Seminary: Any educational entity which confers or offers to confer a degree or which furnishes or offers to furnish instruction leading toward, or prerequisite to, academic credit or a degree beyond the secondary level. The term includes any independent seminary chartered in a specific state and any centre or branch campus of an out-of-state seminary.

Senior: An institutionally determined academic level typically based on the number of course credit hours a student has completed; the term generally indicates a student in the fourth year of a bachelor program.

Simultaneous-Enrolled: A student who is enrolled at two or more post-secondary institutions during the same term.

Single Institution: A postsecondary institution that operates independently from other institutions. The institution may offer instruction at more than one geographic site, but all administration and governance and record keeping are at one site.

Social Learning: Like Facebook etc., for institutions social learning platforms that provide a messaging and content sharing among students. Leading platforms manage privacy issues.

Sophomore: An institutionally determined academic level typically based on the number of course credit hours a student has completed; the term generally indicates a student in the second year of a bachelor degree or occupational or technical program.

Special Admissions Test: Tests prepared by or for a particular institution, or State (for State institutions) and administered by the institution, for purposes of determining prospective students’ skills and competencies.

Standardized Admissions Tests: Tests prepared and administered by an agency independent of any postsecondary education institution, for purposes of making available to prospective students, information about the student’s academic qualifications relative to a national sample. Examples are the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Testing (ACT).

Supplemental online programs: Provide a small number of courses to students who are enrolled in on campus classes separate from the online program.

Syllabus: is both a document about the course content, goals, and elements; and a guide for students to the kind of teaching and learning they can expect in the course. Typically, all the materials, including textbooks, needed for successful completion of the course are included. Any materials provided by the institution are also listed.

Synchronous: Communication in which participants interact in real time such as videoconferencing.