TCSG Data Center and Office of Information Services

Glossary of Terms & Acronyms
Revised January 14, 2014

Academic Course
A course relating to literary, computational, or artistic rather than technical or professional studies, based on course subject codes, and does not include learning support courses. Used for Perkins reports. 
TCSG Contact:  Randy Dean (rdean@tcsg.edu)  

Academically Disadvantaged  
A student is designated as academically disadvantaged if they are enrolled in a learning support or Adult Basic Education course.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Accel Program Financial Aid
The student is taking postsecondary courses which will apply towards the high school diploma and for which the Georgia Student Finance Commission is being invoiced for the tuition and fees. Students receiving Accel financial aid must be dual enrolled (taking postsecondary courses for both high school and postsecondary credit).
For more info: http://www.gacollege411.org
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)

ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Disability category reported for students with a mental disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity that are more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at comparable levels of development.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Adult Education Student Type
A currently enrolled GED-seeking Adult Education student that is also enrolled in a credit program at a technical college or technical division.  All current Adult Education students that are actively attending a credit program at a college should be coded student type "G - Adult Education Student".  Once an Adult Education Student is no longer in Adult Education, for their first term enrolled in a college as a non-Adult Education student their code should change from "G" to "R - Returning Student".
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Adult Literacy Enrollment
Adult Literacy courses are designed primarily for students 16 years of age and older to improve basic skills in reading, writing and arithmetic. These courses are not intended to be part of a program leading to a high school degree, nor are they part of any academic, occupational, or vocational program.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

American Indian/Alaskan Native
A race category for students with origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Annual Report 
Produced once a year in late Fall and includes a variety of descriptive information about TCSG (mission, vision, financial report, adult literacy, etc.) along with the following Fiscal Year data:  Enrollment by Institution, Graduates and Placement by Institution, Associate Degrees and Diplomas Conferred and Placements, Certificates Conferred and Placements, and Associate Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates Conferred and Placements totals.
For more info:  http://www.tcsg.edu 
TCSG Contact:  Cynthia Lee (clee@tcsg.edu)
Apprentice
Student who is enrolled in courses that include on-the-job training via a paid work experience and are registered with the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Articulated Credit
Secondary school articulated credit is defined as credit earned through a written agreement between the designated technical college and the secondary school based on competencies achieved in selected courses at the high school level.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Asian
Race category for students with 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.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Autism
Disability category reported for students with a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, which adversely affects educational performance. Characteristics of autism include--irregularities and impairments in communication, engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term does not include students with characteristics of the disability "serious emotional disturbance."
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Awards Conferred
The total number of awards (TCCs, Diplomas, and Associate Degrees) that were conferred to graduates. It is a duplicated count, since a student can graduate from more than one program. It is used most often when reporting graduates by program, and not usually used when reporting total graduates for the college. See also “Graduate”.
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Beginning Student
First-time, first-year student: A student attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level.  This includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term.  It also includes students who were previously coded as an H, but are attending technical college for the first time as a non-high school student.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Black or African American
Race category for students with origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. 
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Black Hole
The Black Hole consists of students that are in the Data Center database, but have had no enrollment, graduation, or leaver information reported for two consecutive terms.  Student will drop from the black hole listing once enrollment, graduate, or leaver data is submitted for them.  
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

BOR – Board of Regents
The Board of Regents includes thirty-five institutions: four research universities, two regional universities, thirteen state universities, eight state colleges, and eight two-year colleges. These institutions enroll more than 283,000 students and employ more than 40,000 faculty and staff to provide teaching and related services to students and the communities in which they are located. (See also USG.)
For more info:  http://www.usg.edu
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)
CA – Career Academy
A Career Academy is a location where CA curriculum is offered to students in compliance with the CA Grant.  High school students who are coded as Dual enrolled students will be counted as CA enrollment if they take courses at a designated CA campus associated with a Technical College.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

CAR - Consolidated Annual Report
The Consolidated Annual Report is submitted to the USDOE as one consolidated document by TCSG and the Georgia DOE, as required by law. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (Perkins) includes core indicators to assess state and local progress in improving the secondary and postsecondary outcomes of students who pursue vocational education. The CAR is a statewide report of the colleges' Perkins reports, and submitted at the agency level. It includes measures of academic attainment, skill attainment, completion, placement and retention, and nontraditional participation and completion.
For more info: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cte/perfmeas.html 
TCSG Contact:  Marjorie Kuezi-Nke (mkuezi-nke@tcsg.edu)  

CEU - Continuing Education Unit 
One continuing education unit is normally defined as 10 contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

CIP Codes - Classification of Instructional Programs
Classification of Instructional Programs is the accepted federal government statistical standard on instruction program classifications and is used in a variety of education information surveys and databases. Since 1980 when it was first published, the CIP has been used by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).  It is also used by other Department of Education offices, such as the Office for Civil Rights, Office of Vocation and Adult Education and the Office of Special Education, and serves as the standard on instructional programs for other federal agencies such as the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce (census).
For more info:  www.nces.ed.gov
TCSG contact:  Steve Conway or Cynthia Lee (sconway@tcsg.edu or clee@tcsg.edu)

COC - The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
The recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees. The Commission on Colleges is the representative body of the College Delegate Assembly and is charged with carrying out the accreditation process.  (See also SACS.)
For more info:  http://www.sacscoc.org/
TCSG Contact:  Marjorie Kuezi-Nke (mkuezi-nke@tcsg.edu)  

COE – The Council on Occupational Education
COE performs quality assurance functions and promotes improvement of education and training among workforce development providers. The Council develops partnerships that increase the success of national, state, and local workforce development initiatives and programs.
For more info:  http://www.council.org/ 
TCSG Contact:  Marjorie Kuezi-Nke (mkuezi-nke@tcsg.edu)  

Complete College America 
Established in 2009, Complete College America is a national nonprofit that works with states to significantly increase the number of Americans with quality career certificates or college degrees and to close attainment gaps for traditionally underrepresented populations by setting completion goals, developing action plans for meeting completion goals, and collecting/reporting common measures of progress.  Georgia is one of the states committed to the Complete College America goals.
TCSG Contact: Donyell Francis or Cynthia Lee (dfrancis@tcsg.edu or clee@tcsg.edu)

Continued Education
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who has continued education at another or same higher educational institution and who is not also employed in field, in related field, or out of field.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Co-Op/Other Apprentice Program 
Students enrolled in courses that include on-the-job training via a paid, career-related work experience program that is not regulated by the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training.
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Credit Enrollment 
Enrollment in courses creditable towards a certificate, diploma or degree, including credit occupational courses, general core courses, and learning support studies (institutional credit) courses.  Enrollment is reported by program for all credit occupational courses and by course for other classes.
TCSG Contact: Donyell Francis or Cynthia Lee (dfrancis@tcsg.edu or clee@tcsg.edu)

Deafness
Disability category for students with a hearing impairment that is so severe that they are impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification that adversely affects their educational performance.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Deaf-Blindness
Disability category for students with concomitant hearing and visual impairments which cause such severe communication and other learning support and educational problems that an individual with deaf-blindness cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for deaf or blind individuals.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Dislocated Worker
An individual who has been terminated or laid off, or has received a notice of termination or layoff from employment as a result of any permanent closure of, or any substantial layoff at, a plant, facility or enterprise.
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)

Displaced Homemaker
An individual who has worked primarily without remuneration to care for a home and family, and for that reason has diminished marketable skills; has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income, or is a parent whose youngest dependent child will become ineligible to receive assistance under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (32 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) not later than 2 years after the date on which the parent applies for assistance under this title; and is unemployed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment.  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

DOE – Department of Education
The Department of Education functions as a service-oriented, policy-driven, and restructured agency that meets the needs of local school systems as they go about the business of preparing all students for college or a career in a safe and drug-free environment where they ensure that no child is left behind.
For more info:  http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

DOL – Department of Labor
As part of their mission, the DOL helps individuals attain their work goals and increase independence and self-sufficiency through employment, training, comprehensive rehabilitation, support services, and one-stop career centers established through the Workforce Investment Act. DOL also administers the state's unemployment insurance trust fund and has information on individuals' employment status and wages. (See also WIA and GCIC.)
For more info:  http://www.dol.state.ga.us/ 
TCSG Contact:  Marjorie Kuezi-Nke (mkuezi-nke@tcsg.edu)  

Dual Enrollment 
High school students who are taking postsecondary courses for both high school and postsecondary credit. 
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Economically Disadvantaged			
A student is reported as economically disadvantaged if the student is a needs-based financial aid recipient (Pell or TANF).  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Emotional Disturbance
Disability category for students with either:
(1) A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, which adversely affects an individual's educational performance:
      a. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, 
      sensory, or health factors; 
      b. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal 
      relationships with peers and teachers;
      c. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances;
      d. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or
      e. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with 
      personal or school problems; 
or :
(2) A schizophrenic individual. This term does not include those who are socially maladjusted unless it is determined that they are seriously emotionally disturbed.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Employed in Field
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who is employed using skills obtained from field of study. For example:  Automotive Tech graduate/leaver working as Automotive Technician.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Employed In Field and Continuing Education
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who is employed using skills obtained from field of study and also continuing with education at another or same higher education institution. For example:  Auto Tech graduate/leaver working as Automotive Technician and also enrolled in a degree program.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Employed in Related Field
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who is employed using skills related to field of study.  For example:  Automotive Tech graduate/leaver working as a service station attendant or auto parts salesperson.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Employed in Related Field and Continuing Education
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who is employed using skills related to field of study and also continuing with education at another or same higher education institution.  For example:  Auto Tech TCC graduate/leaver working as a service station attendant or auto parts salesperson, and also enrolled in a degree program.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Employed in Unrelated Field
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who is employed in job not using skills related to field of study.  For example:  Auto Tech graduate/leaver working as a textile production worker.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)
Employed in Unrelated Field and Continuing Education
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who is employed in job not using skills related to field of study and also continuing with education at another or same higher education institution.  For example:  Auto Tech graduate/leaver working as a textile production worker and also enrolled in a degree program.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

End of Semester Report
The End of Semester report is published after the technical colleges’ final day of each semester. It is the official semester report of credit enrollment, credit hours, and FTE. It includes credit enrollment by full time/part time, award level, gender, race/ethnicity, age, general education, learning support studies, financial aid, and student plan. It also includes graduates to date, warranty services, and non-credit enrollment.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

End of Year Report
The End of Year report is published after the technical colleges’ data closes for the fiscal year. It is the official end of year report for credit enrollment, credit hours, and FTE. It includes unduplicated credit enrollment by full time/part time, award level, gender, race/ethnicity, age, general education, learning support studies, financial aid, and student plan. It also includes final graduates and awards conferred, warranty services, and non-credit enrollment.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

FTE - Full Time Equivalent
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) measures full time students in terms of enrollment activity, and is based on credit hours. For a semester academic system, FTE for a semester is equal to Total Credit Hours/15; FTE for a fiscal year is equal to Total Credit Hours/30. (For a quarterly academic system, FTE for a quarter is equal to Total Credit Hours/15; FTE for a fiscal year is equal to Total Credit Hours/45.) 
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Full Time Student
A student is defined as Full Time for a semester if they enrolled in 12 or more credit hours within that semester. A student is defined as Full Time for a fiscal year if they were Full Time for at least one semester within the year.
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Gainful Employment
Final regulations published in the Federal Register on October 29, 2010, require institutions to report certain information about students who enrolled in Title IV eligible educational programs that lead to gainful employment in a recognized occupation (GE programs). Those regulations also provide that institutions must disclose to prospective students certain information about the institution’s GE Programs.
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

GCIC - Georgia Career Information Center
The Georgia Career Information Center, through its Georgia Career Information System (GCIS), provides current and accurate occupational and educational information to schools and agencies throughout Georgia in order to help young people and adults make informed career choices. GCIS also publishes the Workforce Investment Act eligible programs of TCSG and other educational institutions for the Department of Labor. (See also WIA and DOL.)
For more info:  http://www.gcic.peachnet.edu/
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Graduate
A graduate is a student who received at least one award (TCC, Diploma, and/or Associate Degree). This is used to report an unduplicated count of graduates for the college, counting each student who received an award once; regardless of how many awards they received. See also “Awards Conferred.”
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

GRS – Graduation Rate Survey
Part of the collection of IPEDS surveys that collects the number of students entering the institution as full-time, first-time, degree or certificate-seeking in a particular year (cohort), by race/ethnicity and gender; number completing within 150% of normal time to program completion; number transferred to other institutions; number of students receiving athletically-related student aid in the cohort and number completing within 150% of normal time. This survey was developed to help institutions comply with requirements of Student Right-to-Know. Data are collected annually. 
For more info:  http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu) 

GVTC - Georgia Virtual Technical College
The Georgia Virtual Technical College (GVTC) is made up of contributing fully accredited postsecondary technical college members. The GVTC members work together, creating courses and programs using the Internet as the delivery medium. The “hands-on” portion of the instruction (when required) is made possible through several local and regional centers located throughout the state of Georgia and the existence of a standardized curriculum among the technical colleges.
For more info: http://www.gvtc.org/
TCSG contact: Robert Keown (rkeown@gvtc.org)

Health Problem
Disability category for students who have limited strength, vitality and alertness because of chronic health problems such as heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, infectious hepatitis, epilepsy, asthma, hemophilia, leukemia, diabetes, AIDS, substance abuse or other illnesses.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Hearing Impairment
Disability category for students with either: 1) a hearing impairment which is so severe that an individual is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing with or without amplification (which would be considered to be a state of deafness), and which adversely affects his or her educational performance; or 2) a hearing impairment whether permanent or fluctuating (which would not be considered to be a state of deafness) that adversely affects an individual's educational performance.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

High School Student
A currently enrolled high school student that is enrolled in a technical college or technical division.  Student can be dual enrolled (taking postsecondary courses for both high school and postsecondary credit) or joint enrolled (taking postsecondary courses for postsecondary credit only) or both.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Hispanic/Latino
Ethnicity category for students of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.   
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

HOPE GED Program – Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally
Students who earn a General Education Development (GED) high school equivalency diploma, granted by the Technical College System of Georgia, may receive a one-time award of $500 toward their postsecondary educational costs.
For more info: http://www.gacollege411.org
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)

HOPE Grant/Scholarship Program – Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally
Postsecondary education assistance for those students eligible for the Georgia HOPE Grant/Scholarship.  
For more info: http://www.gacollege411.org
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)

Hurricane Katrina Evacuee  
A student who evacuated from the Gulf Coast area impacted by Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005) and desires to begin or continue their studies at one of TCSG's institutions.  The only valid terms for this student type are 200602, 200603, and 200604. 
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Hybrid Course
Hybrid courses are taught partially via the Internet and partially via the classroom.  Hybrid courses differ from web-enhanced courses in that web-enhanced courses are assigned to a classroom for every contact hour described in the course catalog.  Hybrid courses that include 50 percent or greater instruction via distance learning are coded K1 in Banner field “Schd Type” in Banner form SSASECT; less than 50 percent are coded K2.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Interactive Audio/Video Course
Interactive Audio/Video courses are primarily taught using one or more interactive audio/video technologies.  Those technologies may include but are not limited to GSAMS or other two-way interactive audio/video, including Internet-based interactive audio/video.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

I-BEST – Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training
I-Best programs are designed to provide educational access and support for adult basic education (ABE)/English as Second Language (ESL) students to progress further and faster along career pathways.  These are adult students who have not been successful in obtaining their high school diplomas and who are returning to school to obtain their GED credential and/or language acquisition support so that they can transition into postsecondary education and the workforce.  I-BEST pairs ABE/ESL and Technical Education instructors in the classroom concurrently to advance student gains in both basic and professional-technical skills.  The classes are designed to build toward degrees and/or certificates and prepare students for employment.

IPEDS – Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
Established as the core postsecondary education data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IPEDS is a system of surveys designed to collect data from all primary providers of postsecondary education. IPEDS is a single, comprehensive system designed to encompass all institutions and educational organizations whose primary purpose is to provide postsecondary education. The IPEDS system is built around a series of interrelated surveys to collect institution-level data in such areas as enrollments, program completions, faculty, staff, and finances.
For more info:  http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu) 

Joint Agreement 
Joint agreement where a student has been accepted at a college to pursue a joint or cooperative Associate of Applied Science degree.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Joint Enrollment
High school students who are taking postsecondary courses for postsecondary credit only. 
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

KMS – Knowledge Management System
A TCSG Intranet site designed to serve employees of the TCSG central office, technical college, and college technical divisions. KMS contains extensive online information related to the TCSG Data Center, including statewide and college-level reports, online web forms, data collection documentation, and other education reporting resources.
For more info:  https://kms.tcsg.edu/DPR/DPR/Default.aspx
TCSG Contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Learning Support Admit
Students admitted as learning support require two or more learning support courses in at least one area of deficiency (English and/or math and/or reading); students are not allowed to take any occupational courses until they reach Provisional status.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Leaver
A student who was enrolled in a major of study and not coded as special admit or transient, did not graduate from that major, and is no longer enrolled in the major for two consecutive terms.  There are two exceptions: students who enrolled in the summer, did not enroll in fall, and returned in the spring with the same major are not considered leavers; students enrolled in the fall, did not enroll in spring, and returned in the following summer (of the next fiscal year) with the same major, are not considered leavers. 
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu) 

LEP - Limited English Proficiency
An individual with limited ability in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language, and whose native language is a language other than English; or who lives in a family or community environment in which a language other than English is the dominant language.  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Mental Retardation
Disability category for students in a state of significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior that is manifested during the developmental period, which adversely affects an individual's educational performance.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Military
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who is on active military duty.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Multiple Disabilities
Disability category for students with concomitant impairments (e.g., mental retardation-blind or mental retardation-orthopedic impairments) which cause such severe educational problems that an individual with multiple disabilities cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. This term does not include deaf-blindness.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Race category for students with origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

NCES – National Center for Education Statistics
The primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to Education, in the United States, and other nations.
For more info:  http://nces.ed.gov
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

Net Price Calculator  
In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), by October 29, 2011, each postsecondary institution that participates in Title IV federal student aid programs must post a net price calculator on its website that uses institutional data to provide estimated net price information to current and prospective students and their families based on a student’s individual circumstances. This calculator should allow students to calculate an estimated net price of attendance at an institution (defined as cost (price) of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid) based on what similar students paid in a previous year. The net price calculator is required for all Title IV institutions that enroll full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students.
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

Non-Credit
Enrollment in organized, formal classes/courses offered by the institution for which no credits or Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are given, plus enrollment or participation in certain other services or activities.  This enrollment is reported by class or by activity.
For more info:  https://kms.tcsg.edu/DPR/AppSupport/BannerCodes.aspx
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Non-Interactive Audio/Video course
Non-Interactive Audio/Video courses are primarily taught using one or more non-interactive audio/video technologies.  Those technologies may include but are not limited to videocassettes, satellite, and/or cable television.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Non-Occupational Courses
Remedial and general core courses with one of the following CIP codes: 230101 (English); 270101 (Math); 320104 (Basic Math); 320108 (Basic Reading/English); 340103 (Health/PE); 400101 (Science); 420101 (Psychology or Social Science).
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Non-Resident Alien
Citizenship category for students who are not a citizen or national of the United States and who are in this country on a temporary basis and do not have the right to remain indefinitely.  Nonresident aliens are to be reported only in this category, rather than in any of the other racial/ethnic categories.  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Not Employed
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who is available for employment, but not employed in any job.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

NSC-National Student Clearinghouse
The National Student Clearinghouse is a non-profit organization founded by the higher education community and maintains a comprehensive electronic registry of student records that provides a single, automated point-of-contact for organizations and individuals requiring timely, accurate verification of student enrollment, degree, and loan data.  The Data Center currently uploads student data to the National Student Clearinghouse three times per semester for enrollment and once for degrees.  Additionally, an annual degree file is uploaded at the end of each fiscal year.  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Occupational Courses
Occupational Courses provide occupationally specific training with the intent of preparing students for work.  This includes all courses that do not have one of the following CIP codes used for remedial and general core courses: 230101 (English); 270101 (Math); 320104 (Basic Math); 320108 (Basic Reading/English); 340103 (Health/PE); 400101 (Science); 420101 (Psychology or Social Science).  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

OCR - Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education
The mission of the Office for Civil Rights is to ensure equal access to education and to promote education excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights.
For more info: www.ed.gov/ocr/
TCSG contact: Linda Osborne-Smith (losborne-smith@tcsg.edu) 

Online Course
Online courses are taught using the Internet with the bulk of the course content, activities and interactions occurring online.  Online courses may require an on-site component and that component must be detailed in the course catalog.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

OPB - Office of Planning & Budget
OPB was established within the office of the Governor as a budget and planning unit.  It provides the Governor with policymaking assistance in determining strategic and tactical plans for state budget recommendations. Each year, TCSG submits an agency annual operating budget, agency strategic plan, and prioritized program budget (PPB) to OPB for their approval.
For more info: http://www.opb.state.ga.us/
TCSG contact: Richard Young (ryoung@tcsg.edu)

Orthopedic Impairment
Disability category for students with a severe orthopedic impairment which adversely affects an individual's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot or absence of some member), impairments caused by some disease (e.g., poliomyelitis or bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns which cause contractures).
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

OSA - Office of Student Achievement
OSA, formerly the Office of Education Accountability (OEA), was established to improve student achievement and school completion in Georgia. OSA publishes annual accountability report cards on K-12 Public Schools, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GAPSC), the Office of School Readiness (OSR), and the University System of Georgia. Each year TCSG submits the following data at the state level, by college: retention rates of first-time, full-time award-seeking students; graduation rates; and pass rates on licensure/certification exams.
For more info: http://www.ga-oea.org/
TCSG contact: Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

Other Health Impairment
Disability category for students with a condition that causes limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems such as a heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, asthma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia, or diabetes, and which adversely affects an individual's educational performance.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

PAR - Performance Accountability Review
Every three years, each college has a Performance Accountability Review as part of the Performance Accountability System cycle (see also “PAS”).  The PAR includes an on-site peer review as well as the college’s self-evaluation of standard operating procedures. The PAR serves several purposes, including verification that program standards are being properly implemented in every institution.  Also, it serves to monitor improvement plans and to verify compliance with federal regulations.
For more info:  http://www.tcsg.edu/teched/PAS.html 
TCSG Contact:  Marjorie Kuezi-Nke (mkuezi-nke@tcsg.edu)  

Part Time Student
A student is defined as Part Time for a semester if they enrolled in less than 12 credit hours within that semester. A student is defined as Part Time for a fiscal year if they were Part Time in each semester they were enrolled within the year (i.e. they were never Full Time).
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

PAS - Performance Accountability System
The Performance Accountability System (PAS) was developed by TCSG to evaluate the institutional effectiveness and efficiency of the programs offered by the technical colleges. It measures the degree to which the technical colleges and TCSG are successful in carrying out their mission. PAS contains four modules: Program Assessment, Community Needs Assessment, Planning and Budgeting.
For more info:  http://www.tcsg.edu/teched/PAS.html 
TCSG Contact:  Marjorie Kuezi-Nke (mkuezi-nke@tcsg.edu)  

Pell Financial Aid
The Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Part A, Subpart I, as amended.   Provides grant assistance to help meet education expenses to eligible undergraduate postsecondary students with a demonstrated financial need.  
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)

Perkins Report
The Perkins Report is created annually for each college, and that data is used to create the agency level Consolidated Annual Report, which is submitted along with Georgia DOE to the USDOE as one consolidated document, as required by law. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (Perkins) includes core indicators to assess state and local progress in improving the secondary and postsecondary outcomes of students who pursue vocational education. It includes measures of academic attainment, skill attainment, completion, placement and retention, and nontraditional participation and completion. (See also “CAR”.)
For more info:  http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cte/perfmeas.html	
TCSG Contact:  Randy Dean (rdean@tcsg.edu)  

Placement Rate
Placement rates are based on the employment status of graduates and/or leavers. They are used to measure the success of each technical college and the agency as a whole in contributing to a well educated, technically trained, and highly competitive workforce in Georgia. TCSG, the Office of Planning & Budget, Council on Occupational Education, and Perkins use placement rate formulas as measures. 
For more info:   http://kms.tcsg.edu   (Resources page, Reporting Information section)
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

PPB - Prioritized Program Budget
The PPB (formerly RBB, "Results Based Budget") is provided at the state level to OPB each year for approval, as part of the ZBB (Zero Based Budget). It contains goals, purposes, desired results, and actual results of Technical Education programs. The PPB reports effectiveness in areas including learning support and general studies; enrollment, graduates, placement and retention; and specialized instructional services.
For more info: http://www.opb.state.ga.us/
TCSG contact: Richard Young (ryoung@tcsg.edu)

Price of attendance (also known as cost of attendance)
The estimated full and reasonable cost of completing a full year as a full-time student. The cost of attendance is published by each educational institution and typically includes: Tuition and fees payable to the institution, books and supplies, room and board, personal costs, transportation.
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

Provisional Admit
Students admitted provisionally require no more than one learning support course in each area of deficiency (English and/or math and/or reading); students may begin taking occupational courses concurrently.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

PSO - Postsecondary Option
The student is taking postsecondary courses which will apply towards the high school diploma and for which the Georgia Department of Education is being invoiced for the tuition and fees. Students receiving PSO financial aid must be dual enrolled (taking postsecondary courses for both high school and postsecondary credit).  Postsecondary Options was replaced by the Accel Program funded by the Georgia Lottery and administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission.  Effective Fall term 2004 eligible students are funded through the Accel Program.
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)
RBB - Results Based Budget
See "PPB - Prioritized Program Budget".

Refused Employment
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who has refused all job offers (including refusal to relocate).
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Regular Admit
A student is granted regular admission to a specific program if they have met the minimum admissions requirements for the program and its award level. 
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Report Card, TCSG Internal
A set of measures developed by the Report Card Committee and approved by the TCSG Commissioner, which includes cost per FTE, cost per graduate, total placement, placement in field, graduates and placement, and 5 year graduation rates. A baseline year of 1999 was established to measure improvements for successive years. Report card measures are published annually.
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

Report Repository
A report archive located on the KMS web site, which has folders containing both historical and current college-level data reports. The report repository can be accessed only through the security Level 2 password that is unique to each college.
For more info:  http://kms.tcsg.edu  (Reporting page)
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Resident Alien
Students who are also not citizens or nationals of the United States but who have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (and who hold alien registration receipt cards – Form 1-551/155). These students are reported under the appropriate citizenship category.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Returning Student
A student who previously attended the institution.  This can be a continuing student or a student that has skipped one or more terms and has now returned.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

SACS - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees. The Commission on Colleges is the representative body of the College Delegate Assembly and is charged with carrying out the accreditation process.  (See also COC.)
For more info:  http://www.sacscoc.org/ 
TCSG Contact:  Marjorie Kuezi-Nke (mkuezi-nke@tcsg.edu)  

Seven Day Report
The Seven Day Report is published after the technical colleges’ initial seven-day drop/add period of each term. It is a preliminary report of credit enrollment, credit hours, and FTE - it is not the final data for the semester. It includes credit enrollment by full time/part time, award level, gender, race/ethnicity, age, general education, and learning support studies.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Single Parent
An individual who is unmarried or legally separated from a spouse and either has a minor child or children for which the parent has either custody or joint custody or is pregnant.  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Special Admit
An admissions method for non-award seeking students.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Special Populations 
The term” Special populations” taken from the “Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998” includes the following:
a. Individuals with disabilities
b. Individuals from economically disadvantaged families including foster children
c. Single parents, including single pregnant women
d. Displaced homemakers
e. Individuals with other barriers to educational achievement, including individuals who are academically disadvantaged and individuals with limited English proficiency.                                                
For more info:  http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/index.html	
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Specific Learning Disability
Disability category for students with a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language whether spoken or written, which may manifest itself as an imperfect ability to listen, think, read, write, spell, or perform mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual impairments, brain injury, minimal brain disfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include individuals who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor impairments, mental retardation, emotional disturbance or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Speech or Language Impairment
Disability category for students with a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, and language or voice impairments which adversely affect an individual's educational performance.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

SREB – Southern Regional Education Board
The Southern Regional Education Board was founded at the request of Southern leaders in business, education and government; it was the nation’s first compact for education. SREB works to improve every aspect of education — from early childhood education to doctoral degrees and beyond. 
For more info:  http://www.sreb.org
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu) 

Statistical Information Report 
This report is produced once a year in late Fall and includes the following data:  Fall Semester Credit Enrollment, Annual Credit Enrollment, Credit Enrollment by Type, Graduates, Graduate Placement, GVTC, and High School Collaborative.   
For more info:  http://www.tcsg.edu/public/TCSGStat03/menu.html
TCSG Contact:  Cynthia Lee (clee@tcsg.edu) 

Status Unknown
Used to report placement status when college is unable to obtain information on the status of a graduate or leaver.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Student Right to Know Act
Also known as the "Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act" (P.L. 101-542), which was passed by Congress November 9, 1990. Title I, Section 103, requires institutions eligible for Title IV funding to calculate completion or graduation rates of certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time students entering that institution, and to disclose these rates to all students and prospective students. Further, Section 104 requires each institution that participates in any Title IV program and is attended by students receiving athletically-related student aid to submit a report to the Secretary of Education annually. This report is to contain, among other things, graduation/completion rates of all students as well as students receiving athletically-related student aid by race/ethnicity and gender and by sport, and the average completion or graduation rate for the four most recent years. These data are also required to be disclosed to parents, coaches, and potential student athletes when the institution offers athletically-related student aid. The Graduation Rates component of IPEDS was developed specifically to help institutions respond to these requirements. See Graduation Rates for the current description of data collected.
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 
TANF replaces AFDC as of July 1, 1997.  The focus is on transitional services 
and TANF requires most clients to work or participate in work-related activities in order to get 
people off of Welfare.
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)

TCDA - Technical College Directors' Association of Georgia, Inc. 
The Technical College Directors’ Association is a nonprofit educational organization whose 300+ members are on the Boards of Directors of the 33 state-managed two-year technical colleges in Georgia. 
For more info: www.gatcda.org
TCSG contact: Adie Shimande (TCDA@tcsg.edu) 

TCFA - The Technical College Foundation Association
The Technical College Foundation Association was established in 1998 through the collaboration of TCSG with the technical college presidents and foundation board members. TCFA’s purpose is to provide foundation board trustees with opportunities for increased training, networking, fundraising and advocacy on behalf of their local technical college.
For more info: www.tcsg.edu/infotech/resource.html
TCSG contact: Judy Taylor (jltaylor@tcsg.edu)

Tech Prep
Students who are enrolled in an approved Tech Prep program of study based upon completing secondary courses from a Tech Prep Program of study that have been identified in the state database as aligning with a postsecondary program leading to a postsecondary credential. The student may be taking postsecondary courses that will apply to the high school diploma and secondary Tech Prep program requirements, or may be a high school graduate and has completed the secondary component of the articulated program of study and is continuing in the postsecondary component.  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Transfer
A student entering the reporting institution for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the same level (e.g. undergraduate, graduate). The student may transfer with or without credit.  
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

Transient Student
A student in good standing at another accredited institution who may be permitted to enroll as a special student on a space-available basis at a technical college in order to complete work to be transferred back to the parent institution. A transient student should be advised in writing by the parent institution concerning recommended courses. 
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)
Traumatic Brain Injury
Disability category reported for students who have an injury to the brain caused by an external physical force or by an internal occurrence such as stroke or aneurysm that results in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial maladjustment which adversely affects an individual's educational performance. The term includes open or closed head injuries resulting in mild, moderate, or severe impairments in one or more areas including cognition, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, sensory, perceptual and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information processing, and speech. The term does not include brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)

Unavailable for Employment
Placement status of a graduate/leaver who chooses not to be in the job market for reasons including, but not limited to, medical reasons, incarcerated, deceased, childcare, and high school students who are still attending high school. This category is not to be used for students who have not passed state board certification, with the following exception: Spring semester graduates who are either (a) waiting to take their licensure exam for the first time or (b) waiting to receive results from their first licensure exam.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

USG – University System of Georgia 
The University System of Georgia includes thirty-five institutions: four research universities, two regional universities, thirteen state universities, eight state colleges, and eight two-year colleges. These institutions enroll more than 283,000 students and employ more than 40,000 faculty and staff to provide teaching and related services to students and the communities in which they are located. (See also BOR.)
For more info:  http://www.usg.edu
TCSG Contact:  Donyell Francis (dfrancis@tcsg.edu)

Veterans Administration Financial Aid
Postsecondary education assistance for three types of beneficiaries:   surviving spouses and children, discharged veterans and active military personnel in special programs.  
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)
Visual Impairment
Disability category reported for students with a visual impairment which, even with correction, adversely affects an individual's educational performance. The term includes both partially seeing and blind individuals.
TCSG contact:  Nichole Kennedy/Francine Shuman (nkennedy@tcsg.edu or fshuman@tcsg.edu)
Vocational Course
A course relating to training in a skill or trade to be pursued as a career, based on course subject codes. Does not include remedial/learning support courses. Used for Perkins reports. 
TCSG Contact:  Marjorie Kuezi-Nke (mkuezi-nke@tcsg.edu)  
Vocational Rehabilitation Financial Aid
Postsecondary education assistance for those students eligible for vocational rehabilitation. 
TCSG contact: Holly Bates (hbates@tcsg.edu)
Wait List Report 
The report includes a self-reported total by each school of the number of potential students who have applied for the fall semester and are currently “actively” wait listed. It is sent to the TCSG Commissioner and the Governor’s Office each fall and includes a break out by college and technology group along with a percent change in the total number of students on the Wait List from previous year’s submissions.
TCSG Contact:  Cynthia Lee (clee@tcsg.edu)  

Web-Enhanced Course
Web-enhanced courses are traditional classroom courses that use the Internet as an important component of the course.  The web-based component of the course supports classroom instruction and may require students to use the Internet in order to interact with one another and the instructor, to review content, do research, complete and/or submit assignments, or take tests.  Typical web-enhanced courses will include several of the following elements online:
Syllabus, Calendar, Readings, Resources, Bibliography, Glossary, Links to Professional Organizations, Current News, Lecture Notes, Listserv, Discussion Board, Tests
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)
White
Race category for students with origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
TCSG contact: Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)
WIA - Workforce Investment Act
The Workforce Investment Act was signed into law in August 1998 and implemented on July 1, 2000.  The WIA is designed to assist youth and adult job seekers in becoming employable in a self-sufficient occupation of their interest, in order to meet the needs of local employers.  Through local, one-stop centers throughout Georgia, job-seekers are provided with training/education offerings by TCSG and other educational institutions. (See also DOL and GCIC.)
For more info:  http://www.dol.state.ga.us/wp/wia_services.htm
TCSG Contact:  Kathryn Hornsby (khornsby@tcsg.edu)

Youth Apprenticeship Program 
High school students who are enrolled in postsecondary courses which are a part of a Youth Apprenticeship Program formally approved by the technical college and a minimum of one high school industry, or are high school graduates and have completed the secondary component of the youth apprenticeship program and are enrolled in the postsecondary component of the program.  Therefore, such students may or may not be concurrently enrolled in high school.
TCSG contact:  Data Center Staff (datacenter@tcsg.edu)

ZBB (Zero Based Budget)
See "PPB  - Prioritized Program Budget".