Cohort 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.

A cohort is a group of full-time degree or certificate-seeking undergraduates who are entering your institution for the first time in a certain time period. Cohorts are very important for regulatory reporting, such as IPEDS. Once you establish your cohort, it will not change. Students will remain in the cohort even though they may drop out, change to part-time status, or change their program.

Desktop Location

You can manage these definitions in Desktop, too, on the Cohort Definition window. Definitions edited in J1 Web are changed in Desktop and vice versa.

Database Location

Cohort definitions are stored on the Cohort Definition table (cohort_definition).

Permissions Required

The permissions needed to define and edit cohorts are in the Registration Module Manager and Registrar default roles.

How To

View Cohort Definitions

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

Tip

You can also use the page search in the upper right corner of J1 Web. Just start typing the name of the definition page you want, and select it in the results.

Create Cohort Definitions

On the Cohort Definitions page, click the Create definitions button.
Enter a unique Code. This required code can be up to a maximum of 10 characters. This will be used throughout the J1 system to refer to this cohort. Once saved, the code cannot be changed.
Enter a Description. This field may be up to 30 characters and is optional.
The First-Time Student Cohort Category field lets you choose from a drop-down menu one of the following four options:
- Full-Time First-Time Post-Secondary
- Part-Time First-Time Post-Secondary
- Full-Time First-Time Transfer-In
- Part-Time First-Time Transfer-In
Use this drop-down list to select a category for the cohort. The actual full-time vs. part-time status is tracked in the Student Term Summary table in J1 Desktop.
Enter the date the program starts in the Program Begin Date field. Optional.
Enter the expected date that students will usually finish by in the Normal End Date field. Optional.
The IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey: Guidelines for Survey Respondents defines the Normal Time to Completion as follows: "The amount of time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate according to the institution's catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters, excluding summer terms) for a bachelor's degree in a standard term-based institution; 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters, excluding summer terms) for an associate's degree in a standard term-based institution; and the various scheduled times for certificate programs."
Indicate the expected (Normal) number of months it takes to complete the degree or certification in the Normal Months to Complete field. See J1 Desktop Help for more detailed information about this value and how it is used in regulatory reporting. Optional.
In the Allowable End Date field, enter the final date (within 150% of normal time) by which a member of a cohort group must finish the program. Optional.
Allowable Months to Complete - Indicate the maximum allowable number of months the degree or certification may be completed in. Usually, the maximum number is extended to 150% of the normal number. Optional.
Choose the year associated with this cohort group in the Cohort Year field. Optional.
Click either Save and create another or Create and close.

Edit Cohort Definitions

Click the Edit icon on the row of a definition. The Edit Cohort Definition pop-up opens.
All fields may be edited, except the Code. Edit as needed.
Click the Update button.

Delete Cohort 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 Cohort 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.