All requests for official institutional information must come to the Department of Analysis, Applications, and Institutional Research. AAIR creates and maintains the official institutional information from integrated, historical snapshots of the enterprise information system that are systematically extracted on established census dates. The raw data elements are normalized and transformed into institutional data that align with federal reporting guidelines (U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics). Data definitions are documented and available on the AAIR website.
The enterprise information system snapshots are taken on regularly scheduled dates throughout the academic year.
Census Dates:
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Session |
| October 15th | February 15th | August 15th |
Official Grades Snapshots:
| Fall Grades | Spring Grades | Summer Grades |
| February 15th | 1st business day after July 4th | October 15th |
The fall October 15th census snapshots are a primary source for internal and external institutional reporting and longitudinal trend analyses. These are the data that become the ‘public face’ of the institution.
AAIR does not make changes to the enterprise information system and reports data, as it exists, on the snapshot census dates. AAIR will work with academic and administrative departments and offices and develop error reports to alert units about missing or suspicious values that need resolution prior to the scheduled census dates. It is up to the responsible academic units and offices to make the changes prior to the census date, so that the data are accurate.
AAIR works with the data stewards to identify campus information needs, validate data values, and align data definitions and reporting procedures across functional areas. Questions and concerns about data processes and values can be addressed to the stewards, who meet twice each semester to resolve information issues.
Census Date Compliance and the University’s Public Face
The official fall semester census date established by the University of Maine System is October 15th. This date complies with U.S. Department of Education requirements for institutions that participate in federal aid assistance programs, and is mandated by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Fall census data, standardized in accordance with federal data definitions, are the public face of the University. They are the data required by governmental and professional agencies requesting accountability information and are the data that appear in national reports and studies (Chronicle of Higher Education, Occupational Supply and Demand System, Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Productivity and Accountability), college rankings, and (U. S. News and World Report) and college search sites (College Navigator).