Classification Definitions

Important

Information and features vary according to the roles to which you belong and the permissions associated with those roles. For more information, contact your module manager or your campus support team.

Use this page to view, edit, create, or delete, or download classification definitions.

Classifications are designations for students that describe their progress toward a degree. For example, you might have classifications called Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Graduate Student, and Nonmatriculated Student. Classifications are important in reports to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). As you create the definitions, map each one to an IPEDS Class Code.

Fields

Each classification has three fields.

Code is up to 2 alphanumeric characters. It represents your school's abbreviation for a student's level.

The description is up to 30 alphanumeric characters.

IPEDS Class Code is the corresponding value for IPEDS reports: First Year, Second Year, Third Year, Fourth Year, or Unclassified.

Table 1. Sample Classifications

Code	Description	IPEDS Class Code
01	Freshman	First Year
02	Sophomore	Second Year
03	Junior	Third Year
04	Senior	Fourth Year
GR	Graduate Student	Unclassified
NM	Nonmatriculated	Unclassified

Desktop Location

These definitions can also be managed in J1 Desktop on the Classification Definition window.

Classification for a Term, for a Division, and for the Current Moment

As students progress through their programs, their classification changes. And if a student has records in more than one division, they could have more than one classification. Therefore, there are several records of classification. Here are the different records, their locations in the database, and their locations in Desktop and J1 Web.

Table 2. Term by Division

Classification Type	Term by Division
Table	Student Term Summary by Division
Column	stud_term_sum_div.class_cde
Desktop Locations	Student Inquiry window, Summaries tab, Division subtab, Student Term Summary by Division Records data grid, Classification column
J1 Web Locations	Student Information Details page, Summaries tab, Division subtab, Student Term Summary by Division spreadsheet, Classification column
Populated by Classification Update Process?	Yes. This is the main field targeted by the Classification Update process. Can also be populated manually.
Comment	This classification is calculated for each term in a student's career in your school. This is used for reporting, including IPEDS and NSC.

Table 3. Term

Classification Type	Term
Table	Student Term Table
Column	student_term_table.class_definition_appid
Desktop Locations	Student Information window, Student tab, Student Term Table subtab, Classification column
J1 Web Locations	Student Information Details pages: Term Academics & Financials, Year / Term group, Classification field Registration Operations pages: Student Term Academics and Financials, Student Name / Term column (no heading for the classification, only the value such as Freshman)
Populated by Classification Update Process?	No. When a new student term table row is created (that is, when a student is enrolled in a new term), this is populated from Student Master (student_master.current_class_cde). (See the Student Master section below for locations in Desktop and J1 Web.) It can also be populated manually.
Comment

Table 4. Division

Classification Type	Division
Table	Student Division Master
Column	student_div_mast.class_cde
Desktop Locations	Student Information window, Student Division tab, Other Details group, Class Level field
J1 Web Locations	Student Information Details pages: Division Information, Other Details, Class Level field Registration Operations pages: Student Division Information, Division Class Level field
Populated by Classification Update Process?	Optionally, if Student Division Master is selected in the Classification Update process.
Comment	If a student has multiple divisions, each division has its own classification value.

Table 5. Student

Classification Type	Student
Table	Student Master
Column	student_master.current_class_cde
Desktop Locations	Student Information window, Student tab, Student Master subtab, Term Update Information, Class column
J1 Web Locations	Student Summary page, Overview block Student Information Details page, General Information tab, Demographics heading, Classification field Registration Operations pages: Student General Information, Name column (no heading for the classification, only the value such as Freshman) Student Enrollment Information, Name column(no heading for the classification, only the value such as Freshman) Student Program (Degree) Information, Student Name / Degree column(no heading for the classification, only the value such as Freshman) Student Graduation Information, Student Name / Degree column (no heading for the classification, only the value such as Freshman)
Populated by Classification Update Process?	Optionally, if Student Master is selected in the Classification Update process. Can also be populated manually.
Comment	This is the student's classification at the current moment.

How a Student's Classification for a Term Is Calculated

A student's classification is calculated with the Rules Based Update feature in the Desktop app. The criteria are set in the Update Results and Rules window in the Classification Update Rules (CL1). To change the way the classification is calculated, edit the criteria in CL1.

After a term is finished and the grades are recorded, the registrar's office runs the Classification Update process to reclassify students who earned credits enough to advance to the next level. See the "Classification Update" topic.

Updating Classifications

Each term, after grades are in, or when the registrar's office decides, use the Classification Update process to calculate students' classification. This process updates values for the Term by Division type of classification. You have options to have it also update the Division and Student types, but it does not update the Term type. See the Classification Update topic.

Permissions Required

Permission to manage classification definitions is available in these roles:

Registrar
Registration Module Manager

The permission required is "Can manage classification definitions".

How To

View Classification Definitions

From the Registration Administration hub, click Hub options.
Click Manage Definitions, and select Classification definitions.
Enter characters, words, or phrases in the Quick Filters to limit the list of definitions.
Click a heading to sort the list by it.

Create Classification Definitions

Click the Create definitions button.
The Create Classification Definitions pop-up appears.
In the Code field, enter up to 2 alphanumeric characters. The code should be unique. This is a required field.
In the Description field, enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters. The description should be unique, and it should clearly indicate your school's terminology for classification levels, such as Freshman or First Year.
If the classification corresponds to one of the IPEDS designations (First Year, Second Year, Third Year, or Fourth Year), select it. Otherwise, leave the default value of Unclassified.
Click either Create and close or Create and save another.

Edit a Classification Definition

Click the Edit icon on the row of a definition. The edit pop-up opens.
You can edit the Description by typing or pasting text. The field can contain up to 30 alphanumeric characters.
You can edit the IPEDS Class Code by selecting the drop-down value that maps this classification to the correct IPEDS Class Code.
When you're finished, click Update.

Delete Classification Definitions

Select the checkbox next to each definition you want to delete.
Select Delete from the Options drop-down. The Delete Definitions? pop-up opens.
The Delete Definitions? pop-up lists the selected definitions in two categories:
- Ready to Delete: Definitions that can be deleted.
- Unable to Delete: Definitions that can't be deleted, either because they're in use or are protected by the system.
If you decide not to delete one or more of the definitions listed under Ready to Delete, click the Remove icon to remove them from the list.
When you're sure you want to delete all the rows listed under Ready to Delete, click Yes, delete.

Download Classification Definitions

Download to Excel

Select the checkboxes next to the rows you want to export.
From the Options drop-down, select Download to Excel. The Download to Excel pop-up opens.
Select options for the Excel format and data columns.
sidebar. Download to Excel Options
Workbook Creation Options: This option lets you choose how you want the data to be organized when it's exported. If you are exporting a large number of rows, you may want to separate the data into different worksheets or even workbooks. Once you select this option, the Separate (Sheets or Workbooks) By drop-down becomes available so you can choose the groupings for each worksheet or workbook.
Separate (Sheets or Workbooks) By: This field becomes available when you choose to organize your export into multiple worksheets or workbooks. In general, you'll have the option to separate the data based on the columns. You will only see options for the visible columns.
Notice
For example, if you are exporting a set of definitions, you might choose to organize the data into two workbooks: one for active definitions, and one for inactive definitions. Do this by selecting the "Active" column in this drop-down. All of your rows designated as active will be in one workbook, and the inactive ones in a separate workbook.
Workbook Format: This section lets you set some Excel display options for your data. For more information about each of these features, consult Microsoft Excel help.
Autofit columns: Fits column width to the data so that fields are not truncated.
Turn on filtering: Turns on the AutoFilter feature, which allows you to show only rows that meet your selected criteria.
Freeze Top Row: Your worksheet displays the column title in the first row by default. Selecting this option keeps the top row at the top so that as you scroll down through your data, the column headings remain displayed.
Show totals for numeric columns: This option will include the sum of a column of numbers at the bottom of that column.
Columns to Include: These options are specific to the page you are viewing, so they will vary. You will only see options for columns that you can see on the page. All of the columns are selected by default, but you can deselect any of the columns you don't want to include.
Click Download. Your .xlsx or .zip file is saved in the file location that you have set in your browser settings.

FAQ

Is Classification the same as State Classification?

No. State Classification is an alternative classification option if you need to report to the state or another agency classification values that differ from your standard values. It was designed especially for Texas state reporting, but any school can use it. State Classification has its own definition page.