Data Glossary
An enterprise-wide glossary created with the purpose of standardizing definitions and clarifying terminology for consistent use across all business units.
| Term | Definition | Data Classification | Responsible Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Advisor | Faculty or staff assigned to a student to provide academic guidance. | Public | University Registrar |
| Academic Department | Administrative unit organized around a specific program of study within an SMU school that owns academic plans, and or course subjects. | Public | University Registrar |
| Academic Level | A student's classification based on total credit hours earned within a student career. | Public | University Registrar |
| Academic Level at Start | A student's academic level at the beginning of the first post-high-school term of enrollment at SMU. | Public | University Registrar |
| Academic Plan | Student's declared course of study and degree program. Categorized based upon the following academic plan types: major, pre-major, minor, specialization, preparation, concentration, pre-professional, and certificate. | Public | University Registrar |
| Academic Term | Period of time within an academic year with a specific start and end date during which for-credit courses are offered. | Public | University Registrar |
| Address (see also Current Residential Address) | The individual's physical address. | BLANK | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Admit Type | Category assigned to the student at the time of admission based on age and external academic history. | Public | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| Age | The time between a person's date of birth and a specific event truncated to whole years. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Age Verification Method | Mechanism by which age is confirmed at a SMU event where alcohol is served. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| Alcohol Present | Whether or not there is/will be alcohol served at an SMU event. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| Amplified Sound | Whether or not an SMU event will use an electronic sound system. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| Athlete Sport | SMU athletics NCAA Division I team(s) in which the student is a member. This does not include intramurals. | Public | University Registrar |
| Athlete Status | The student is currently a member of one or more SMU athletic teams. (Note: this does not include intramurals). | Public | University Registrar |
| Athletic Event Outcome | End result for an SMU team of an athletic competition. | Public | BLANK |
| Attempted Hours - Term | Number of academic hours the student has attempted at SMU in a given term for an academic career. | Public | University Registrar |
| Attempted Hours - Total (see also Current Attempted Hours) | Cumulative number of academic hours the student has attempted at SMU in each academic career. | Public | University Registrar |
| Birthdate | The specified month, day, and year of a person's birth. | Restricted | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Charge (s) | Alleged violation(s) of the student code of conduct. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Charge Category | The areas within the code of conduct under which an alleged violation falls. | Private | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Charge Count | Total number of disciplinary charges the student has faced within a given case. | Private | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Clery Act Category | Crime classification as defined by the Clery Act for federal reporting purposes. | BLANK | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Clery Act Code | Clery Act designations for reporting crimes on and near campus grounds. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Co-Curricular Activities Participation Hours | Number of hours spent in co-curricular programs. | BLANK | BLANK |
| Conduct Appeal | A student filed a timely petition for a change to the outcome of a conduct hearing. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Appeal Outcome | Result of the Appeals Committee review of a student conduct appeal. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Case Close Date | Date on which all conduct hearings, reviews, appeals, and sanctions are complete. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Case Number | Unique identification number assigned to a conduct case at the time of creation. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Case Open Date | Date on which an alleged conduct violation is entered into the conduct management system. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Case Status | Current condition of a specific conduct case. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Hearing Appointment Date | Date and time at which a student conduct hearing is scheduled. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Hearing Outcome | Results of a meeting to determine student responsibility for an alleged violation of the student code of conduct. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Incident - Role | Individual's manner of involvement in a reported incident. | Private | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Officer | The SMJ staff person assigned to hear a conduct case and determine the outcome. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Conduct Sanction Applied | An SMU-mandated consequence prescribed as a result of a hearing outcome. | Private | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Controlled Entry-Point Location | Electronically-controlled SMU entrance. | Public | BLANK |
| Controlled Entry-Point Time | Date and time at which an individual accesses an electronically-controlled entrance. | Restricted | BLANK |
| Counseling Center Visitors | The number of unique individuals who visited Counseling Services at the SMU Health Center. | Public | BLANK |
| Counseling Center Visits | A visit to Counseling Services at the SMU Health Center by an individual. Each individual session counts as a visit. | Public | BLANK |
| Country of Citizenship | The country or countries in which the individual holds citizenship by birth or other legally recognized method. | Restricted | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Current Attempted Hours | Number of hours in which the student is currently enrolled. | BLANK | University Registrar |
| Current Residential Address | The physical address where the individual resides at the time of a specified event. | Restricted | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Data Classification | Public Data | Public | BLANK |
| Data Holdings | List of the data holdings SMU currently utilizes and maintains. | BLANK | BLANK |
| Dedman Rec Visiting Window | Timeframe in which a student visited the SMU Rec center. | Public | BLANK |
| Early AM Class | A class section that begins before 10:00am. | Public | University Registrar |
| Engaged Learning Participant | The student participated in the Engaged Learning program. | Public | BLANK |
| Financial Aid | Funding offered to a student to offset cost of attendance. This is provided by various sources such as federal and state agencies, colleges, high schools, foundations, and corporations and is administered by the institution. | Public | Director of Financial Aid |
| Financial Aid - Received | Whether or not financial aid (of any type) was received by the student. | Restricted | Director of Financial Aid |
| Fitness Class Participant Date | Dates an individual attended an organized fitness class at the SMU Recreation Center. | Private | Associate Director of Operations |
| Fitness Training Participant Date | Dates an individual attended an organized fitness class at the SMU Recreation Center. | Private | Associate Director of Operations |
| Gender Identity | One's personal concept of self as male, female, blend of both or neither. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| GPA - Cumulative | The grade point average of all courses completed in a specific student career at a specific point in time. | Private | University Registrar |
| GPA - Term | The grade point average of all courses completed in a specific term. | Private | University Registrar |
| Greek Affiliation | Name of Greek organization (if any) in which the student is a member. | Public | Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life |
| Greek Recruitment Status | Whether a student registered for Greek recruitment on campus at any time. | Public | Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life |
| Greek Status | Whether the student is a member of a Greek organization under Fraternity and Sorority life. | Public | Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life |
| Hearing Bodies | The individual or group assigned to hear a conduct case and determine the outcome. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Hearing Date | The date upon which the initial conduct hearing takes place by a specified hearing body. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Hearing Finding | Determination of responsibility in relation to a specific student behavioral incident. | Restricted | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| High School Address | Physical address of high school from which the student graduated. | Public | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| High School Name | Name of the high school from which the student graduated. | Public | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| High School Type | High school category. | Public | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| Hold Category | Classification of circumstance that prevents an individual from receiving certain services or taking certain actions. | Public | University Registrar |
| Honors Program - Participant | A student who is invited and chooses to engage in the University Honors Program or Hilltop Scholars Program. | Private | University Registrar |
| Incident | Undesired situation that is reported to an SMU group or agent. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Incident Date | Date on which a reported incident occurred. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Incident GPS Coordinates | GPS coordinates (if known) where an incident occurred. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Incident Location | Name or description of the location where the incident occurred. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Incident Location Category | Type of location where the Incident occurred. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Incident Reporter | Person who reported the incident. | Private | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Incident Reporter Email | Email address of the person who reported the incident. | Private | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Incident Reporter Group | Group to which the incident reporter belongs. | Private | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Incident Type | Category into which the incident is classified. | Public | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Intramural Participant | The student participated in sports organized by the department of Recreational Sports, competing only within the SMU community. | Public | BLANK |
| Last School Attended Address | Physical address of the school (secondary, 2-year, or 4-year) the student attended most recently. | Public | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| Last School Attended Name | Name of the school (secondary, 2-year, or 4-year) the student attended most recently. | Public | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| Late Night Library Visitor | Whether this student has entered the library late at night (after 9:00pm). | Public | BLANK |
| Location Associated Division | SMU department or organization responsible for the location at the time of a particular event. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| Major | Student's declared program(s) of study that leads to the awarding of a degree/certificate. | Public | University Registrar |
| Major - Primary | Administratively-determined first-ranked declared program of study that leads to the awarding of a degree/certificate. | Public | University Registrar |
| On Campus Housing | Housing that is owned by SMU, operated by SMU, or an SMU-affiliated Greek letter organization. | Public | Sr. Associate Director for Assignments/Associate Director of Operations |
| On or Off Campus Resident Status | Whether the student lives in housing that is owned by SMU, operated by SMU, or an SMU-affiliated Greek letter organization. | Public | Sr. Associate Director for Assignments/Associate Director of Operations |
| Orientation Leader | The student is a group facilitator for new undergraduate student orientation (eg., AARO, Mustang Corral). | Public | Director Strategic Initiative & Assessment |
| Outdoor Adventure Participant | Whether the student has participated in SMU Outdoor Adventure programs. | Public | Associate Director of Operations |
| Parental Grade Access | Whether the parent has access to student grades as granted by the student at a given point in time. | Public | University Registrar |
| Parental Notification | Parent/guardian notified of the outcome of a hearing. | Private | Dean of Students / Asst Dean & Dir Student Conduct |
| Peer Leader | A student registered as a mentor in a SMU student support program. | Public | BLANK |
| Pell Eligible | A student is eligible for a Pell grant as determined through FAFSA data, based on financial need for an aid (academic) year. | Restricted | Director of Financial Aid |
| Person's Name - Preferred | Name that an individual chooses to use in place of the primary name. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Person's Name - Primary | Individual's full legal name. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Personal Trainer Participant | The individual receives personal training at the SMU Dedman Recreation Center during a given time period. | Restricted | Associate Director of Operations |
| Police Presence at SMU Event | Police are required to be at an SMU-hosted event. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| Primary Estimated Family Contribution | The total amount a family is expected to contribute toward a student's education costs per aid year as based on FAFSA. | Restricted | Director of Financial Aid |
| Public Invited to SMU Event | An SMU-hosted event is open to the general public. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| Recreation Center Check-ins | An individual entered the SMU Dedman Recreation Center as recorded over a time period. | Restricted | BLANK |
| Regular Dedman Recreation Center Visitor | The student has visited the SMU Rec center more than once weekly. | BLANK | BLANK |
| Religious Preference | Name of the person's self-reported religion or faith tradition. | Restricted | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Reported Ethnicity | A single race/ethnicity value for a person that is provided to government agencies based upon selected race/ethnicity and/or citizenship status. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Residence Hall | Traditional on-campus student housing (dormitories) including SMU Residential Commons and upper division housing. | Public | Sr. Associate Director for Assignments/Associate Director of Operations |
| Residence Hall Region | Campus region in which the residence hall is located. | Public | Sr. Associate Director for Assignments/Associate Director of Operations |
| Resident Assistant | A student employed by Residence Life and Student Housing to supervise residents in a Residence Hall. | Public | Sr. Associate Director for Assignments/Associate Director of Operations |
| Residential Commons | DEFINITION | BLANK | BLANK |
| Residential Commons Affiliation | Residential commons (if any) with which the student is affiliated. | Public | Sr. Associate Director for Assignments/Associate Director of Operations |
| Scholarship Rating | The rating used to determine an incoming student's scholarship award, based on standardized test scores, converted high school GPA, high school curriculum, and other factors. | Restricted | Director of Financial Aid |
| Scholars Program - Participant | DEFINITION | Private | University Registrar |
| School Attended Type | Category of the school (secondary, 2-year, or 4-year) the student attended. | Public | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| Selected Ethnicity | All selected race/ethnicity categories chosen by the individual and used to determine reported race/ethnicity. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Service Hours Reported | Cumulative number of volunteer hours performed by the student. | Public | Director Strategic Initiative & Assessment |
| Sex | Self-reported category of common biological traits that distinguish between males and females. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Sexual Orientation | Self-reported category describing a person's preference related to sexual or emotional attraction to other persons. | Restricted | Campus Community Module Lead |
| SMU Admit Term | Term in which the student was admitted to SMU. | Public | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| SMU Event | An activity–on or off campus–that is sponsored by an SMU department or organization. | Public | BLANK |
| SMU Event Attendance - Actual | Recorded number of people present at an SMU event. | Public | Director Strategic Initiative & Assessment |
| SMU Event Attendance - Estimate | Event planner's expected number of attendees at an SMU event. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| SMU Event Location | Physical address/location description of an SMU event. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| SMU Event Occurrence Status | Whether or not a planned SMU event was held. | Public | Director Strategic Initiative & Assessment |
| SMU Event Requestor Email | Email address of the SMU Event Requestor Individual or SMU Event Sponsor. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| SMU Event Requestor Name | Individual within an Event Requestor Department who petitions to host an SMU-sponsored event. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| SMU Event Sponsor | SMU department or chartered organization that petitions to sponsor an SMU-hosted event. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| SMU Event Start Date | Date on which an SMU event begins. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| SMU Event Start Time | Time at which an SMU event begins. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| SMU Event Ticket Required | Admission to an SMU sponsored event is controlled by a ticketing system. | Public | Executive Director for Student Involvement |
| SMU ID | SMU-assigned primary unique identification number that is generated by the primary information system for the University. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| SMU Student Employee | Undergraduate and Graduate students enrolled in a for credit class and limited to working 20 hours per week. | Public | Associate Vice President & Chief Human Resource Officer |
| Standardized Test Score | Raw score recorded for students' standardized tests. | Private | Dean of Undergrad Admission |
| Student's Membership(s) in SMU Organizations | Count of SMU student organizations in which the student holds membership. | Public | Director Strategic Initiative & Assessment |
| Student's SMU Employment Status | The student's work relationship with SMU. | Public | Associate Vice President & Chief Human Resource Officer |
| Student - Active | An individual who is eligible to enroll in classes listed in an SMU Course Catalog. | Public | University Registrar |
| Student Career | Category for student's level of study associated with an academic program area. | Public | University Registrar |
| Student Employment Work Study Program | Program(s) under which a student's work-study employment is funded. | Private | Director of Financial Aid |
| Student - Enrolled | Individuals registered to attend at least one class that is listed in an SMU course catalog. | Public | University Registrar |
| Student Family Income | Range into which the student's household income falls. | BLANK | Director of Financial Aid |
| Student Financial Account Hold | Whether or not the university had placed a Student Financial Account (SFA) hold on the student's account due to payment delinquency at a particular point in time. | Private | BLANK |
| Student Hometown Zip Code | Zip code of the student's U.S, address based upon the first home address of record. | Public | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Student Leader | Whether the student holds a titled position of any kind in an SMU student organization or department. | Public | Director Strategic Initiative & Assessment |
| Student Organizations | A club or group comprised primarily of students, organized and/or administered by students, recognized by the University, and substantively involved in campus life/activities of the University. | Public | Director Strategic Initiative & Assessment |
| Student School of Record | Highest SMU academic organization directly below the provost associated with a student's major. | Public | University Registrar |
| Student School of Record - Primary | Highest SMU academic organization directly below the provost associated with a student's major. | Public | University Registrar |
| Study Abroad Participant | The student is enrolled in a study abroad program during a particular term. | Public | University Registrar |
| Study Field | Declared field of study | BLANK | University Registrar |
| Taos Participant | The student is enrolled in a program in SMU at Taos during a particular term. | Public | University Registrar |
| Total Amount of Aid | Dollar amount of financial aid of all types the student receives during a specified time period. | Restricted | Director of Financial Aid |
| Total Family Income | The total annual income as reported to the IRS and reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for an aid year. | Restricted | Director of Financial Aid |
| U.S. Citizenship Status | A person's national affiliation related to the United States. | Private | Campus Community Module Lead |
| Undergraduate Research Participant | The student is participating in the Undergraduate Research program administered through the Office of Engaged Learning. | Public | BLANK |
| Veteran Benefit Received | The student received financial aid administered through the Veterans Benefits Administration. | Private | University Registrar |