Survey Glossary

Units in the central administration of a college or university, such as the offices of the president, vice presidents, provost, vice provosts, and general counsel. Does not include academic units, such as offices of the deans in universities with multiple colleges or schools, or offices of academic departments or research groups.

An information system used to target, analyze, record, and report on the status of institutional fundraising from such sources as alumni, parents, friends, foundations, and corporations.

With reference to help desk and other support services, best effort indicates that first-level support personnel may not be fully trained, that escalation of issues to more expert personnel may not be available, and that users should expect some problems will not be resolved. Compare to "Full Service."

Refers to Web logs that are analogous to personal online diaries in which individuals share their observations and opinions.

A set of administrative functions and associated software systems that support planning and decision making by categorizing, aggregating, analyzing, and reporting on data resulting from transaction-processing systems.

Provision of electrical power across an entire campus or large parts thereof that is generated by and for the institution, as distinct from a dedicated onsite generator for a specific facility, such as a data center.

Achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference. The concept may be extended to include other greenhouse gases measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence. (From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_neutrality.)

The centralized information technology services and support organization reporting to the highest-ranking information technology administrator/officer in the institution.

In some multi-campus systems and community college districts in the U.S., chancellor is the title of the chief executive officer of the system or district, in which case the campus CEOs carry the title of president. In other cases, the president is the system CEO, with the campus CEOs designated as chancellors.

One of several official titles for the highest-ranking information technology officer/administrator in colleges and universities. In some cases, CTO is the title assigned to a deputy to the highest ranking technology officer/administrator.

A general term referring to the general public network known as the Internet, as distinct from special-purpose and restricted-access research and education (R&E) networks. Many universities and colleges have connections to both the commodity Internet and one or more R&E networks.

For the convenience of smaller institutions, the CDS provides the option of aggregating staff and student personnel FTE counts for the two communications infrastructure functions: network infrastructure and services; and telephony. Larger institutions, however, are strongly encouraged to break out staff and student counts at the more granular level.

One or more computers provided by the institution for shared student use. Most labs or clusters provide seating and are intended for extended use. Compare to "Kiosks."

Refers to individuals or a firm that advises or consults with the institution about information technology plans or directions, either in general or with regard to a specific technology implementation or project.

Since all financial data in CDS survey modules are in U.S. dollars, participants outside the United States are asked to provide the conversion rates from local currency to U.S. dollars used for both the prior fiscal year and the current fiscal year.

Unless otherwise indicated, the CDS requests that data provided by institutions describe the current fiscal year. In the United States, most higher education fiscal years begin in July, August, or September; accounting practices vary internationally.

The distributed computer, information, and communication technologies combined with the personnel and integrating components that provide a long-term platform to empower the modern scientific research endeavor. Components of CI include high-performance computing, storage resources, visualization facilities, sensors and other data collection apparatus, and advanced networks. In some countries, CI is referred to as E-Science. (From http://www.nsf.gov/od/oci/reports/toc.jsp.)

A source of electrical power for a data center or other facility, separate from the campus or public electrical grid. Dedicated generators are often used to back up other sources of electrical power; some are permanently installed, and others are mobile.

A U.S. copyright law, enacted in 1998, that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The DMCA extended the reach of copyright and increased penalties for infringement via the Internet while limiting the liability of Internet service providers, including colleges and universities. The 2001 European Union Copyright Directive (UED) and Electronic Commerce Directive addressed some of the same issues as the DMCA.

A network of spatially separated antenna nodes that provides wireless services within a campus, building, or other area. One application of a DAS is to enhance cellular telephony service in an institution while maintaining institutional control of the antenna infrastructure.

A suite of specifications for securing key information provided by the Domain Name System of Internet Protocol (IP) networks, including origin authentication, authenticated denial of existence, and data integrity.

Refers to learning content or interaction that is facilitated electronically, such as delivery of digital content or use of threaded online discussion.

See Cyberinfrastructure (CI)

Refers to data appended to a message or document that authenticates the identity of the message sender or document signer to ensure that the message or document content has not been changed in the transmission process.

Please include the following in this area if applicable:

• Portal development and support
• Middleware development and support
• Security infrastructure development and support
• Service-oriented architecture (web services) development and support
• Identity management
• E-mail
• Staff, hardware, and software to support enterprise infrastructure
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Refers to modules that are not part of the core application suite, that is, a module that you create or purchase that allows you more functionality than the core application.

Software supporting the financial operations of the institution, including general ledger, purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgeting, and so forth.

With reference to help desk and other support services, full service indicates that the system or service is on an official "supported list" or the equivalent, with appropriate user documentation, training for support personnel, interoperability testing, and so forth. Compare to "Best Effort."

A satellite-based navigation system consisting of 24 satellites in precise orbits that transmit signal information detectable by receivers, which use triangulation to determine latitude, longitude, and (in some cases) altitude of the receiver. GPS receivers are increasingly available in cars, smartphones, cameras, and other devices.

Software to support development and submission of grant proposals to external funding agencies.

Please include the following in this area if applicable:

• Walk-in support for students, faculty, and staff
• Call-in support for students, faculty, and staff
• Call centers
• Support for knowledge bases, self-help tools
• Specialized support centers
• Help desk staff

High-throughput computing (HTC) systems are designed to provide large amounts of computing power over long periods of time, e.g., weeks or months. For example, an HTC workload could consist of hundreds or thousands of jobs run sequentially with different inputs. (See HPC.)

Software to support human resources management, including recruiting, training, payroll, benefits administration, etc.

A formal federation of organizations focused on creating a common framework for collaborative trust in support of research and education. InCommon eliminates the need for researchers, students, and educators to maintain multiple, password-protected accounts. Instead the federation supports user access to protected resources by enabling organizations to make access decisions to resources based on a user's status and privileges as presented by the user's home organization. (From http://www.incommonfederation.org/.)

For the convenience of smaller institutions, the CDS provides the option of aggregating staff and student personnel FTE counts for all five information systems/ERP functions: finance; HR; student; alumni/advancement/fundraising; and other. Larger institutions are strongly encouraged to break out staff and student counts at the more granular level.

Please include the following in this area if applicable:

• Vulnerability analysis
• Security planning and design and implementation
• Security policy and process development
• User education and guidance programs
• Incident response
• Security administration staff

For CDS participants from Central Offices of Multi-Campus Systems and Community College Districts, Institution refers to the Central Office only, not the entire multi-campus entity. For all other participants, Institution refers to the individual college or university (which the legacy CDS survey referred to as a Campus). See Multi-Campus System.

An institutional committee formally designated to approve or disapprove, monitor, and review biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects. In the United States, IRBs operate under guidelines established by the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services. Protocols for securing data about human subjects are among the issues addressed by an IRB.

Refers to learning environments that involve interaction between the student and (a) faculty, (b) other students, or (c) resources. Interactive learning can involve Q&A, simulations, games, role playing, experimentation, and so forth.

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems (IPEDS) is a single, comprehensive, data collection program designed to capture data for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for all U.S. institutions and educational organizations whose primary purpose is to provide postsecondary education. IPEDS collects institution-level data in such areas as enrollments, program completions, faculty staff, and finances. IPEDS data reporting requires the extensive effort of a variety of offices on any campus, and this is the "official" information the college or university stands behind, used by the federal government. EDUCAUSE collects a subset of IPEDS data from CDS participants from outside the U.S. in order to facilitate international benchmarking.

Although most questions in the CDS survey modules request data for the current fiscal year, several questions specifically request data for the last (or prior) fiscal year. In the United States, most higher education fiscal years begin in July, August, or September; accounting practices vary internationally.

Refers to reusable digital learning material, such as a simulation, data set, or glossary. Learning objects include metadata, which allows them to be categorized and searched.

A central facility to receive, sort, and distribute inbound postal mail and to process outbound postal mail.

A multi-campus system is defined as a group of two or more colleges or universities, each having substantial autonomy and headed by a chief executive or operating officer, all under a single governing board, which is served by a system chief executive officer who is not also the chief executive officer of any of the system's institutions. Such a system is to be distinguished from a "flagship" campus with branch campuses, and also from a group of campuses or systems, each with its own governing board, that is coordinated by some state body. (National Association of System Heads, http://www.nashonline.org)

Refers to revenue remaining after accounting for expenditures for products and the cost of doing business.

A facility for monitoring and managing a data, video, or voice network. The facility may also include some of the operating equipment.

Content licensed in a manner that provides users with the right to make more kinds of uses than those normally permitted under the law, at no cost to the user. (From http://www.opencontent.org/.) Of primary concern are four rights:

• Reuse: the content in its unaltered/verbatim form
• Revise: adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself
• Remix: combine the original or revised content with other content to create something new
• Redistribute: share copies of the original, revisions, or remixes

Outsource in this context refers to contracting with an external entity or vendor to provide IT services or infrastructure that you might otherwise have employed your IT staff to perform. It does not refer to an arrangement with another part of your institution or with a system office. ASP refers to an arrangement with an application service provider to provide services remotely using high-speed private networks. A common example is a website that other websites use for accepting payment by credit card as part of their online ordering systems.

In general, PCI refers to debit, credit, prepaid, ATM, and other cards and associated businesses. PCI also refers to the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council, which oversees the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

Title for the chief executive officer (CEO) in most U.S. colleges and universities. In some multi-campus systems and community college districts in the U.S., president is the title of the chief executive officer of the system or district (in which case the campus CEOs carry the title of chancellor). In other cases, the chancellor is the system CEO, with the campus CEOs designated as presidents.

A set of services often found in central IT organizations that supports design, development, and management of programs, projects, and services.

A system of public encryption using digital certificates from certificate authorities and other registration authorities that verify and authenticate the validity of each party involved in an electronic transaction.

Specialized and restricted-access networks dedicated to support universities, colleges, and other education and research institutions and their affiliates, as distinct from the commodity Internet. R&E networks are operated at the national, regional, and state levels, with numerous interconnections around the world. Institutions served by one or more R&E networks typically have a direct connection to the commodity Internet as well.

Expenditures for research funded by external grants and contracts from government, corporate, foundation, and other sources. Expenditures for a fiscal year are distinct from the total of research awards for the same period.

A campus that does not have its own executive officer, as distinct from a component campus of a multi-campus system or community college district.

Provision of hardware and operation systems management as well as data center facilities for servers owned by another department or external entity

Refers to a small electronic device about the size of a credit card that contains electronic memory, and possibly an embedded integrated circuit. Smart cards are used for a variety of purposes, including storing information, storing digital cash, and providing a means to access computer networks.

Software to manage information about students, including the admissions process, course registration and grades, degree audit, housing, etc., and to provide student self-service functions such as course registration, access to course catalogues, class schedules, grades, transcripts, and so forth.

Deployment of energy meters in individual buildings, or floors or sections of buildings, to enable measurement of, and billing for, energy use

Achieving the institution's mission while decreasing its use of materials and reducing negative impacts on the environment.

A portable personal computer equipped with a touchscreen as a primary input interface.

Video facilities, equipment, transmission capabilities, and expert personnel enabling the institution to produce or participate in remote production of live and recorded video programming suitable for television broadcast.

Refers to a small physical device used to authenticate the holder to a computer system or network. Tokens can hold cryptographic keys or provide one-time passwords. Tokens typically require a user-entered PIN and therefore can directly implement two-factor authentication.

Use of computer graphics, often with large or multiple displays driven by high-performance computers accessing large databases to produce still and dynamic images that enable exploration, analysis, and understanding of research data; presentation and manipulation of instructional simulations; design of architectural and product models; and other applications.

Refers to a standardized way of integrating web-based applications using the XML, SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI open standards over an Internet Protocol backbone. XML is used to tag the data, SOAP is used to transfer the data, WSDL is used for describing the services available, and UDDI is used for listing what services are available. Used primarily as a means for businesses to communicate with each other and with clients, web services allow organizations to communicate data without intimate knowledge of each other's IT systems behind the firewall. Web services are sometimes referred to as application services.

Refers to an editable web page that can be edited by anyone with access to the wiki.