IT Services Glossary

The Word Usage List has grammatically and stylistically correct spelling and usage for commonly misused and misspelled words and product names. The Writing Guides and Glossaries article lists other University of Arkansas and technical glossaries and writing guides.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Academic Technology Includes learning management system (Blackboard) and classroom technology
ACR Accessibility Conformance Report
Once completed, the VPAT® with documented testing results is referred to as an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) that details the accessible features of the tested product or service. The Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), based on a completed ITI VPAT®, is the leading global reporting format for assisting buyers and sellers in identifying information and communications technology (ICT) products and services with accessibility features. (ITI)
Account Activation (UARK) Password Manager Activation page: https://newuser.uark.edu/login
Active Directory (AD) Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft's proprietary directory service. It runs on Windows Server and enables administrators to manage permissions and access to network resources. AD is used at the University of Arkansas to manage UARK user access.
AD Group Active Directory Group
Active Directory (AD) Organizational Unit (OU) An Active Directory Organizational Unit (OU) allows management of security groups for access to resources, to organize workstations, and to apply group policies to workstations and other devices. University departments can request an OU through IT Services.
Managing OU Security Groups in Azure Active Directory
Active Student A student record with active enrollment status in the student information system for a given term.
Administrative UARK account Administrative accounts have elevated privileges to manage or configure systems.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.
Adobe Creative Cloud A collection of software used for graphic design, video editing, web development, photography.
See more information about Adobe Creative Cloud.
Affiliate UARK Account A university affiliate is an individual who is not employed by the university or enrolled as a student, but has a legitimate need to access university resources. Academic affiliates include visiting speakers, researchers, and faculty and former students. Non-academic affiliates include vendors, contractors, consultants and those with an athletics affiliation. Affiliates may be granted an affiliate UARK account to access Wi-Fi, Workday, email and other online services.
See more information on affiliates and affiliate accounts.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.
Asset Any managed resources with value. Assets include hardware, virtual machines, software, licenses, and data. Assets are tracked for lifecycle, cost, risk, and compliance. 
Authentication The process of verifying identity using credentials such as passwords, keys, or tokens. May include multi-factor authentication and federation.
Azure

Azure is the primary enterprise cloud platform for IT Services at the University of Arkansas. Many university systems, applications, and data services are being moved from on-premise servers into Azure to improve scalability, reliability, and security.

B

Blackboard Learn Students, faculty and instructors can participate in classes delivered online or access online materials and activities to complement face-to-face classroom experiences using Blackboard Learn as the campuswide learning management system. Faculty can also take advantage of streaming video and online conferencing tools provided within Blackboard. Blackboard login: https://learn.uark.edu/
Bootstrap Bootstrap is a collection of design templates for typography, buttons, navigation, and other interface components that is built into TeamDynamix and can be used in knowledge base articles, service descriptions, pages, and other areas of TeamDynamix.
TeamDynamix: Bootstrap CSS/JavaScript Framework
BPM Business Process Management
Business Application Services The Business Application Services Team in IT Services provide application support, administration, and development.
Business Continuity Plan A documented plan for maintaining business operations in the event of a disaster or breach.

Business Process Management

 The Department of Business Process Management (BPM) optimizes business processes, fosters operational excellence, and provides innovative solutions that enhance both efficiency and user experience.
BYOD Bring Your Own Device

C

CAC Computing Activities Council
The Computing Activities Council (CAC) and its committees represent the IT governance structure at the University of Arkansas and facilitates participation among students, faculty, staff and administrators in order for the university to achieve its educational and research missions and goals. The CAC promotes effective processes and sharing of resources to establish excellent IT infrastructure and services on campus.
CAI Conversational Artificial Intelligence
Campus Web Data Campus Web Data is an online platform used for updating faculty and staff information including profile photo, department, classification, education information, and professional information. All personal information updates including name, email, title, and contact information will need to be updated through Workday. Log into Campus Web Data at: https://campuswebdata.uark.edu/
Capitalized Equipment The capitalization threshold for Capitalized Equipment is $5,000.00. In addition to having a first cost or initial value of at least $5,000, in order to be considered Capitalized Equipment, each capitalized item must have an estimated useful life of greater than one year, an identity that does not change with use, and a nature that makes formal accountability practical.
​Fayetteville Policies and Procedures 313.2 Inventory/Equipment Capitalization Thresholds
CAPTCHA Acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computer and Humans Apart
Catastrophic Event A severe disruption that causes widespread or prolonged outage of critical systems. A catastrophic event triggers disaster recovery and business continuity plans. 
Change Enablement Process Aimed at handling alterations in Systems, Services, and Applications within the campus's production systems managed by UITS. This process aims to create an organized method for overseeing changes impacting our environment, enhancing the approval process.
CI Configuration Item
clicker Some classes require the use of student response devices, often called clickers. Clickers are handheld devices that enable instructors to pose questions to students and immediately collect and view the responses of the entire class. They are often used to give quizzes, take polls, open discussions, and take attendance. TurningPoint Mobile is software that allows the use of a smartphone, tablet, or browser in place of a clicker.
cloud-based service Services such as software access and usage and file storage that are delivered via the internet and can be accessed from any device or location.
CMDB configuration management database
stores configuration info and relationships of hardware, software, systems, facilities, personnel, etc.
CMS Content Management System
Modern Campus (formerly Omni) CMS is the official campus content management system for departments and eligible projects and programs.
CNAME Record A Canonical Name record (abbreviated as CNAME record) is a type of resource record in the Domain Name System (DNS) that maps one domain name (an alias) to another (the canonical name). CNAME records are aliases for existing A or AAAA records, and can stand alone or as part of a host record. In the Infoblox GUI, the terms “CNAME” and “alias” are used interchangeably.
college

At the University of Arkansas, a college is an organizational unit responsible for:

  • Offering degree programs within a specific field or discipline
  • Housing academic departments (e.g., Biology, History, Computer Science)
  • Supporting faculty, students, and curriculum in that area

Examples include the College of Engineering, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and Sam M. Walton College of Business.
cookie HTTP cookies (also called web cookies, Internet cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small blocks of data created by a web server while a user is browsing a website and placed on the user's computer or other device by the user's web browser. Cookies are placed on the device used to access a website, and more than one cookie may be placed on a user's device during a session. They enable web servers to store stateful information (such as items added in the shopping cart in an online store) on the user's device or to track the user's browsing activity (including clicking particular buttons, logging in, or recording which pages were visited in the past). They can also be used to save for subsequent use information that the user previously entered into form fields, such as names, addresses, passwords, and payment card numbers. (NIST)
CRM Customer relationship management
CRM is a system for managing interactions with current and potential customers.
CUI Controlled Unclassified Information
A categorical designation that refers to unclassified information that does not meet the standards for National Security Classification under Executive Order 12958, as amended, but is pertinent to the national interests of the United States or to the important interests of entities outside the federal government, and under law or policy requires protection from unauthorized disclosure, special handling safeguards, or prescribed limits on exchange or dissemination. The designation CUI replaces Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU). Information that the government creates or possesses, or that an entity creates or possesses for or on behalf of the Government, that a law, regulation, or government-wide policy requires or permits an agency to handle using safeguarding or dissemination controls, excluding information that is classified under Executive Order 13526, Classified National Security Information, December 29, 2009, or any predecessor or successor order, or the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. (from NIST)

D

dashboard A dashboard is a way of displaying various types of visual data in one place.
data Distinct pieces of digital information that have been formatted in a specific way.
Pieces of information from which “understandable information” is derived.
A subset of information in an electronic format that allows it to be retrieved or transmitted.
A representation of information as stored or transmitted.
Any piece of information suitable for use in a computer.
A representation of information, including digital and non-digital formats.
Information in a specific representation, usually as a sequence of symbols that have meaning.
(NIST)
data breach The loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where: a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information; or an authorized user accesses personally identifiable information for another than authorized purpose. (NIST)
data breach notification If security is breached and personally identifying information is compromised, the University will immediately notify law enforcement officials including, as appropriate, University Police, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and/or other law enforcement agencies.
The University will contact everyone whose identity may have been put at risk, regardless of whether personal data appears to have been accessed or extracted. It will also notify the campus community about the security breach through electronic and others means. The notification will include the following information: Exactly when and how did the breach occur, and when was the breach detected? How many individuals are affected? What personal information was put at risk? Does the University know whether any information was stolen? What procedures did the University follow with regard to the security breach? How should individuals respond if they discover fraudulent use of their personal information? What steps is the University taking to prevent illegal access of confidential information in the future? What has the University done to notify those affected? Who can respond to additional questions concerning this security breach? The custodian of the data is responsible for notifying those affected by an electronic security breach. In the case of a non-electronic security breach, the office or department where the breach occurred will be responsible for notification.

Fayetteville Policies and Procedures 410.2 - Notification Procedures in Case of Breach of Privacy
Data Center IT Services maintains data center facilities for hosting important University of Arkansas campus IT resources. These facilities house regulated floor space, power, network and cooling. The deployment and maintenance of these resources is the responsibility of the data center facilities manager. Conditioned power is available to hosted data center resources. All systems have the option of being connected to one or more (N+1) uninterruptible power supply units (UPS). Backup power is provided by a local natural gas generator. The data center conditioned space has regulated temperature humidity and redundant cooling systems. All hosted resources have access to several redundant data networks.
data classification All University of Arkansas data is required to be categorized into one of four data classifications to ensure proper handling and sharing of data based on sensitivity. Data classifications used at the University of Arkansas are: Restricted, Highly Sensitive, Sensitive (Internal), and Public.
Data Criticality Level A rating of the business impact if data is unavailable. Informs backup frequency, Recovery Time Objective (RTO), and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) targets.
data governance ​A set of processes that ensures that data assets are formally managed throughout the enterprise. A data governance model establishes authority and management and decision-making parameters related to the data produced or managed by the enterprise.
​(CNSSI 4009-2015;&nbs from NSA/CSS Policy 11-1)
data management The practices and tools for data lifecycle control including governance, quality, storage, retention, and access.
data owner The person responsible for a set of data and how it is used and protected.
Data Sensitivity Level A measure of risk if data is exposed. Maps to controls like encryption, masking, and access restrictions. 
Data Services Platform services for databases, storage, integration, and data pipelines. Includes backup, replication, and access layers.
Data Warehouse ​​Data Warehouse is a repository where staff and faculty with appropriate access can run queries and reports of university data. Data Warehouse access is only available to academic and administrative users. Access requires authorization from the department head or person responsible for authorizing cost center expenditures. Data Warehouse is made up of over 270 tables of financial (purchasing, payroll, general ledger, etc.), academic (SIS data) and historical BASIS data copied from live production systems at regular intervals.
More information on Data Warehouse
departmental account (UARK) Faculty and staff can request a secondary UARK account for departmental email, VoIP phones and other services. An account used for departmental use such as an email or website where access may need to be shared among multiple people to maintain a departmental presence. If these accounts are to be used for email, they should be defined as a shared mailbox and include the list of email addresses which should have read and send access to the shared mailbox. A departmental phone account is designated with a departmental phone number and can be managed by one or more employees.
DOC file Microsoft Word document with the file extension DOCX

E

Eduroam ​​Eduroam is an international research and education community offering visitors wireless access at participating institutions. When visiting at a participating institution, UARK users can connect to their network using their @uark.edu email address and password. Visitors to the University of Arkansas from any eduroam participating institution can connect by logging in with their institution's email address and password.
Emeritus UARK account Emeritus accounts are granted to individuals who have been awarded Emeritus status by the Board of Trustees.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.
Enterprise Application Services Enterprise Application Services is a team within the Enterprise Applications & Data Services division of IT Services at the University of Arkansas.
Enterprise Data Services Standardized, centrally managed data platforms and services. Supports integration, governance, analytics, and security at scale.
Enterprise Infrastructure Systems  
Enterprise Service Management  
enterprise software Software that the university purchases and licenses at an institutional level and makes available to members of the university community. Access may be free or require purchase and may be limited to specific groups such as faculty, staff, or students.

F

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
FIDO Alliance The FIDO Alliance (Fast Identity Online) is an open industry association whose mission is to develop and promote authentication standards that reduce reliance on passwords.
firewall A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on configurable security rules.
FOIA Arkansas Freedom of Information Act
The law gives Arkansans access to public records and public meetings, with some exceptions. The intent of the FOIA is to keep government business and government records open and accessible to the people of Arkansas.

G

GitLab ​Opensource ​DevOps software that combines the ability to develop, secure, and  operate software in a single application.
The university offers a private, on-premises instance of GitLab, a web-based Git repository manager that provides knowledge/code continuity for researchers, departments, project teams, and more. GitLab features include code review, wiki and issue tracking, as well as automation and continuous integration.
UARK GitLab Login
GlobalProtect GlobalProtect is the VPN service used by the university. (See VPN.)
grant account See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.

H

HCM Human Capital Management
HECVAT Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit
Human Capital Management Human capital management (HCM) includes processes associated with human resources, such as payroll and leave.
University of Arkansas HCM Business Process Management team

I

ICT information and communications technology
Includes all categories of ubiquitous technology used for the gathering, storing, transmitting, retrieving, or processing of information (e.g., microelectronics, printed circuit boards, computing systems, software, signal processors, mobile telephony, satellite communications, and networks) and encompasses all technologies for the capture, storage, retrieval, processing, display, representation, organization, management, security, transfer, and interchange of data and information. (NIST)
infrastructure

At the University of Arkansas, IT infrastructure includes the core technology environment that enables teaching, research, and administrative systems to function. This includes computing resources, network services, and platforms that support other applications.
iPaaS Integration Platform as a Service
A tool that connects different systems so they can share data and work together automatically. The university uses iPaaS with TeamDynamix to connect IT service management with other systems.
ITI Information Technology Industry Council
The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the premier global advocate for technology by promoting public policies and industry standards that advance competition and innovation worldwide. ITI encourages all governments around the world to develop policies, standards, and regulations that promote innovation and growth for the tech industry.
ITAM internet technology asset management
ITIL information technology infrastructure library
A framework of best practices for IT Service Management.
ITSM information technology service management
Designing, delivering, managing, and improving IT services to align IT with overall business goals.

J

JSON JavaScript Object Notation
A lightweight, human-readable text format for storing and interchanging data between servers and web apps and across different programming languages.

K

Knowledge Base (KB) The TDX (TeamDynamix) knowledge base is often referred to as the KB. Articles in the knowledge base are often referred to as KB articles or KBA. Access the KB through the UARK Help Portal.

L

legacy system An older technology system or application that is still in use but may be outdated, difficult to maintain, or no longer aligned with current technology standards. 
LLM Large language model
LMS Learning Management System
Blackboard is the learning management system used at the University of Arkansas.

M

Markdown Markdown is a lightweight markup language that you can use to add formatting elements to plain text text documents.
More information about Markdown
Modern Campus CMS Modern Campus CMS (formerly Omni CMS) is the official campus content management system for departments and eligible projects and programs.

N

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

O

OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer
Omni CMS Omni CMS is the former name of Modern Campus, the official campus content management system for departments and eligible projects and programs.
OneDrive Microsoft OneDrive is the primary UARK storage system
opensource

Software whose source code is publicly available and can be used, modified, and shared by anyone.
Organizational Change Management The practice of ensuring that changes in an organization are smoothly and successfully implemented and that lasting benefits are achieved by managing the human aspects of the changes.

P

passkey A passkey is a form of multifactor authentication that uses public key cryptography in combination with biometrics like fingerprint and facial recognition or a device PIN to verify an account owner’s identity. Passkeys act as a replacement for traditional passwords.
PCard procurement/purchasing card; see the Procurement Office's information on PCards.
PII Personally Identifiable Information
PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual, including but not limited to: Social Security number (SSN), mother's maiden name, driver's license number, military, or passport identification number, PINs or passwords, bank account information, relatives' names, personal characteristics, date or place of birth, health information not covered under HIPAA, and other information that would make the individual's identity easily attainable. (Policy 921.0 Data Classification)
PMO Project management office
PPM Project portfolio management
primary UARK account

A primary UARK account is granted to all active faculty, staff, and students and includes access to email, cloud storage, productivity software, computer labs, and university systems and applications such as Teams, Blackboard, Workday, and Microsoft Office.
Set up a new UARK account. See more information about UARK accounts, including non-primary accounts.

Q

   

R

ResourceSpace Resourcespace is our digital asset management system. You will have to be added to the catalog by requesting access. Once you're added, you will use your UARK credentials to log in. 
Respondus LockDown Browser Respondus LockDown Browser is a customized web browser that increases the security of online testing in Blackboard. When students use Respondus LockDown Browser to access a test, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, access other applications, or close a test or quiz until it is submitted for grading. Respondus LockDown Browser works much like a standard browser, but many options have been removed or work differently.
Research Technology Services The Research Technology Services team provides a wide range of support services to the research and academic communities on campus and beyond.  These services include; research laboratory and study design, statistical modeling, data analysis, technical training, faculty consultations, regulatory compliance, grant and project support.
retiree UARK account Retiree accounts are given to retired staff and faculty, typically the former primary account; all elevated privileges and group memberships are removed unless an exemption is granted.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.
RSO UARK account RSO (Registered Student Organization) UARK accounts are set up by the Office of Student Activities. Contact the Office of Student Activities for information regarding accounts for RSOs.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.

S

sandbox A sandbox is typically a separate version of a system used for testing, training, or experimentation. It allows IT staff and support teams to practice workflows, test updates, or troubleshoot issues without impacting production systems used by faculty, staff, and students. 
Section 508 Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires U.S. federal agencies to ensure that electronic and information technology (EIT/ICT) they develop, procure, maintain, or use is accessible to people with disabilities. This means federal employees and members of the public with disabilities must be able to access and use information and data comparable to others, unless doing so would impose an undue burden. The U.S. Access Board establishes the accessibility standards that agencies are required to follow. We follow these requirements because the state of Arkansas adopted similar law, and UA System has directed that we comply with these standards. See the Information Technology policy for more information.
security key

A security key is typically a physical device (like a YubiKey) or a secure authentication method (like a passkey) used as part of modern login processes. These keys use secure cryptography and often require physical possession of a device to confirm your identity.
service account UARK service accounts are used to run services or automated processes and may not be used for interactive login by an individual; for servers and workstations, interactive login is denied by policy.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.
service request An IT Services service request is a request for an IT service, such as access to a system or a software license, or a request for support for that service. Select Services from the top navigation in the UARK Help Portal. 
shared mailbox account University departments can request a shared mailbox UARK account to provide an email inbox that can be accessed by multiple account holders to send and receive email using a single account. See Shared mailbox UARK account for departmental email for more information and to request an account.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.
SharePoint

A web-based collaboration and content management platform in Microsoft 365. Uses sites and document libraries for shared content, with structured permissions, workflows, and integration across services. Learn more by visiting the SharePoint Online knowledge base article.
SIS

Student Information System

Our campus SIS is Workday Student. 
SSO single sign-on
STC Student Tech Center
Style guide The University of Arkansas Style Guide is the official set of standards for branding, visual identity, and written voice used in university communications to ensure consistency and clarity across all content. Visit the UARK Brand and Style Guides website for more information.

T

TDX TeamDynamix
TDX is used by the university for ticketing, projects, knowledge base, and more.
test account Test UARK accounts are used for software or systems testing and should be disabled when not in use.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.
third party account Third party UARK accounts are assigned to vendors who manage or require access to university systems for projects or contractual agreements.
See UARK accounts for email and university systems for more information about UARK accounts.
ticket A form created in TDX used to request a service or report an incident to IT Services and other university departments
TOC Table of contents

U

university data Data in the university’s care, in any form (electronic, physical, or otherwise), including but not limited to data created, used, or stored in pursuit of the university’s mission. See the UAF Data Classification Policy for more information on university data. 
User Solutions Workday
username A UARK username is the first part of a UARK email address that comes before the @ symbol (username@uark.edu). A UARK username is used along with a password to log into university systems.

V

VPAT Voluntary Product Accessibility Template
The ITI (Information Technology Industry) Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (ITI VPAT®) is a free template that presents testing criteria developed from accessibility requirements and standards to help buyers of technology confirm that the technology is accessible and has accessibility features. (See ACR)
VPN virtual private network
For faculty and staff who are off campus, virtual private network (VPN) is essential for accessing on-campus remote desktops, servers, and other resources. VPN is like a tunnel that allows UARK users to access university resources securely, while prohibiting unauthorized incoming traffic. VPN may be required to access certain systems, services or applications, even when the user is on campus. The University of Arkansas uses GlobalProtect VPN.

W

WCAG WCAG is a set of technical standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium that improve the accessibility of web content for people with a wide range of disabilities. Following WCAG guidelines can help organizations comply with various legal mandates like The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The W3C regularly updates the guidelines as digital accessibility evolves. The current version is 2.2. See WCAG 2 Overview.
Workday

Workday is company that provides cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software of the same name. Workday relies on a modular design, with different modules for different functional areas.

  • Workday HCM - Workday's Human Capital Management solutions. Key areas include benefits, time tracking, payroll, talent management, recruiting, and employee performance.
  • Workday Finance - Workday's organizational financial solutions. Key areas include accounting, financial planning, procurement, expense management, revenue management, grant management, and financial reporting. 
  • Workday Student - Workday's Student Information System (SIS) for higher education. Key areas include student lifecycle management, admissions, registration, academic records, financial aid, and student billing.

X

   

Y

YubiKey A YubiKey is a physical hardware security key used for authentication that verifies a user’s identity using secure cryptography when the key is inserted or tapped, reducing reliance on passwords and protecting against phishing attacks. At the University of Arkansas, YubiKeys can be used in place of passkey if required or desired.

Z

Zulu Final letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet. It is a common naming convention to include Zulu as a name prefix during test/development.

 

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