Physical Facilities Inventory - Program Definitions
010 Instruction Program
Definition: The instruction program consists of all activities that are part of an institution's instruction program. Programs for credit and noncredit courses; academic, vocational, and technical instruction; remedial and tutorial instruction; and regular, special, and extension sessions should be included.
Facilities Application: Areas housing activities of the instruction program are to be classified here if they serve the entire program, or under one of the subprogram classifications listed below if they house specific portions of the instruction program. All Classrooms (110) and Classroom Service (115) are to be coded with program code 010.
Coding Detail: This category includes the following subcategories:
010 Classroom Instruction
Definition: Consists of instruction program elements operating during the academic year that are part of a formal degree or certificate curriculum and are managed by the Registrar's office.
Facilities Application: Areas housing instructional elements meeting in Classrooms (110) or Classroom Service (115) only.
011 General Academic Instruction
Definition: Consists of instruction program elements for formally organized and/or separately budgeted instructional activities that are carried out during the academic year (as defined by the institution), associated with academic offerings described by IPEDS instructional program categories 01 through 50, and offered for credit as part of a formal postsecondary education degree or program. Open university, short courses, and home study activities falling within this classification and offered for credit are included.
Facilities Application: Areas housing instructional elements operating during the academic year are classified here. Typically, Special Classroom/ Seminar (120), Class Laboratories (210), Open Laboratories (220), and service areas associated with the above are classified under this subcategory.
Limitations: Areas housing subprograms and/or activities leading toward degrees or certificates at levels below the higher education level, such as adult basic education, are not included. Areas housing subprograms and/or activities typically associated with 2-year (or less) vocational certification should be included under subcategory 012. Areas that house special-session instruction (013), community education (014), and preparatory/remedial instruction (015) are also excluded.
012 Vocational/Technical Instruction
Definition: Consists of formally organized and/or separately budgeted instructional activities that are carried out during the academic year (as defined by the institution), usually associated with IPEDS instructional program categories identified in Appendix C of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) publication A Classification of Instructional Programs, and offered for credit as part of a formal postsecondary education degree or certificate program. Open university, short courses, and home study falling within this classification and offered for credit are included.
Facilities Application: Areas housing instructional elements serving such programs are classified here. Typically, faculty offices and laboratories that serve 2-year terminal-degree programs are classified here.
Limitations: This subcategory does not include instructional offerings that are part of programs leading toward degrees or certificates at levels below the higher education level, such as adult basic education.
013 Special-Session Instruction
Definition: Consists of formally organized and/or separately budgeted instructional activities (offered either for credit or not for credit) that are carried out during a summer session, interim session, or other period not common with the institution's regular term. This subcategory classifies activities solely as a result of conducting a special session. Special sessions do not include regular academic terms held during the summer.
Facilities Application: Areas assigned specifically to special session activities are included; e.g., the summer-session office that throughout the year is devoted to arranging admissions, scheduling, and other matters for special sessions. Offices and laboratories devoted only to special session are also included.
Limitations: Facilities serving all elements of the instruction program, regardless of the term, are more appropriately coded under General Academic Instruction (011).
014 Community Education
Definition: Consists of formally organized and/or separately budgeted instructional activities that do not generally result in credit toward any formal postsecondary degree or certificate. It includes noncredit instructional offerings carried out by the institution's extension division as well as noncredit offerings that are part of the adult education or continuing education program. This subcategory also includes activities associated with programs leading toward a degree or certificate at a level below the higher education level, such as adult basic education.
Facilities Application: Areas assigned to and/or house community education instruction activities are included; e.g., the extension offices and associated meeting rooms.
Limitations: Facilities serving all elements of the instruction program, such as offices and class laboratories, are more appropriately coded under General Academic Instruction (011).
015 Preparatory/Remedial Instruction
Definition: Consists of formally organized and/or separately budgeted instructional activities that give students the basic knowledge and skills required by the institution before they can undertake formal academic course work leading to a postsecondary degree or certificate. Such activities, supplemental to the normal academic program, generally are termed preparatory, remedial, developmental, or special educational services. These instructional offerings may be taken prior to or along with the course work leading to the degree or certificate. They are generally noncredit offerings, although in some cases credit may be given and the credit requirements for the degree or certificate increased accordingly.
Facilities Application: Areas assigned to and/or house preparatory/remedial instruction activities are included; e.g., the offices and associated classrooms.
Limitations: Only offerings provided specifically for required preparatory or remedial skills or knowledge should be included in this category. For example, if students may satisfy preparatory requirements by taking offerings provided primarily for other than remedial or preparatory purposes, those offerings should be classified elsewhere.
020 Research Program
Definition: This subcategory includes all research activities normally managed within the academic departments. Include the various research-related activities created as a result of a contract, grant, or specific allocation of institutional resources to conduct a study or investigation of a specific scope. Organized research activities include all (1) Sponsored Research-externally funded research projects, Ledger 5 research, or research funded by federal appropriations; or (2) University Research-all research and development activities that are both separately budgeted and accounted for by the university under an internal application of state appropriated funds. Generally, such activities may be identified with the principal investigator and should be coded within his assigned discipline. Activities within this subprogram are normally of a temporary nature; i.e., created for a specified period of time, as contrasted with the more permanent nature of the research organizations with the institute's and research center's subcategory.
Facilities Application: Areas housing research-related elements created as a result of a contract, grant, or separately budgeted allocation of institutional resources are classified here; e.g., research/nonclass laboratories and their services areas devoted to organized research. If the space has multiple uses, primary intent should be the guiding factor in classifying it.
Limitations: Areas housing research organizations are not to be classified here (see 021).
023 Individual or Departmental Research
Definition: Consists of research activities normally managed within the academic departments. Include the various research-related activities created as a result of an internally-funded research project but does not meet the criteria for "University Research" (separately budgeted and accounted for) (see Program 022). These activities include research incentive grants, faculty start-up funds, or research undertaken without separate funding. Generally, such activities may be identified with the principal investigator and should be coded within his assigned discipline. Activities within this subprogram are normally of a temporary nature; i.e., created for a specified period of time, as contrasted with the more permanent nature of the research organizations with the Institute and Research Center subcategory.
Facilities Application: Areas housing research-related elements created as a result of an internally-funded research project that has not been separately budgeted and accounted for; e.g., research/nonclass laboratories and their service areas devoted to departmental research. If the space has multiple uses, primary intent should be the guiding factor in classifying it.
Limitations: Areas housing research organizations are not to be classified here.
030 Public Service Program
Definition: Public service activities are established primarily to provide noninstructional services beneficial to individuals and groups external to the institution. These activities include community service programs (excluding instructional activities) and cooperative extension services. Included in this category are conferences, institutes, general advisory services, reference bureaus, radio and television, consulting, and similar noninstructional services to particular sectors of the community.
Facilities Application: Areas housing elements of the public service program are classified here if they serve the entire public service program. Areas housing specific elements of the public service program are classified under one of the subcategories listed below.
Limitations: Areas housing activities established to provide community education (formal instructional services) should be coded under the Instruction category (014). Areas housing activities established to provide preparatory/remedial services for matriculated students should be coded under the Instruction category (015).
Coding Detail: This category includes the following subcategories.
031 Community Services
Definition: Consists of activities established to provide general community services, excluding instructional activities. Community service activities make available to the public various resources and special capabilities that exist within the institution. Examples include conferences and institutes, general advisory services and reference bureaus, consultation, testing services (for example, soil testing, carbon dating, structural testing), and similar activities. The activities in this subcategory are generally sponsored and managed outside the context of both the agricultural and urban extension programs and of the institution's public broadcasting operation.
Facilities Application: Areas housing general community services, excluding instructional activities, are classified here; e.g., offices devoted entirely to arranging such community services and meeting rooms where such services are held or provided.
Limitations: Areas housing activities established primarily for the institution's staff or student body, and housing instructional activities, are excluded.
032 Cooperative Extension Service
Definition: Consists of all activities for noninstructional public service activities established as a result of cooperative extension efforts between the institution and outside agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's extension service and the affiliated state extension services. This subcategory is intended primarily for land-grant colleges and universities and includes both agricultural extension and urban extension services. The distinguishing feature of activities in this subcategory is that the programmatic and fiscal control is shared by the institution with the Department of Agriculture's extension service, the related state extension services, and agencies of local government.
Facilities Application: Areas housing activities and services associated with cooperative extension services are to be classified here; e.g., rooms assigned to agricultural extension or urban extension.
Limitations: These extension programs are often a cross between independent operations and public service. Areas under the control of an agency external to the institution are to be classified under the Independent Operations program (100).
033 Public Broadcasting Services
Definition: This subcategory includes operation and maintenance of broadcasting services operated outside the context of the institution's instruction, research, and academic support programs.
Limitations: Excluded from this subcategory are broadcasting services conducted primarily in support of instruction (classified in subcategory 045 Ancillary Support), broadcasting services operated primarily as a student service activity (classified in subcategory 052 Social and Cultural Development), and broadcasting services that are independent operations (classified in subcategory 101 Independent Operations/ Institutional).
040 Academic Support Program
Definition: The academic support program includes activities that provide support services for the institution's primary missions: instruction, research, and public service. It includes the retention, preservation, and display of educational materials (for example, libraries, museums, and galleries); the provision of services that directly assist the academic functions of the institution (such as demonstration schools associated with a department, school, or college of education); media such as audio-visual services and technology such as computing support; academic administration (including academic deans but not department chairs), personnel development providing administration support and management direction to the three primary missions; and separately budgeted support for course and curriculum development. For institutions that currently charge some of the expenditures-for example, computing support-directly to the various operating units of the institution, this category does not reflect such activities.
Facilities Application: Areas housing activities of the academic support program are classified here if they serve the entire program, or under one of the subcategories classifications listed below if they house specific segments of the Academic Support category.
Limitations: Excluded are areas housing activities established to maintain the organization and provide operational support for the day-to-day functioning of the organization. Such areas are classified under the Institutional Support (060) category.
Coding Detail: This category includes the following subcategories:
041 Libraries
Definition: This subcategory includes organized activities that directly support the operation of a catalogued or otherwise classified collection.
Facilities Application: Areas housing activities supporting the operation and maintenance of a collection of published material are classified here; e.g., the general campus library, law library, engineering library, etc.
Limitations: Areas that are intended to serve as departmental reading rooms should be classified under the appropriate category of the Instruction category.
042 Museums and Galleries
Definition: This subcategory includes organized activities that provide for the collection, preservation, and exhibition of historical materials, art objects, scientific displays, etc.
Facilities Application: Areas such as museums, galleries and arboretums are included in this category.
Limitations: Libraries are excluded. Research areas in museums or galleries should be classified under the appropriate category of the Research category (020).
043 Educational Media Services
Definition: This subcategory includes activities providing audio-visual and other services that aid in the transmission of information in support of the institution's instruction, research, and public service programs.
Facilities Applications: Areas housing activities established to provide audio-visual materials for use in the academic programs are classified here.
Limitations: Areas housing activities that use audio-visual technology as part of the instructional process; e.g., language laboratories, are excluded. Areas housing dial access centers and learning resource centers are more appropriately coded under libraries (041).
044 Academic Computing Services
Definition: This subcategory includes formally organized and/or budgeted activities that provide computing support to the three primary programs.
Facilities Application: Areas housing such academic computing support activities are classified here.
Limitations: Excluded from this subcategory is administrative computer services, which is classified as Institutional Support (064). In the case of a centralized center serving both academic and administrative needs, it is recommended that the institution attempt to distinguish between the areas required for supporting the administrative computing activities and those required for academic computer support activities. Areas housing computer-assisted instruction activities should be handled in the same manner as closed-circuit television areas; i.e., they may be identified with course activities and should be coded under the appropriate category of the Instruction category.
045 Ancillary Support
Definition: This subcategory includes organized activities that provide support services to the three primary programs but are not appropriately classified in the previous subcategories. Ancillary support activities usually provide a mechanism through which students can gain practical experience.
Facilities Application: An example of ancillary support is a demonstration school associated with the school of education.
Limitations: The activities of teaching hospitals are excluded.
046 Academic Administration
Definition: This subcategory includes activities specifically designed and carried out to provide administration and management to the academic programs. This subcategory is intended to separately identify only activities formally organized and/or separately budgeted for academic administration.
Facilities Application: This subcategory includes activities of academic deans (including deans of research, deans of graduate schools, and college deans), but does not include the activities of department chairs (which are included in the appropriate primary function categories). This subcategory also includes activities for formally organized and/or separately budgeted academic advising.
Limitations: Activities associated with the office of the chief academic office of the institution are not included in this subcategory, but should be classified as Institutional Support.
047 Academic Personnel Development
Definition: This subcategory includes activities that provide the faculty with opportunities for personal and professional growth and development to the extent that such activities are formally organized and/or separately budgeted. This subcategory also includes formally organized and/or separately budgeted activities that evaluate and reward professional performance of the faculty.
Facilities Application: Included in this subcategory are facilities primarily devoted to organized faculty development programs or instructional effective programs.
048 Course and Curriculum Development
Definition: This subcategory includes activities established either to significantly improve or to add to the institution's instructional offerings, but only to the extent that such activities are formally organized and/or separately budgeted.
Facilities Application: Areas that are specifically devoted to course and curriculum development activities are classified here.
Limitations: Areas that cannot be identified separately from the Instruction program should be so coded.
050 Student Services Program
Definition: The student services program includes activities for offices of admissions and the registrar and activities with the primary purpose of contributing to students' emotional and physical well-being and intellectual, cultural, and social development outside the context of the formal instruction program.
Facilities Application: This subcategory includes areas for student activities, cultural events, student newspapers, intramural athletics, student organizations, intercollegiate athletics (if the program is operated as an integral part of the department of physical education and not as an essentially self-supporting activity), counseling and career guidance (excluding informal academic counseling by the faculty), student aid administration, and student health service (if not operated as an essentially self-supporting activity). In recent years, some institutions have created an office of enrollment management; activities for such an office are best categorized in student services.
Limitations: Areas housing activities creditable toward degrees are coded under the appropriate category of the Instruction program. Areas housing activities whose primary intent is to offer non-degree instruction to members of the community are coded to the appropriate category of the Public Service program.
Coding Detail: This category includes the following subcategories:
051 Student Services Administration
Definition: This subcategory includes organized administrative activities that provide assistance and support (excluding academic support) to the needs and interests of students.
Facilities Application: This subcategory includes only administrative activities that support more than one subcategory of student activities and/or that provide central administrative services related to the various student service activities. In particular, this subcategory includes services provided for particular types of students (for example, minority students, veterans, and handicapped students).
Limitations: Excluded from this subcategory are activities of the institution's chief administrative officer for student affairs, whose activities are institutionwide and therefore should be classified as Institutional Support (060).
052 Social and Cultural Development
Definition: This subcategory includes organized activities that provide for students' social and cultural development outside the formal academic program.
Facilities Application: This subcategory includes cultural events, student newspapers, intramural athletics, and student organizations. Activities for an intercollegiate athletic program are included in this subcategory if the program is not operated as an essentially self-supporting operation (in which case all the related areas would be reported as auxiliary enterprises).
Limitations: Areas housing instructional activities creditable toward a degree are excluded. Areas used primarily for intramural activities and/or instructional activities are excluded.
053 Counseling and Career Guidance
Definition: This subcategory includes formally organized placement, career guidance, and personal counseling services for students.
Facilities Application: This subcategory includes vocational testing and counseling services and activities of the placement office.
Limitations: Excluded from this subcategory are formal academic counseling activities (Academic Support) and informal academic counseling services (Instruction) provided by faculty in relation to course assignments.
054 Financial Aid Administration
Definition: This subcategory includes activities that provide financial aid services and assistance to students.
Facilities Application: Includes financial analysis and counseling, work study and student employment, loans, grants, and records and collections. Typically, such areas are offices and associated conference rooms.
055 Student Admissions
Definition: This subcategory includes activities related to the identification of prospective students, the promotion of attendance at the institution, and the processing of applications for admission.
Facilities Application: Included are areas related to the Admissions Office.
056 Student Records
Definition: This subcategory includes activities to maintain, handle, and update records for currently enrolled students as well as for students previously enrolled.
Facilities Application: Included are areas related to the Registrar's Office.
057 Student Health Services
Definition: This subcategory includes activities for organized student health services that are not self-supporting.
Limitations: Student health services operated as an essentially self-supporting operation should be reported as Auxiliary Enterprises-Student (091).
060 Institutional Support Program
Definition: The institutional support program includes central executive-level activities concerned with management and long-range planning for the entire institution, such as the governing board, planning and programming, and legal services; fiscal operations, including the investment office; administrative computer services; space management; employee personnel and records; logistical activities that provide procurement, storerooms, safety, security, printing, and transportation services to the institution; support services to faculty and staff that are not operated as auxiliary enterprises; and activities concerned with community and alumni relations, including development and fund raising.
Facilities Application: Areas housing activities of the Institutional Support program are classified here if they serve the entire program, or under one of the subcategories listed below if they house specific portions of the institutional support program.
Limitations: Areas housing activities associated with management of specific academic organizational units are excluded.
Coding Detail: This category includes the following subcategories:
061 Executive Management
Definition: This subcategory includes all central, executive-level activities concerned with management and long-range planning for the entire institution (distinct from planning and management for any one program within the institution).
Facilities Application: All areas with institution-wide responsibilities are included, such as the president, chief academic officer, chief business officer, chief student affairs officer, and chief development officer. This subcategory includes such operations as executive direction (for example, governing board, planning and programming, and legal operations).
Limitations: Areas housing Fiscal Operations (062), General Administrative and Logistical Services (63), Administrative Computing Services (064), Public Relations (065), and Operations and Maintenance of the Plant (070) are excluded.
062 Fiscal Operations
Definition: This subcategory includes areas for operations related to fiscal control and investments.
Facilities Application: It includes the accounting office, bursar's office, and internal and external audits.
Limitations: Areas housing financial aid and counseling activities for the student body are excluded (see 054).
063 General Administrative and Logistical Services
Definition: This subcategory includes activities related to general administrative operations and services (with the exception of fiscal operations and administrative computer services).
Facilities Application: Included in this subcategory are personnel administration, space management, purchase and maintenance of supplies and materials, campuswide communication and transportation services, general stores, printing shops, and safety services.
Limitations: Excluded are areas housing the logistical service activities of specific organizational units within the institution.
064 Administrative Computing Services
Definition: This subcategory includes activities for computer services that provide support for institution-wide administrative functions.
Facilities Application: Areas housing such administrative computing services are classified here.
Limitations: Excluded from this subcategory is academic computer services, which is classified in Academic Support (044). In the case of a centralized center serving both academic and administrative needs, it is recommended that the institution attempt to distinguish between the areas required for supporting the administrative computing activities and those required for academic computer support activities. Areas housing computer-assisted instruction activities should be handled in the same manner as closed-circuit television areas; i.e., they may be identified with course activities and should be coded under the appropriate category of the Instruction category.
065 Public Relations Development
Definition: This subcategory includes activities to maintain relations with the community, alumni, or other constituents and to conduct activities related to institution-wide development and fund raising.
Facilities Application: Areas housing public relations activities should be classified here; e.g., the alumni office, the public relations office, etc.
Limitations: Areas housing activities established primarily to provide public service to the community are excluded.
070 Operation and Maintenance of Plant
Definition: The operation and maintenance of plant category includes all activities for the operation and maintenance of the physical plant.
Facilities Application: It includes all activities for operations established to provide services and maintenance related to grounds and facilities. Also included are utilities, fire protection, property insurance, and similar areas.
Limitations: It does not include expenditures made from the institutional plant fund accounts.
Coding Detail: This category includes the following subcategories:
071 Physical Plant Administration
Definition: This subcategory includes areas for administrative activities that directly support physical plant operations.
Facilities Application: Activities related to the development of plans for plant expansion or modification, as well as plans for new construction, should be included in this subcategory.
Limitations: Areas housing specific activities of the physical plant are identified below.
072 Building Maintenance
Definition: This subcategory includes areas for activities related to routine repair and maintenance of buildings and other structures, including normally recurring repairs and preventive maintenance.
073 Custodial Services
Definition: This subcategory includes areas related to custodial services in buildings.
Facilities Application: Includes circulation areas, custodial facilities, and restrooms for public use.
Limitations: Circulation areas and restrooms that are part of an office suite or not typically available to the public should be assigned its appropriate program function.
074 Utilities
Definition: This subcategory includes areas related to heating, cooling, light and power, gas, water, and any other utilities necessary for operation of the physical plant.
Facilities Application: Includes mechanical areas related to the utilities of a building and those areas of the physical plant related to generating or maintaining campus utilities.
075 Landscape and Grounds Maintenance
Definition: This subcategory includes areas related to the operation and maintenance of landscape and grounds.
076 Major Repairs and Renovations
Definition: This subcategory includes areas related to major repairs, maintenance, and renovations. Minor repairs should be classified as building maintenance. The distinction between major repairs and minor repairs should be defined by the institution.
080 Unassigned (For Assignable Areas Only)
Definition: Limited to classifications of facilities not in use at the time of the inventory.
Coding Detail: Two subprograms listed below.
081 Capable of Use
Definition: Limited to rooms not in use but capable of use at the time of the inventory.
082 Incapable of Use
Definition: Limited to rooms not in use at the time of the inventory because they are incapable of use.
090 Auxiliary Services
Definition: An auxiliary enterprise exists to furnish goods or services to students, faculty, or staff, and charges a fee directly related to, although not necessarily equal to, the cost of the goods or services. The distinguishing characteristic of an auxiliary enterprise is that it is managed as an essentially self-supporting activity.
Facilities Application: Examples are residence halls, food services, intercollegiate athletics (only if essentially self-supporting), college stores, faculty clubs, and faculty housing. Student health services, when operated as an auxiliary enterprise, also are included. The general public may be served incidentally by auxiliary enterprises.
Limitations: Hospitals, although they may serve students, faculty, or staff, are classified separately because of their financial significance (see 110).
Coding Detail: This category includes the following subcategories:
091 Auxiliary Enterprises-Student
Definition: This subcategory includes areas for auxiliary enterprise activities primarily intended to furnish services to students.
Facilities Application: A student health service, when operated as an auxiliary enterprise, is included.
Limitations: However, intercollegiate athletics are excluded from this category.
092 Auxiliary Enterprises-Faculty/Staff
Definition: This subcategory includes areas for auxiliary enterprise activities primarily intended to provide a service to the faculty and/or staff.
Facilities Application: Such activities include the faculty club and faculty housing.
093 Intercollegiate Athletics
Definition: This subcategory includes areas for an intercollegiate sports program when the program is operated in accordance with the definition of an auxiliary enterprise (essentially self-supporting).
100 Independent Operations
Definition: The independent operations category includes areas of operations that are independent of or unrelated to, but that may enhance the primary missions of, an institution. This category generally is limited to activities associated with major federally-funded research laboratories.
Facilities Application: Areas housing activities of the independent operations program are classified here if they serve the entire program, or under one of the subprograms if they house a specific portion of the independent operations program.
Limitations: Excluded are activities associated with property owned and managed as investments of the institution's endowment funds.
Coding Detail: This category includes the following subcategories:
101 Independent Operations/Institutional
Definition: This subcategory includes separately organized activities owned or controlled by the institution but unrelated to, or independent of, the institution's missions.
Facilities Application: This subcategory generally includes commercial enterprises operated by the institution but not established to provide services to students, faculty, or staff or to provide support to one or more of the institution's missions.
Limitations: Activities operated as auxiliary enterprises (i.e., those established to provide a service to students, faculty, or staff and charging a fee related to the cost of the service) are excluded from this subcategory. Operations with commercial aspects that primarily support instruction, research, and/or public service (for example, hospitals and ancillary support activities) are excluded. Also excluded are activities operated as part of the institution's endowment funds.
102 Independent Operations/FFRDCs
Definition: Specifically included in this subcategory are the federally-funded research and development centers listed below. All other institutionally operated research centers should be classified as Institutes and Research Centers (021).
Laboratory Institution Ames Laboratory Iowa State U. Argonne National Laboratory The U. of Chicago & Argonne U. Assoc. Brookhaven National Laboratory Associated Universities, Inc. etc. - none listed at Oklahoma State U.
103 Outside Agencies [Not in NACUBO or NCES, but we will keep it]
Definition: Consists of activities controlled or operated by outside agencies but housed or otherwise supported by the institution.
Facilities Application: Areas housing activities of outside agencies are classified here; e.g., OK Historical Society in Old Central or the OK Coop Fish & Wildlife Research Unit in LSW.
Limitations: Excluded are areas housing operations controlled by the institution, but foreign to the institution's objectives.