Glossary 

Decision Support and Institutional Research
DSIR is the primary source for official campus data, complying with federal, state, and university reporting standards and requirements. https://apsu.edu/dsir 

Full Time Equivalent
A unit of measurement that standardizes the number of students with the credit hours taken. The purpose of this unit is to transform part-time students to full-time equivalents. FTE is also used to determine full-time staff and faculty equivalents. 

First Year Experience
A program designed to help students prepare for the transition from high school to college. 

Fiscal Year
Austin Peay State University's fiscal year begins July 1 and ends on June 30. 

Head Count
The total number of students. Visit https://apsu.edu/dsir/institutional-data for APSU headcount.  

High Impact Practices
Applied learning experiences such as internships, service-learning, study abroad and undergraduate research. HIPs were the focus of the university QEP from 2015-2020. For more information on HIPs at APSU, visit www.apsu.edu/loc. 

Institutional Effectiveness
The Institutional Effectiveness (IE)/assessment office oversees the APSU annual process that has been enhanced since the institutions last reaffirmation in 2014. The university Institutional Effectiveness Committee (IEC) assists in supporting continuous improvement be reexamining the process itself on an annual basis. Please refer to the website for more information at https://www.apsu.edu/institutional-effectiveness/process.php 

Local Governing Institutions
Includes sister institutions East Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, University of Memphis, and Tennessee Tech. 

Memorandum of Understanding
Also referred to as academic agreements, these are agreements between Austin Peay State University and other institutions and organizations. For more information about MOU's, please see Policy 2:065 Academic Approval and Signatory Authority for Academic Agreements. 

New Academic Program Proposal
For the NAPP process visit https://www.apsu.edu/academic-course-and-program-development/new-academic-program/newacademicprogram.php

 

President's Emerging Leaders Program
PELP creates an environment for students that develops leaders for the future through the twin virtues of scholarship and service. https://www.apsu.edu/pelp 

President's Cabinet
The President's Cabinet consists of a group of educational leaders who meet monthly to discuss institutional processes procedures, updates, etc. Please refer to the website for a full list of memebrs at https://www.apsu.edu/president/presidents-cabinet.php 

Quality Enhancement Plan
The QEP is a component of the University reaffirmation of accreditation process through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). According to SACSCOC standards, the QEP is (1) a topic identified through ongoing, comprehensive and evaluation processes, (2) has a broad-based support of of institutional constituencies, (3) focuses on improving specific student learning outcomes and/or student success, (4) commits resources to initiate, implement and complete the QEP, and (5) includes a plan to assess achievement. https://www.apsu.edu/ase/qep/

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
The regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. Austin Peay State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, and doctorate degrees.

Student Credit Hour
The unit of measurement representing an hour of instruction for a single student per week over a semester. 

Student Learning Outcome
In the context of institutional effectiveness, SLOs refer to program-level student learning outcomes, that is, statements of knowledge, skills and abilities and/or values demonstrated upon completion of a specific degree or certificate. 

Senior Leadership Team
Consists of the President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Assistant Vice President for Community and Government Relations, Vice President for Student Affairs, Vice President for External Affairs, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Vice President for Legal Affairs, Director of Athletics, and Military Advisor in Residence

Tennessee Board of Regents
The College System of Tennessee, governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), is Tennessee's largest higher education system, governing 40 post-secondary educational institutions with over 200 teaching locations. The TBR system includes 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology, and TN eCampus, providing programs to students across the state, country and world. 

Tennessee Higher Education Commission
The Commission coordinates and provides guidance to the six locally-governed state universities (including APSU), state community colleges, and colleges of applied technology governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents. There are currently nine public universities, two special purpose institutes, 13 community colleges, and 27 colleges of applied technology in Tennessee that serve approximately 250,000 students. https://www.tn.gov/thec.html 

University Curriculum Committee
The committee receives proposed changes in curriculum and makes final recommendations to the President of the University. https://www.apsu.edu/governance/committees/university_curriculum_committee.php

 

Workload Credit
Adjunct instructors may not exceed 12 workload credits (WLC) per semester and 24 WLC per academic year and 6 WLC per summer and may not exceed an annual total of 27 WLC. https://www.apsu.edu/policy/2s_academic_policies/2046-faculty-workload.php