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This is an essential guide for educators, administrators, policymakers, and the media. Glossaries are dynamic expressions of current language usage. Education has changed dramatically in recent years, and so must also the language used to describe and define them. We believe this glossary is useful for a wider field of educators promoting student success. This glossary provides precise language and definitions to use when communicating with peers and more effectively influencing administrators, legislators, and the media.
Program Management
This category of glossary terms relates most directly to the operation of administrative offices, programs, and in some cases classroom instruction. Additional terms related to program management are contained in the Assessment category. More comprehensive glossaries of terms can be found in the Greenwood Dictionary of Education (Collins & O’Brien, 2011) and the Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation (Newcomer, Hatry, & Wholey, 2015).
academic credential
1. Definition: Certificate stating that instructors or staff members have attended a properly accredited postsecondary institution and completed a curriculum in the academic discipline they are instructing or supervising.
academic rank
1. Definition: Category of an institution’s classification system of professional personnel 2. Examples: Academic professional and administrative employee, assistant/associate/full professor, assistant/senior lecturer, docent, instructor, and teaching specialist.
accreditation
1. Definition: “A voluntary process conducted by peers through nongovernmental agencies to improve educational quality and ensure the public that programs and services meet established standards. In higher education, accreditation is divided into institutional and specialized. Although both are designed to assure minimum levels of quality, the former focuses on the institution as a whole while the latter focuses on specialty professional or preprofessional programs (such as law, business, psychology, or education) or services such as counseling centers within the institution” (Council for the Advancement of Standards, 2019, para. 1).
adjunct faculty
See PART-TIME FACULTY.
ancillary facilities
1. Definition: Postsecondary programs, services, and functions provided to support the educational function of the institution.
2. Examples: COURSE-BASED LEARNING ASSISTANCE, LEARNING ASSISTANCE CENTERS, and TUTORING.
certification
1. Definition: “Official recognition by a governmental or professional body attesting that an individual practitioner demonstrates knowledge and can apply learned skills to meet established standards or criteria. Criteria most often include formal academic preparation in prescribed content areas and a period of supervised practice with successful completion of a standardized test of the practitioner’s knowledge” (Council for the Advancement of Standards, 2020, para. 15).
compliance
1. Definitions: (a) The extent to which a particular ASSESSMENT guideline is followed; and (b) The degree to which a program is judged to meet an ASSESSMENT standard.
2. Example: Legal compliance with Title IX or other federal and state mandates.
contingent faculty
1. Definition: Includes both PART- and FULL-TIME FACULTY who do not have continuing employment contract protection. This portion of the teaching component has increased in recent years since it gives the institution’s administrators flexibility to lay off or add additional personnel depending on budget pressures and new program offerings.
2. Compare with ADJUNCT, FULL-TIME FACULTY, INSTRUCTOR, PART-TIME FACULTY, and TENURE/TENURE-TRACK FACULTY.
cost-effectiveness
1. Definition: Condition achieved when the lowest-cost option is utilized for achieving the greatest benefit or gain (Collins & O’Brien, 2011).
emergency crisis management procedures
1. Definition: Step-by-step directions for dealing with extraordinary events.
2. Examples: students in crisis, health emergencies, active shooter on campus, and student discipline.
ethical standards
1. Definitions: (a) Criteria that provide requirements and guidelines for behaving in a manner that is fair to all individuals; (b) In assessment, criteria ensuring that data are collected, recorded, and reported with honesty and integrity; and (c) (In writing and use of COPYRIGHTED materials), the professional uses other people’s created materials in an appropriate fashion.
fair employment practices
1. Definition: Adherence to laws prohibiting employment discrimination because of age, color, creed, cultural heritage, disability, ethnicity, gender identification, nationality, political affiliation, religious affiliation, sex, sexual identity, or social, economic, marital, or veteran status.
Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
1. Definition: Federal ruling that places extensive procedures and restrictions on the disclosure of information regarding an individual without obtaining that individual’s permission. This federal legislation protects student records pertaining to enrollment, grades, and any services received at a postsecondary institution.
full-time faculty
1. Definition: Varying degrees of autonomy in the courses they teach and can have vastly different course loads from one another due to their individual course releases to engage in public service and research time. The faculty members may receive a range of privileges for the position from the institution. These educators may or may not have continuing employment contract protection.
2. Compare with CONTINGENT FACULTY, INSTRUCTOR, PART-TIME FACULTY, and TENURE/TENURE-TRACK FACULTY.
in-service education (sometimes called on-the-job training)
1. Definition: Job-related instruction and educational experiences made available to employees by the institution to improve the knowledge and skills of employees, usually offered during normal working hours (Collins & O’Brien, 2011).
instructor
1. Definitions: (a) Someone who performs a teaching function in any setting; and (b) Faculty designation of untenured rank or staff instructors without rank of any kind.
2. Examples: Lecturer, INSTRUCTOR, staff member, and assistant professor.
3. Compare with FULL-TIME FACULTY and PART-TIME FACULTY.
job functions
1. Definition: Required skills or duties to perform a job.
joint faculty appointments
1. Definitions: (a) Assignment of instructors to duties in more than one area or unit of the institution, such as teaching college-level and developmental-level courses; and (b) Teaching courses in two or more different academic departments.
liability exposure
1. Definition: “Breadth of damages for which an institution can be held legally responsible” (Hill & Hill, 2002, pp. 248–249). Depending upon the situation, PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY COVERAGE through insurance may or may not protect the individual or institution charged with the incident.
2. Compare with PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY COVERAGE.
merit increases
1. Definition: Pay increment based on performance quality; criteria should be established before performance and increment awarded following a documented performance review.
mission statement
1. Definitions: (a) A concise, well-articulated public declaration of the general values and principles that guide the program. The statement should describe the program, its purpose and function, its rationale, and its stakeholders (e.g., what it is, what it does, why it does it, and for whom it does it) to provide instruction, resources and/or support for students. The program’s MISSION STATEMENT should also advance the institution’s mission along with the division’s (or department’s) MISSION STATEMENT in which it is housed. Often, programs also provide a public statement of their VISION STATEMENT used to describe what they hope to achieve-their loftiest aspirations-in tandem with their mission. The terms MISSION STATEMENT and VISION STATEMENT are often conflated and improperly used interchangeably. A MISSION STATEMENT declares its intended present-oriented overarching purposefulness; a VISION STATEMENT expresses a future-oriented hoped-for reality; and (b) Purpose and direction of an institution or program (Great School Partnership, 2015; Selim et al., 2008).
2. Compare with CRITERION, PROGRAM GOAL, PROGRAM OBJECTIVE, and VISION STATEMENT.
networking
1. Definition: Purposeful collaboration of individuals with common interests and roles.
para-professional
1. Definition: A person trained to perform specific, limited responsibilities under the guidance of a trained professional, as in a learning center setting. These responsibilities may include such activities as tutoring in a particular subject matter, monitoring students’ progress through instructional materials, record-keeping, and development of materials for use in the learning center.
2. Examples: Student wellness counselor, study group leader, and tutor.
3. Compare with PRE-PROFESSIONAL and PEER EDUCATION.
part-time faculty
1. Definition: Requires less than full-time service to an institution whose appointment includes limited or no benefits beyond pay. They do not have full privileges and responsibilities as full-time faculty members. Sometimes these educators are referred to as ADJUNCT FACULTY and part-time lecturers.
2. Compare with FULL-TIME FACULTY and INSTRUCTOR.
pre-professional
1. Definition: (a) Student enrolled in a prescribed course of studies that leads to a degree; and (b) Student enrolled in degree programs/coursework that prepares them for matriculation into a professional degree program such as dental or medical school.
2. Example: Qualify an individual responsible for instructing and directing students’ learning in a LEARNING ASSISTANCE CENTER or similar program.
3. Compare with PARA-PROFESSIONAL
professional development activities
1. Definition: People increase their knowledge and skill in their field through research, postgraduate work, attendance at professional conferences or institutes, or similar pursuits.
professional liability coverage
1. Definition: Insurance plan designed to provide legal or monetary support for damages claimed against any employee related to their carrying out professional responsibilities. However, such insurance policies may not protect against economic damages being ordered by the courts for violation of COPYRIGHT, INADVERTENT USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS, and LIABILITY EXPOSURE.
program goal
1. Definitions: (a) Commonly used in a quality teaching and learning environment and describe the overarching expectations, and general aims of a program. Setting PROGRAM GOALS are essential parts of designing and/or revising a program or service and are often used during a program’s strategic planning process, for a formal self-study, or ASSESSMENT plan. PROGRAM GOALS are broad, long-range statements that clarify the intentions of the program, by directing program activities over a span of time. These goals are viewed as a blueprint for implementing the mission and/or vision of a program. PROGRAM GOALS typically focus on professional development for administrators, staff and students working within a program, and program services and facilities utilization (Selim et al., 2008). Programs often list PROGRAM OBJECTIVES with their goals, which are more concise statements than goals; several objectives are often written for each goal statement. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES (not to be confused with PROGRAM OUTCOMES are more specific than the goals and are used to describe specific ways to achieve PROGRAM GOALS. These objectives serve as a blueprint for implementing the mission and/or vision of a program and describe with more detail the expectations (intended outcomes) for what a program hopes to achieve. The goals should clarify the intentions of the program and direct program activities. These broad statements serve to provide a measure of success in assessing the program's effectiveness; and (b) Specific aspects of learning to be improved by the program.
2. Examples: Skills, content knowledge, and interpersonal behaviors.
3. Compare with CRITERION, MISSION STATEMENT, PROGRAM OBJECTIVE, and VISION STATEMENT.
program objective
1. Definitions: (a) These are an extension of PROGRAM GOALS specifying how the goals will be achieved and providing methods for evaluating results. Objectives are typically concise statements that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). The process for setting student learning goals and student learning objectives is similar to the process of setting program goals and objectives; however, the focus is on determining a program's success in terms of assessing students' learning assessment; and (b) Expressed as specific learning objectives that can be assessed.
2. Compare with ASSESSMENT, CRITERION, MISSION STATEMENT, PROGRAM GOAL and PROGRAM OUTCOME.
program outcomes
1. Definitions: (a) Typically part of a program’s ASSESSMENT plan, address specific actions and achievements that a program has reached. PROGRAM OUTCOMES are often used to measure program-level goals, and operational outcomes, (Council for the Advancement of Standards, 2015).
2. Examples: (a) PROGRAM OUTCOMES often describe programmatic elements, such as the quality or quantity of program usage, such as growth of students’ enrollment or students’ use of a program; (b) PROGRAM OUTCOMES can indicate fiscal sustainability or facilities and infrastructure improvements. However, it is important to distinguish between PROGRAM OUTCOMES and STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES. Note that PROGRAM OUTCOMES do not describe student learning (North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, n.d.).
3. Compare with ASSESSMENT, CRITERION, MISSION STATEMENT, PROGRAM GOAL and PROGRAM OBJECTIVE.
qualified faculty
1. Definition: Educators who have acquired the prior experiences and skills needed to fulfill the job requirements for an employment position.
regular promotional increases
1. Definition: Improved financial remuneration for professional personnel moving to a higher academic rank.
staff development
1. Definition: Participation of professional and other staff members in programs, activities, training, workshops, and conferences designed to increase their capacity to meet work responsibilities effectively.
standard(s)
1. Definition: “An individual statement designed to provide practitioners with criteria against which to judge the quality of the programs and services offered. Each individual CRITERION statement, or standard, reflects an essential level of practice that, when met, represents quality practice and performance that any college or university could reasonably achieve” (Council for the Advancement of Standards, 2020, para. 51).
support areas
1. Definition: Services provided by the institution to increase the success of students.
teaching load
1. Definition: Instructor workload is defined by the number of students instructed, the number of periods of classroom instruction per week, or the number of different courses taught.
tenured/tenure-track faculty
1: Definition: There is great variability regarding titles, contract protections, designations originating in academic or student affairs among institutions.
2. Examples: (a) Faculty that are probationary (TENURE-TRACK) or have been approved for TENURE after a rigorous review process often results in continuing contract protection with very few exceptions. Their job scope includes varying combinations of responsibilities for teaching, research, and public service. Such positions can exist at community and 4-year institutions; (b) Assistant professors with probationary status can earn tenure and then be designated associate professors with continuing contract protection; and (c) Promotion to associate or full professor often results in additional pay, more privileges, and additional responsibilities.
3. Compare with CONTINGENT FACULTY, FULL-TIME FACULTY, INSTRUCTOR, and PART-TIME FACULTY.
vision statement
1. Definitions: (a) Describe what a program hopes to achieve—its loftiest aspirations—in tandem with its mission. A MISSION STATEMENT declares its intended present-oriented overarching purposefulness; a VISION STATEMENT expresses a future-oriented hoped-for reality (Great School Partnership, 2015; Selim et al., 2008); and (b) Expresses a future-oriented hoped-for reality.
2. Compare with CRITERION, PROGRAM GOAL, PROGRAM OBJECTIVE, and MISSION STATEMENT.