutional Characteristics (IC)

component. The following method is used to convert the credit and/or contact hours reported to an indicator

of full-time equivalent students:

Contact Hour Reporters: Contact hours are divided by 900

Quarter Calendar System: Undergraduate credit hours are divided by 45 and graduate credit hours are

divided by 36

Semester/Trimester/4-1-4 Plan/Other Calendar System: Undergraduate credit hours are divided by

30 and graduate credit hours are divided by 24.

Doctor's-professional practice (DPP) FTE student enrollment is reported by the institution, based on the

institution's definition of a full-time equivalent DPP student. This amount is then added to the undergraduate

and graduate FTE amounts to create a total FTE student enrollment count.

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4) The calculated FTE is not a reasonable estimate for my institution. What should I do?

First, double check the instructional activity data reported on the Part B screen. If your instructional activity

data is accurate and the FTE calculation is not providing a reasonable FTE estimate for your institution, there

is the option to report a more accurate FTE in Part B. This option should be used ONLY if the system

calculation is not a reasonable estimate for your institution.

If a more accurate FTE is provided and an edit is received on that data entry, make sure to detail the

methodology used to arrive at the reported FTE and explain why this is a better measure for the institution.
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2012-13 Survey Materials > Narrative Edits date: 9/4/2012

12-month Enrollment

Edit specifications for the 2012-13 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection

12-month Enrollment (E12) Component

Note: The specifications in this document apply to all institutions completing the IPEDS 12-month Enrollment

component. Some sections and parts may not apply to your particular institution. Please read the specifications

carefully to determine which sections and/or parts apply to your institution.

All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.

Screening Question

Part A: 12-month Unduplicated Count

Part B: 12-month Instructional Activity and FTE

Screening Question

You must respond to the following screening question. The answer given here will determine which screens your institution is

shown.

Instructional/Activity Units

Applicable to all institutions with undergraduate student enrollment

Undergraduate instructional activity can be reported in units of contact hours, credit hours, or both. You must choose one of

the following options:

• Contact hours

• Credit hours

• Both contact and credit hours (some undergraduate programs measured in contact hours and some measured in

credit hours)

Note: All graduate student instructional activity must be reported in credit hours with the exception of doctor's-professional

practice students which are only reported as a full-time equivalent estimate.  

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Part A: 12-month Unduplicated Count

On this screen, you must enter your institution's 12-month unduplicated student count by race/ethnicity and gender for the

July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012 reporting period. Columns are displayed for Undergraduate students, Graduate Students, or

both. The available columns are based on the student levels known to be offered by your institution from the prior year Fall

Enrollment survey, or those reported in the Levels of Enrollment Offered screening question in Part C of the IC Header

survey (for new institutions).

Undergraduate students

Applicable to all institutions with undergraduate student enrollment

In the Undergraduate students column, enter the 12-month unduplicated count of undergraduate students at the institution

by race/ethnicity and gender. Prior year amounts are displayed for Total men and Total women. Additionally, the

Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) and Total enrollment Fall 2011 values are displayed for your reference. 

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:

• If your institution reported undergraduate students on last year's Fall Enrollment survey (which is part of the 12-

month period currently being reported), then you are expected to report Undergraduate students on this

screen.

• The Grand total (2011-12) 12-month unduplicated count of Undergraduate students is expected to be

greater than the Total enrollment Fall 2011 value (the corresponding total from the prior year's Fall Enrollment

survey).

• The Grand total (2011-12) 12-month unduplicated count of Undergraduate students is expected to be within

a certain range of the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value (the prior year's unduplicated count), as

outlined below:

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is less than 25, then the current year value must be

within a 50% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is between 26 and 100, then the current year value

must be within a 40% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is between 101 and 500, then the current year value

must be within a 30% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is greater than 500, then the current year value must

be within a 20% range of that number.

• If the percent of Undergraduate students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category is between

50 percent and 99 percent, then an explanation is required.

• If the percent of Undergraduate students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category is greater

than 99 percent, then a fatal error will occur.

Graduate students

Applicable to all institutions with Graduate student enrollment
In the Graduate students column, enter the 12-month unduplicated count of graduate students at the institution by

race/ethnicity and gender. Prior year amounts are displayed for Total men and Total women. Additionally, the

Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) and Total enrollment Fall 2011 values are displayed for your reference. 

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:

• If your institution reported graduate students on last year's Fall Enrollment survey (which is part of the 12-month

period currently being reported), then you are expected to report Graduate students on this screen.

• The Grand total (2011-12) 12-month unduplicated count of Graduate students is expected to be greater than

the Total enrollment Fall 2011 value (the corresponding total from the prior year's Fall Enrollment survey).

• The Grand total (2011-12) 12-month unduplicated count of Graduate students is expected to be within a

certain range of the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value (the prior year's unduplicated count), as

outlined below:

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is less than 25, then the current year value must be

within a 50% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is between 26 and 100, then the current year value

must be within a 40% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is between 101 and 500, then the current year value

must be within a 30% range of that number.

◦ If the Unduplicated headcount (2010-11) value is greater than 500, then the current year value must

be within a 20% range of that number.

• If the percent of Graduate students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category is between 50

percent and 99 percent, then an explanation is required.

• If the percent of Graduate students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category is greater than 99

percent, then a fatal error will occur.

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Part B: 12-month Instructional Activity and FTE

In this portion of the survey component, screens are generated based on the levels of enrollment offered by your institution.

This may include undergraduate, graduate, and doctor's-professional practice (4-year institutions only). Undergraduate

Instructional Activity is reported by contact hours and/or credit hours based on the selection made on the Screening

Question screen of this survey. The system will also use the information previously entered by your institution in the IC

Header survey to determine which levels of enrollment are displayed.

Note: The 12-month Instructional Activity screen is broken into two “screen sections.” Once the first "Instructional

Activity" section is saved, the "FTE" section will appear.

Section 1: Instructional Activity

In the first section, enter the Total 12-month activity for the following student levels, as applicable to your institution:

Undergraduate level:

• Contact hour activity

• Credit hour activity

Graduate level:

• Credit hour activity (Do not include doctor's-professional practice instructional activity here; the total FTE of those

students should be entered separately below.)

Doctor's-professional practice level:

• Doctor's-professional practice FTE student estimate

Note: For existing institutions, the Prior year data amount is preloaded for your reference.

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in this section for institutions that enroll Undergraduate

students:

• If your institution selected "Contact hours" or "Both" in the screening question and the current year

Undergraduate Contact hour activity is equal to the value listed in the corresponding Prior year data column,

then a fatal error will occur.

• If your institution selected "Contact hours" or "Both" in the screening question and the Undergraduate Contact

hour activity is greater than 0, then the calculated Undergraduate Student FTE must be greater than 0.

• If your institution selected "Contact hours" in the screening question, then the total Contact hour activity over

the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 300 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this

survey; and

◦ less than or equal to 1500 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this

survey.

• If your institution selected "Credit hours" or "Both" in the screening question and the current year

Undergraduate Credit hour activity is equal to the value listed in the corresponding Prior year data column,

then a fatal error will occur.

• If your institution selected "Credit hours" in the screening question and the Undergraduate Credit hour activity

is greater than 0, then the calculated Undergraduate Student FTE must be greater than 0.

• If your institution selected "Credit hours" in the screening question and your institution's predominant calendar

system is a “Quarter” system (as reported in the IC Header survey), then the total Undergraduate Credit hour

activity over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 18 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this

survey; and

◦ less than or equal to 50 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this survey.
• If your institution selected "Credit hours" in the screening question and your institution's predominant calendar

system is a calendar system other than "Quarter" (as reported in the IC Header survey), then the total

Undergraduate Credit hour activity over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 10 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this

survey; and

◦ less than or equal to 35 times the number of Undergraduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

• If your institution selected "Both" in the screening question, then the sum of undergraduate Contact hour

activity and Credit hour activity must produce an estimated full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment of 30% to

100% of the Grand Total unduplicated undergraduate student count from Part A of this survey.

Note: If your institution's FTE enrollment is over 100%, make sure you are not duplicating any contact or credit

hour counts.

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in this section for institutions that enroll Graduate and/or

Doctor's-professional practice students:

• If the current year Graduate Credit hour activity is equal to the value listed in the corresponding Prior year

data column, then a fatal error will occur.

• If the Graduate Credit hour activity is greater than 0, then the calculated Graduate Student FTE must be

greater than 0.

• If your institution enrolls Doctor-professional practice students and your institution's predominant calendar system

is a “Quarter” (as reported in the IC Header survey), then the total Graduate Credit hour activity generated

over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 7 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey;

and

◦ less than or equal to 40 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

• If your institution enrolls Doctor-professional practice students and your institution's predominant calendar system

is a “Semester”, “Trimester”, “4-1-4”, or “Other academic calendar” system (as reported in the IC Header survey),

then the total Graduate Credit hour activity generated over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 4 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey;

and

◦ less than or equal to 30 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

• If your institution does not enroll Doctor-professional practice students and your institution's predominant

calendar system is a “Quarter” (as reported in the IC Header survey), then the total Graduate Credit hour

activity generated over the 12-month period is expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 10 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey;

and

◦ less than or equal to 40 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

• If your institution does not enroll Doctor-professional practice students and your institution's predominant

calendar system is a “Semester”, “Trimester”, “4-1-4”, or “Other academic calendar” system (as reported in the

IC Header survey), then the total Graduate Credit hour activity generated over the 12-month period is

expected to be:

◦ greater than or equal to 6 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey;

and

◦ less than or equal to 30 times the number of Graduate students reported in Part A of this survey.

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in this section for institutions that enroll Doctor's-professional

practice (DPP) students:

• If your institution enrolls graduate students, including DPP students, then the FTE reported for Doctor-professional

practice must be greater than 0. 

• If your institution does not enroll graduate students other than DPP students, then the FTE reported for Doctorprofessional practice must be greater than or equal to the total number of full-time graduate student reported on last

year's Fall Enrollment survey.

Section 2: FTE

Upon saving the previous section, the system will estimate the FTE enrollment for each applicable student level. At this time,

if the calculated FTE estimates listed are not reasonable AND you have reported the correct instructional activity hours, then

you may provide an Institution reported FTE 2011-12. Prior year amount are displayed for your reference.

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in this section:

• For each student level, the Institution reported FTE is not expected to deviate from the Calculated FTE by

more than a certain percentage, as outlined below:

◦ If the institution reported FTE deviates from the calculated FTE by 20% to 75%, then an explanation error

will occur.

◦ If the institution reported FTE deviates from the calculated FTE by more than 75%, then a fatal error will

occur.

Note: Your institution's FTE enrollment should be calculated based on the amount of instructional activity an average

full-time student is expected to be enrolled in over the 12-month period.

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