Glossary of Terms

The following is a glossary of terms describing certain data elements and categories used to collect, analyze and report student and institutional level transfer data. The glossary items below complement the Official SIRIS Glossary published by SUNY Institutional Research.

Coverage Score/Rate

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).

Elective Course Equivalent

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.

Former Institution / Former Campus

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

Transfer-In Rate

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).

Transfer-In Baccalaureate Completion Rate

The rate at which transfer students earn a bachelor’s degree at a receiving four-year institution within four years of transferring in.

Transfer-Out Rate

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.

Transfer-Out Baccalaureate Completion Rate

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

Transfer Student

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.

Transfer-With-Award Rate

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. 

Transition Student

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.