Glossary

The award level of the student’s academic program. Award levels defined by SIRIS include:

1. Undergraduate Certificates and Diplomas
2. Associate
3. Baccalaureate
4. Master’s
5. Doctoral
6. First professional
7. Graduate certificate
8. Not in a program

Applied learning refers to an educational approach whereby students learn by engaging in direct application of skills, theories and models. Students apply knowledge and skills gained from traditional classroom learning to hands-on and/or real-world settings, creative projects or independent or directed research, and in turn apply what is gained from the applied experience to academic learning. The applied-learning activity can occur outside of the traditional classroom experience and/or be embedded as part of a course.

First-time undergraduate student who begins their postsecondary education in a program designed to lead to an associate degree. These students typically enroll at community colleges or other two-year institutions and may pursue degrees such as Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.), or similar credentials.

The average time-to-degree represents the mean duration, typically measured in years, that students take to complete a degree program from initial enrollment to graduation. Time-to-degree can be measured within a single campus or be a multi-campus (career) calculation.

The specific degree, diploma, or certificate granted by an institution upon completion of the
requirements of an academic program. (Examples include AA, BS, MA, and PhD.)

The SUNY-to-SUNY baccalaureate transfer-in rate is the average rate of students transferring from SUNY community college associate degree programs to SUNY baccalaureate degree programs. The transfer-in rate targets set for campuses are designed to be complementary to the transfer out rate targets at SUNY community colleges.

The baccalaureate transfer student graduation rate measures the number of entering transfer students who graduate with a baccalaureate degree within six years of first enrollment. This number is inclusive of all entering transfer students in the established baccalaureate transfer cohorts.

Campus Transfer Success Targets are institution-specific performance goals established by each SUNY campus to align with and contribute to the broader system-wide SUNY Transfer Success Metrics. These targets are designed to improve transfer student outcomes and reflect each campus’s commitment to advancing the recommendations of the SUNY Transfer Task Force.

These targets roll up to SUNY-wide metrics, ensuring that local efforts contribute to system-level improvements.

A group of students tracked longitudinally to assess traditional academic outcomes. For example,
an entering cohort is typically tracked to establish retention and graduation rates. Common defining
characteristics of a cohort may include first-time or transfer status, full or part-time status, race/ethnicity,
gender and EOP status.

A program allowing high school students an opportunity to earn college credit by enrolling in approved college-administered/overseen courses at area high schools and taught by high school teachers. Participating students concurrently gain both high school credit and college credit through the course.

The percentage of courses represented in pre-established transfer equivalencies as a percent of the overall course count in the campus course catalog. This rate may be for the entire category of courses or used to describe specific categories (e.g. lower-level courses).

Represents the total number of academic credits a student has earned and applied toward their degree at the time of graduation. This includes credits earned through coursework at the institution, transfer credits, advanced placement, prior learning assessments, and other approved sources.

Attempted: The number of credit a student would earn upon successful completion of a course.

Earned: The actual number of credit earned by the student upon completion of a course.

The minimum number of academic credits a student must complete at a specific institution to be eligible for a degree from that institution. These credits are earned through coursework taken directly at the awarding campus, rather than through transfer, advanced placement, or other external credit sources. This is often simply referred to as a residecny requirement.

A Degree Audit is a digital tool used by colleges and universities to track and evaluate a student’s academic progress toward completing their degree. It automates the comparison between a student’s completed coursework and the requirements of their declared academic program, including majors, minors, and general education.
Degree Audits:

• Displays which requirements have been fulfilled and which remain outstanding.
• Assesses transfer credits and how they apply to degree requirements.
• Allows students and advisors to simulate changes in majors or minors to see how existing credits would apply.
• Enhances academic advising by providing real-time, accurate data on student progress.

Degree audit software plays a critical role in supporting seamless transfer by ensuring transparency and consistency in credit evaluation, helping students graduate on time with fewer excess credits.

Reporting of traditional educational outcomes of graduation, retention/persistence, transfer, and attrition for a cohort of students at a specified reporting date.

The report includes outcomes beyond the institution of initial enrollment (i.e. other SUNY and non-SUNY institutions). Outcome categories are mutually exclusive using an established hierarchy of graduation, then retention/persistence, and then transfer.

Typically, EO data is generated for cohorts of students for specified time periods, usually six years (150%) for baccalaureate cohorts and three years (150%) for associate students.

Course credit that is accepted at the college level that is not specifically equated with a course or requirement. Elective course equivalents garner credits to be used toward the degree overall.

A student who has not attended any college or university after completing/terminating his or her high school education and is enrolling at the reporting institution for the first time in a current term.

A post-secondary institution that was attended by an undergraduate student prior to enrollment at a current reporting institution.

The percentage of students from an entering cohort who graduate within a specific time frame at the reporting institution. For example, a first-time, full-time cohort of students in a bachelor’s degree program would typically be assessed at 4, 5, and 6 years out. Similarly, students in an associate degree program would typically be assessed at 2, 3, and 4 years out.

In a Bachelor’s Program – a student in a bcahelor’s degree program who has accumulated 60 or
fewer credit hours. For programs below the Bachelor’s Level – an undergradaute student in a diploma, certificate or associate degree program is always considered a lower division student.

A credit-earning course enrolled student at an institution who has neither formally matriculated nor is considered by the institution to be currently pursuing a specific type of degree or award (such as certificate, associate, bachelors, masters, etc.). These are often considered to be “non-matriculated students.”

A course of study leading to a formal award given by the reporting institution, such as a degree, diploma, or certificate.

The primary educational goal that most accurately describes the student’s reason for enrollment at the reporting institution. Community colleges are required to report this information and should collect it for each student during each registration period.

The SUNY Seamless Transfer Initiative is a comprehensive, system-wide effort led by the State University of New York (SUNY) to improve transfer student outcomes by enhancing existing policies and introducing new high-impact practices. The initiative builds upon SUNY’s longstanding commitment to transfer-friendly policies and aims to create a more efficient, equitable, and student-centered transfer experience across all SUNY campuses.

The SUNY-Wide Transfer Success Metrics are a set of system-level performance indicators established to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of transfer initiatives across the State University of New York (SUNY) system. These metrics are designed to measure student outcomes, institutional practices, and system-wide progress toward seamless transfer goals. They are tracked using SUNY institutional reporting tools and data dashboards, and are aligned with the strategic objectives of the SUNY Transfer Task Force.

Key Metrics Include:

Transfer Graduation Rate:
Double the 6-year baccalaureate graduation rate for transfer students in the 2025 cohort, increasing from 21% to 40%.

Credit Acceptance Rate:
Achieve an average of 80% transfer credit acceptance, surpassing the national average of 56–60%.

SUNY-to-SUNY Transfer-Out Rate:
Raise the rate of students transferring between SUNY institutions by 10%, to be over 60%.

Excess Credit Reduction:
Reduce excess credits accrued by transfer students by an average of 6 credits.

Time to Degree Reduction:
Shorten the average time to degree for transfer students by half a semester (currently 3.1 years post-transfer at a 4-year institution).

These metrics serve as benchmarks for continuous improvement and accountability in SUNY’s commitment to student-centered transfer policies and practices

The rate at which transfer students earn a bachelor’s degree at a receiving four-year institution within four years of transferring in (generally six years from initial enrollment in an associate degree program).

The number of students who transferred into a four-year institution in a given term as a percent of the entire population for that term (generally all undergraduate enrollment in the term).

The rate at which transfer students earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution within six years of their community college entry.

The number of students transferring from one institution represented as a percent of the entire population. This rate may be represented on a per-term basis or used with transfer cohorts.

An undergraduate who is enrolled at the reporting institution for the first time in the current term but who has attended another college or university prior to the current term. Please see the complete definition and data element information in the SIRIS Glossary of Terms.

The number of students transferring from a lower-level program who received their certificate or associate degree at any institution prior to their earliest four-year-institution enrollment represented as a percent of the entire transfer-in/out population. This rate may be represented on a per-term basis or used with transfer cohorts. 

A student who was initially enrolled in an associate degree program at the reporting institution and is entering a baccalaureate program at the same institution for the first time. Please see the complete definition and data element information in the SIRIS Glossary of Terms.

A student in a baccalaureate degree program who has accumulated more than 60 credit hours (1/2 of the minimum credits for a bachelor’s degree). An undergraduate student in a diploma, certificate, or associate degree program is always considered a lower division student.

The SUNY vertical transfer credit acceptance rate indicates the percentage of course credit accepted by a state-operated baccalaureate level campus as a proportion of the total course credit successfully earned within the previous associate degree program.