Definitions and Descriptions
We are committed to transparency, including how we collect and define the data elements seen across the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment website. This page includes definitions of terms seen on reports and infographics.
Jump to: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Academic Year The period of the year during which students attend Berea College (from August to July).
Accident Fund This fund (each student pays this fee) covers expenses for any accidents and injuries for all students at any campus event or program. Services include hospitalization, intensive care, in-patient physician fees and diagnostic services, and surgical expenses. Students must file a report with Public Safety to initiate this process.
Adjunct Faculty Faculty on a temporary appointment.
Admissions Territory/ Territory Berea College students are characterized at term of entry by one of three "geographical" categories namely, In-Territory, Out-of-Territory, and F-1 International
African-American Students Students (not F-1 International) who identified themselves as "Black or African American" alone or in combination with another race.
Agender Denoting or relating to a person who does not identify as having a gender.
Alumni Includes graduates as well as anyone who received academic credit from Berea College.
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Counties A 205,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains as shown in the admissions territory map. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Athlete Status during First Year Students are considered athletes during their first year if they are certified as eligible and added to an intercollegiate team roster. Intercollegiate teams for males are baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming (the team disbanded after the academic year 2012-13), tennis, and track and field. Intercollegiate teams for females are basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming (the team disbanded after the academic year 2012-13), tennis, track and field, and volleyball. In the Fall Term of 2015, the College became a member of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), Division III (USA South Conference). Before 2015-16, the College was a member of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).
Association of Institutional Research (AIR) A global association of higher education professionals. AIR exists to empower individuals at all levels to use data, analytics, information, and evidence to make decisions that are effective, ethical, equitable, and take actions that benefit all students and institutions and improve higher education.
At-Risk and Distressed Appalachian Counties The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) gives these designations to Appalachian counties. Distressed counties are the most economically depressed counties. They rank in the worst 10% of the nation's counties. At-Risk counties are those at risk of becoming economically distressed. They rank between the worst 10-25% of the nation's counties. The county designation "At-Risk" was added to the Appalachian Regional Commission's designations in Fiscal Year 2006.
Auditing Student An individual who attends a class informally and not for academic credit. No transcript record is kept of audited courses.
Average Other Costs Includes books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation costs.
Assigned Birth Sex The binary designation of male/female is asked on the Admissions Application. Assigned birth sex is a label given at birth based on medical factors, including hormones, chromosomes, and genitals. It requires a response of either male or female for all entering first-year and transfer students.
B
Bee Campus USA Certification/Membership
Bee Campus USA is an initiative of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon. Its mission is to galvanize communities and campuses “to sustain pollinators by providing them with healthy habitats rich in a variety of native plants and free of pesticides.”
Benchmark Institutions Benchmarking is a means of comparing the College's performance or standards, or both, with those of our peers. Our current list of benchmarks was selected in the 1987 Long Range Plan and has been used as benchmarks for faculty salary and library holdings.
Berea Bridge Program Berea Bridge is a four-week program for approximately 60 incoming students. Participants engage in two academically rigorous courses introducing them to the academic skills, attitudes, and behaviors that will help them prepare for the Berea College experience. Students are also provided with an introduction to the College's Labor Program and participate in workshops and activities aimed at helping ease their transition to Berea. Students are notified about the Berea Bridge program by a letter in the information packet they receive from the Office of First-Year Initiatives after committing to the College. Interested students submit their names to a lottery by completing an online survey sent via email. Students are selected randomly but in numbers that mirror the overall demographic of Berea's population in terms of assigned birth sex, race/ethnicity, and territory.
Berea Community School, Madison Southern High School, or Home-Schooled Student High school students who take no more than two courses per term at Berea College based upon the record of their academic work or the concurrence of the Registrar.
Berea Fund Annual gifts that complete Berea's no-tuition promise for all students.
Birth Sex (Assigned) The binary designation of male/female is asked on the Admissions Application. Assigned birth sex is a label given at birth based on medical factors, including hormones, chromosomes, and genitals. It requires a response of either male or female for all entering first-year and transfer students.
C
Calendar Year The 365 days (or 366 days in leap years) start from January 1.
Campus Activities Fee This fee is used to improve the overall student experience. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) (a student-led organization) designs and coordinates comprehensive social, recreational, and cultural programs and related services within the framework of the commitments of Berea College. These programs promote interaction and participation by all members of the campus community through service-learning and outreach.
Carnegie Classification An institutional classification structure developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education. This structure has been the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education for the past four and a half decades. This framework has been widely used in the study of higher education, both as a way to represent and control for institutional differences and also in the design of research studies to ensure adequate representation of sampled institutions, students, or faculty. Berea's basic classification is Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus.
Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) CELTS coordinates the College's academic service-learning and community service programs, including a Bonner Scholar's Program. The work of CELTS builds upon Berea's long history of engagement with the community, including the Great Commitments to promote the Christian ethic of service and serving the Appalachian region.
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) The CIP provides a taxonomic scheme that supports the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and program completion activity.
Cohort Type A reporting category is used in reports that divide the student body into three groups: African-American. Students, Other Domestic Students, and F-1 International Students.
College Scorecard An interactive online tool created by the United States Department of Education for students and families to compare the cost and value of higher education institutions in the U.S.
Common Data Set (CDS) The CDS initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers, as represented by the College Board, Peterson's, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student's transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers.
Community (Special) An individual who wishes to take courses for personal enrichment or for limited educational gain.
Cost of Attendance (Tuition at Other Schools) Paid by the college (no student pays this cost) from the endowment, gifts, scholarships, and grants brought by the students. The cost of attendance covers expenses related to the faculty and staff, library, support services, etc.; it does not include costs of development and alums program.
Current Restricted Funds for operations but are limited by donors for specific purposes, programs, or departments.
D
Degree-Seeking Student Students enrolled in courses for credit are recognized by the College as seeking a degree.
Dependent Students A student who does not meet any of the criteria for an independent student.
Developmental Mathematics Requirement Students must meet this requirement by the beginning of their third regular term or are subject to suspension for two regular terms. The requirement can be waived on the basis of test scores OR met by completing MAT 010, MAT 011, and MAT 012. Each of these full-term courses carries one full load term credit but not earned credit toward graduation.
Direct Subsidized Loan Need-based loans, which are awarded to students for a variety of reasons: term bills, books, off-campus living expenses, education abroad, etc.
Direct Unsubsidized Loan Non-need-based loans that are primarily used to replace Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for term bill balances and education abroad opportunities
Disability and Accessibility Services (DAS) A student who has officially registered with the Disability and Accessibility Services Office. For more details, please visit the office webpage at: https://www.berea.edu/das/
Domestic Student A United States citizen (including those who are living in foreign countries) or a permanent resident (a noncitizen who has formally established residency in the U.S) or a refugee (a person who has been forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster).
E
EKU Exchange Exchange students are enrolled at Berea part-time under an exchange agreement with Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in Richmond, KY.
Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) The Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) is a TRIO Support Services grant-funded program that enrolls roughly 70 students in each incoming class and works with them for two years. Each ESP student works one-on-one with an Academic Counselor who provides mentorship, guidance, resources, and supplemental advising to help students achieve their academic, financial, personal, and career goals. Students are enrolled in a quarter credit GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success course in their first term. ESP primarily targets students from Appalachian Distressed Counties and students from inner-city urban areas but considers any student who is low-income, first-generation, or has a documented disability (2/3 of ESP students must meet two of those criteria). Qualifying students are contacted via email, and a mailing about the program throughout the spring, and the ESP staff have a recruitment booth at the Summer Orientation. Students apply for the program and are selected in June with priority being given to students who were recruited or have been part of a TRIO program in the past.
Endowment A perpetual pool of money made up of donations and other additions, invested in a way that produces income to support the mission of the College. Endowments grow over time with investments, dividends, and capital appreciation. Distributions or draws from the endowment are determined by a Board of Trustees approved spending policy.
Endowed Funds A permanent investment fund on which earnings are available for a specific purpose according to the donors.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) A number used to determine a student's eligibility for federal student aid. This number results from the financial information the student provides on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The EFC is reported on the Student Aid Report (SAR). Financial aid administrators determine an applicant's need for federal student aid from the U.S. Department of Education and other sources of assistance by subtracting the EFC from the student's cost of attendance. The formula changed to a Student Aid Index (SAI) starting in the Academic Year 2024-25.
Externally-Funded Positions that are funded by external sources such as federal grants and external trusts.
F
Farm: Organic Certified Certification/Membership
The farmland and crops (vegetables, fruit, grain, hay) are certified organic and recertified annually. Crops (vegetable, fruit, grain, and hay) and pastures are certified organic by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, KDA. The National Organic Program oversees Organic Agriculture and certifying agencies.
Federal Grants Grants provided by federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, including Title IV Pell Grants and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG). It also includes need-based and merit-based educational assistance funds and training vouchers provided by other federal agencies and/or federally-sponsored educational benefits programs, including the Veteran's Administration, Department of Labor, and other federal agencies.
Federal Loans Include subsidized Stafford and unsubsidized, Perkins, and Parents PLUS loans awarded primarily for term bill balances and education abroad opportunities.
Financial Status and Debt The following definitions are used to determine financial status and debt calculations.
First-Generation Student Students who indicate on their Admissions Application the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), or the Entering Student Survey that neither parent/guardian has received a college degree.
First-Year Student Students with no prior postsecondary experience (except as noted below) attend any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. It includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credentials earned before graduation from high school).
Fiscal Year A one-year period that institutions use for financial reporting and budgeting. Berea College's fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. For example, Fiscal Year 2021 ended on June 30, 2021.
Forest Stewardship Council Member Certification/Membership
FSC Forest Management certification confirms that a specific area of forest is being managed in line with the FSC Principles and Criteria. To achieve FSC Forest Management certification, the forest manager or owner contracts with an FSC-accredited Certification Body or joins a Forest Management Group. In either case, the forest is audited to FSC's Forest Management standards.
Full-Time Employees with Faculty Status who Teach Part-Time Generally, administrators with faculty status who teach less than three credits annually. Full-time employees without Faculty Status who Teach Part-time Employees who teach an occasional class.
Full-Time Equivalent/Equated (FTE) Calculated by equating part-time students to full-time status (enrolled in at least a 3-credit course load). FTE for each part-time student is determined by dividing the total number of course credits taken by 3. Those FTEs per student are then summed.
Full-Time Faculty Employees with faculty status who teach three or more course credits annually and who have additional full-time responsibilities (includes both tenure- and non-tenure-track faculty).
Full-Time Student A student who has a course load of three or more credits. Berea College is on the course credit system. In general, 32 credits are required to earn a degree. One Berea course credit equals four semester hours or 6 quarter hours. The amount of credit awarded for each class at Berea is determined by the amount of time students are required to spend both inside the classroom and outside of the classroom in preparation. For each 1.0 course credit in the 15-week fall and spring terms, the minimum standard is that an average student be expected to devote in-class time, preparation, laboratory, studio, fieldwork, and conferences, at least 12 hours per week. A one-credit course meets in class between four and six hours each week. Courses awarding less than one credit often meet correspondingly less (for example, half-credit courses meet a minimum of two hours per week, and quarter-credit courses meet a minimum of one hour per week).
F-1 International Students who are not U.S. Citizens, permanent residents, or refugees and are attending the college under an F-1 visa issued by the U.S. Department of State.
G
Gender Identity A person's inner sense of being a man, woman, both, or neither. Gender identity may or may not be expressed outwardly and may or may not correspond to one's physical characteristics. Entering students are given the
option to provide Gender Identity on the Admissions Application (this has been available since Fall Term 2016). The current response options are Male, Female, Genderqueer/Non-Binary, Transgender (Male-to-female), Transgender (Female-to-Male), Gender Nonconforming, and Self-Prescribed Gender Identity.
Genderqueer Relating to an identity that may be both man or woman, neither man or woman or completely outside of these categories, or to a person who is gender nonconforming through expression, behavior, social roles, and/or identity.
Genderfluid Gender expression that does not adhere to one fixed gender expression; individuals' expression of themselves as man, woman, or non-binary at different times or under different circumstances.
Gifts to the College
Gifts-in-Kind Charitable giving is when contributions take the form of tangible goods rather than money.
Graduation Rates Based on a student's entering fall term. Students who withdraw and return are included in their original class. If a student graduates mid-year, the additional fall term is counted as another year.
GST 101 Strategies for Academic Success is a course for first-year students aimed at supporting their transition to Berea and becoming active participants in the academic community. Students receive hands-on support in learning college systems and environments, reflect on themselves as learners establish personal goals for their time at Berea College, and connect with classmates who are also transitioning and develop skills and strategies to support their college success. The class meets once a week for fifty minutes and is a quarter credit. When completing the Online Orientation in May, students are provided with the course description for GST 101 and asked if they would be interested in taking the course. Students who respond "yes" are placed in a section of the course on a space-available basis. Students who are enrolled in Berea Bridge-In or admitted into the Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) are typically not enrolled in the course, though some exceptions do exist.
H
Health and Dental Fees College Health Service (CHS) is available to all degree-seeking students by virtue of this fee. It is paid by all students irrespective of insurance status or if the student uses CHS or not. College Health Service is located in the White House Clinic.
Hispanic/Latine Student Domestic students who chose "Hispanic or Latino or Spanish Origin" as their ethnicity (regardless of the race they indicated). This does NOT include F-1 International students.
Honorary Alumni Status awarded to non-alumni in recognition of their outstanding service to and demonstrated loyal interest in Berea College. Approved by the Alumni Executive Council.
I
Independent Major A major designed by students who wish to pursue a field of study that cannot be met through an established Berea College major program.
Independent Student A student who meets one or more of the following: at least 24 years old, married, a graduate or professional student, a veteran, a member of the armed forces, an orphan, a ward of the court, or someone with legal dependents other than a spouse, an emancipated minor, or someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Institutional Grants Scholarships and fellowships granted and funded by the institution and/or individual departments within the institution (i.e., instruction, research, public service) that may contribute indirectly to the enhancement of these programs. Includes scholarships targeted to certain individuals (e.g., based on state of residence, major field of study, athletic team participation) for which the institution designates the recipient.
Institutional Loans Includes all Berea College student loans. These loans are used for a variety of reasons: term bills, medical/dental/optical expenses, education abroad, etc.
Internships (Academic) Internships is an experiential education program designed to allow students to earn academic credit while gaining practical, professional experience in the workplace.
In-Territory Students who come from much of the Appalachian region and all of Kentucky within the blue area in the admissions territory map. In-Territory also includes permanent residents (a noncitizen who has formally established residency in the United States) and refugees who reside in the territory. Twenty-two counties in Tennessee were added in January 2017. The entering class of 2018 was the first class to be recruited from the new territory.
Internally-Funded Positions that are funded by Berea College resources (e.g., endowment spendable return, Berea Fund, and other unrestricted sources.
IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) The core federal government postsecondary education data collection system for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
L
Labor Experience Evaluation (LEE) The instrument that allows students to reflect on their overall labor experience during the Spring Term in the following key areas: learning through work experiences, relationships between work and academics, four core general educational goals, evaluation of the local work area, and evaluation of the Labor Program.
Labor Program (Student Labor Program) The Student Labor Program originated in its earliest form at Berea College in 1859 and expanded to become one of the College's Great Commitments is "To promote learning and serving in community through the students' Labor Program, honoring the dignity and utility of all work, mental and manual, and taking pride in work well done." The Labor Program provides economic, educational, social, personal, and spiritual benefits to students and those served by their work.
Labor Supervisor/Practical Instructor The labor supervisor is institutionally recognized as a practical educator and an essential, valued member of the educational community.
Loan Funds Funds are available for additional assistance when needed for educational expenses.
M
Male-Initiative Courses Berea College offers three Male-Initiative courses that focus on supporting the college transition of males from three distinct populations – African-American males, Latino males, and males from Appalachian At-Risk or Distressed Counties. These courses weave college readiness and success discussions with conversations about culture, race, and identity aimed at helping students gain a better understanding of how their unique heritage contributes to who they are today and provides them with support throughout their first year on campus. Students from these target groups are enrolled in one of three courses – AFT 186: Models and Mentors for Success for our African-American students, APS 121: Appalachian Cultures for males from Appalachian AtRisk or Distressed Counties, and GST 186: Latino Males in Higher Education. Students are enrolled in the courses automatically based on their self-identified demographics but have the option of dropping the course once on campus and after a conversation with their academic advisor.
Mean The average of a set of numbers. To calculate the mean, add up all the numbers in the set and then divide by how many numbers there are.
Median The mid-point in a group of numbers. The median can, in fact, be zero if half or more of the "scores" in the distribution are zeros. This often occurs in the case of Expected Family Contribution.
N
National Student Clearinghouse An organization whose mission is to serve the education and workforce communities and all learners with access to trusted data, related services, and insights. The Clearinghouse is the nation's largest provider of electronic student record exchanges and postsecondary transcript ordering services.
Non-Binary Any gender, or lack of gender, or a mix of genders, that is not strictly man or woman.
Non-Degree Seeking Student A student who audits or takes courses without working toward a degree. The following are the types of NonDegree Seeking Students at Berea:
Need-Based Loans Includes Federal Direct Subsidized, Perkins, and all institutional loans awarded to students for a variety of reasons: term bills, medical/dental/optical expenses, education abroad, etc.
Non-Need-Based Loans Includes Federal Direct Unsubsidized, Parent PLUS, and alternative student loans. These loans are used primarily to replace Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for term bill balances and education abroad opportunities.
Nonpersons Includes funds raised from foundations, corporations, organizations, religious groups, and fund-raising consortia.
Non-Traditional Student A student who is 24 years of age or older and/or married and/or has a child/children/legal dependent. Domestic students complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which verifies this status. F-1 International students are not included in the non-traditional student counts in college reports because they complete no paperwork that would verify the status other than age.
O
Other Domestic Student Students who are not F-1 International or did not identify themselves as "Black or African American" alone or in combination with another race.
Other Freshman Includes continuing (students who were enrolled at Berea during the previous term), returning (students previously enrolled, withdrew, and subsequently accepted for readmission), and transfer students (students who have been enrolled at another post-secondary institution) who have a classification of "freshman."
Other Loans Other loans (not subsidized Stafford or unsubsidized) are used for needy students to help meet basic expenses such as medical/dental/optical expenses and education abroad opportunities.
Other Races Students (not F-1 International Students) who identified themselves as "American Indian or Alaska Native." "Asian," or "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander," alone or in combination with each other.
Out-of-Territory Students who come from outside the In-Territory area, including U.S. Citizens living in foreign countries. Out-of-Territory also includes permanent residents (noncitizens who have formally established residency in the U.S.) and refugees who reside outside the territory.
P
Part-Time Faculty Faculty on a continuing appointment.
Part-Time Student A student who has a course load of less than three credits.
Partners for Education (PFE) A program at the College that utilizes a place-based, student-focused approach to improve educational outcomes in Appalachian Kentucky. The programs address regional needs that fall within the College's Great Commitments by engaging "Appalachian communities, families, and students in partnership for mutual learning, growth, and service." PFE implements educational outreach programs funded primarily through federal grants. The following is a list of the current Partners for Education programs:
Pell Grant Program (Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Part A, Subpart I, as amended.) Provides grant assistance to eligible undergraduate postsecondary students with demonstrated financial need to help meet education expenses. State and Local Government Grants - State and local monies awarded to the institution under state and local student aid programs, including the state portion of State Student Incentives Grants (SSIG).
Perpetual Trusts A permanent charitable arrangement that provides annual gifts in perpetuity.
Planned Giving A revocable gift that is transferable upon death.
Plant Funds Funds used for the construction, acquisition, and renovation or maintenance of the College's capital assets.
Post-Graduate A student attending Berea College full-time after earning a baccalaureate degree who is not seeking an additional degree.
R
Race/ Ethnicity According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), categories are 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. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens and noncitizens. Individuals are asked to first designate ethnicity as:
Recalculated High School Grade Point Average (GPA) The high school GPA that is derived from college preparatory classes only and is computed in the Office of Admissions.
Recruitment Territory Designations
Registration Costs Includes room (housing), board (meals), accident fund, campus activities fee, Chimes (school yearbook), health and dental fees, Pinnacle (school newspaper), technology fee, student engagement fee, and student government association fees.
Retention (First-to-Second Year) The percentage of students retained represents students who re-enrolled in their second year and those who were granted a "leave of absence." Students who do not return from official leaves are not counted as withdrawn until they fail to re-enroll after their leave ends.
S
Service-Learning Service-learning at Berea College is an educational experience based upon a collaborative partnership between the college and the community. Learning through service enables students to apply academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to meet genuine community needs. Through reflection and assessment, students gain a deeper understanding of course content and the importance of civic engagement.
Staff Includes all non-faculty employees (full and part-time) whose positions are both internally and externally funded. Also includes faculty members (tenured and tenure-track) who are currently holding administrative positions and professional librarians with faculty status. Temporary employees are not included.
Student Aid Index A number used to determine a student's eligibility for federal student aid. This number results from the financial information the student provides on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The SAI formula calculates the total financial resources of students and their parents (or spouses in some cases), then deducts the minimum amount needed for the student's (and their family's) normal annual living expenses. The remaining amount may, in part, be allocated for college expenses. Our Student Financial Aid Office staff uses the SAI to determine an applicant's need for federal student aid from the U.S. Department of Education and other sources of assistance. Before the Academic Year 2024-25, the number used was the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
Student Engagement Fee This fee provides diverse programs and services to enhance students' overall social, cultural, and educational growth by promoting learning and development in various environments. Programs are designed to promote maximum interaction among students and between students, faculty, and staff. Activities vary each semester based on scheduling, availability, and student feedback. This fee is coordinated by the Student Life Administrative Office and has been used to promote events such as Mountain Day, Bell Hooks Center opening, art shows, Alcohol Awareness Week, Black Cultural Center, and Espacio Cultural Latinx programming. This fee also provides primary support for the 50+ registered clubs and organizations on campus.
Student Labor Evaluation (SLE) The instrument used by labor supervisors to evaluate student work on seven performance expectations helping students develop job skills: attendance, accountability, teamwork, initiative, respect, learning, and position-specific requirements.
StudentTracker Research Service A service that provides the ability to research postsecondary enrollment and degree records. The service matches on name and birthdate. Nearly 3,600 colleges and universities – enrolling over 97% of all students in public and private U.S. institutions – regularly provide enrollment and graduation data to the Clearinghouse.
Student-to-Faculty Ratio The ratio is calculated by dividing the full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment by the FTE faculty.
Sustainability The capacity of individuals, communities, and societies to coexist in a manner that maintains social justice, environmental integrity, and economic well-being today and for future generations.
T
Technology Fee This fee supports the EDGE (Empowering a Dynamic Generation through Education) program. This is the name given to the College's program, which provides a laptop computer to every student. In addition to the laptops, the EDGE program provides access to the campus network and the Internet from many locations, including classrooms and residence hall rooms, as well as access to software, classroom multimedia technology, technical support, and training. Graduates from Berea College receive ownership of their laptop computers.
Terminal Degree The highest academic degree that can be awarded in a particular field. This is almost always a doctoral or graduate degree earned after a bachelor's degree.
Transfer Student A student entering the institution for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the same level (undergraduate). The student may transfer with or without credit.
Transient/Exchange Transient students are students who take courses at Berea College to transfer back to their home institution. Exchange students are enrolled at Berea full-time under an exchange agreement with another institution
Tree Campus USA Certification/Membership
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program is a national program that recognizes the efforts of higher educational institutions to establish and sustain healthy community forests. Universities or colleges can earn Tree Campus USA designation “by meeting five core standards developed to promote healthy trees and student involvement. The Five Core Standards make up the backbone of the Tree Campus USA program and are requirements that every campus must meet to apply for Tree Campus USA recognition. Through these standards, colleges and universities are challenged to use best practices to plant and care for trees on campus and reach out to the student body to engage them in their efforts to make our communities a greener, and healthier, place to live.”
U
Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Program (URCPP) The URCPP was developed to provide students in all majors with a high-impact learning opportunity not ordinarily found in courses or other forms of experiential learning. Typically, two or three students and a faculty mentor engage in a project for eight to ten weeks during the Summer. The central purpose is to provide opportunities for students to experience research and creative activity through the structure of an apprentice-mentor relationship.
Unknown Race or Ethnicity Domestic students who chose not to identify their race or ethnicity on their admissions application.
W
Watersheds
A watershed is a land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt to creeks, streams, and rivers, and eventually to outflow points such as reservoirs, bays, and the ocean.
Work-Learning-Service Level (WLS) A student’s pay grade is determined by the level of work being performed in the position. As students take on more responsibilities they will be assigned a higher level and pay grade.
Y
Yield Rate The percentage of admitted students who enroll.
Young Alumni Alums who would have graduated in the last ten years.
Young Graduates Graduates who graduated in the last ten years.