Technical Notes
LSU Strategic Plan Dashboard Technical Notes/Definitions
February 11, 2020
For longitudinal comparison purposes, data is reported according to the University’s organizational structure in FY20.
Fall Enrollment:
Headcount enrollment as of the Fall semester 14th class day (census date), including LSU Online.
Racial/Ethnic Categories:
American Indian/Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition. Race/ethnicity is reported only for U.S. citizens and resident aliens.
Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Pacific Islands. This includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, American Samoa, India, and Vietnam. Race/ethnicity is reported only for U.S. citizens and resident aliens.
Black/African American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of Hispanic origin). Race/ethnicity is reported only for U.S. citizens and resident aliens.
Hispanic/Latino: A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. Race/ethnicity is reported only for U.S. citizens and resident aliens.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin). Race/ethnicity is reported only for U.S. citizens and resident aliens.
Two or More Races: A person having origins in two or more race categories and not Hispanic/Latino.
Nonresident Alien: A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely.
Race and Ethnicity Unknown: The category used to classify students or employees whose race/ethnicity is not known and institutions are unable to place them in one of the specified racial/ethnic categories.
Graduate Majors:
Students enrolled and declared as majors (identified by curriculum code) in the Graduate School or students enrolled and declared as Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or Law School majors on the 14th class day of the fall semester.
Degrees Awarded:
The annual number of students completing degree requirements (summer, fall, and spring commencements).
Degree Levels:
Bachelors: An award that normally requires at least four but not more than five years of full-time equivalent college-level work. Includes post-baccalaureate awards which are awards earned after a student has already completed a recognized baccalaureate degree. They are commonly used as a path for alternate teacher certification. Graduate school admission is usually not required for this undergraduate certificate.
Masters: An award that requires the successful completion of a program of study of at least the full-time equivalent of one but not more than two academic years of work beyond the bachelor’s degree. Also, includes post-masters awards which require completion of an organized program of study beyond the masters degree, but does not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. Finally, includes Graduate Certificate awards, which are programs composed of 12-18 credit hours and provide a shortened, condensed, and focused course of study that often draws expertise from multiple academic units.
Doctoral: Highest award that can be earned in graduate study, e.g., Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Musical Arts.
Professional: An award that requires completion of a program that meets all of the following criteria: (1) completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the profession; (2) at least two years of college work prior to entering the program; and (3) a total of at least 6 academic years of college work to complete the degree program, including prior required college work plus the length of the professional program itself; e.g., Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and all Law degrees. Also, includes post-professional awards that requires completion of an organized program of study beyond the Professional degree, but does not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.
Persistence (Retention & Graduation Rates):
Freshman retention and graduation rate cohorts are fall, full-time, degree-seeking new freshmen (including those continuing from the prior summer). Students are classified by intended major on the 14th class day of their entering fall term and include “pre” majors. Retention rates reflect the percent enrolled anywhere at LSU on the second and third fall census dates. Graduation rates reflect the IPEDS Total graduation rate, including students who successfully complete a transfer preparatory program (pre-nursing & pre-allied health).