Data Glossary (Coming Soon!) | Data & Analytics

Overview

CU Boulder is building a centralized Data Glossary to help campus users better understand the meaning, context, and appropriate use of institutional data.

The Data Glossary will serve as a shared reference for commonly used data elements—bringing together definitions, business context, and governance information to support clearer communication, more consistent reporting, and better data‑informed decision‑making.

The Data Glossary is intended to and will complement the ongoing CU-wide data governance project building the Collibra Data Catalog.

What the Data Glossary Will Provide

Once available, the Data Glossary will include:

Plain‑language definitions of commonly used institutional data terms
Business context explaining how data elements are used across campus
Source system information and steward relationships
Notes on data sensitivity, appropriate use, and limitations
Alignment with campus data governance standards

The goal is to reduce ambiguity, clarify meaning, and support consistent interpretation of CU Boulder data across teams and roles.

Project Roadmap

The Data Glossary is transitioning from initial design into an active phase of campus collaboration. As foundational work concludes, we are beginning a focused effort to work with campus partners to develop, review, and expand prioritized data definitions across key data domains.

Phase 1: Foundation and Design (Current Phase)	Phase 2: Collaborative Development	Phase 3: Campus Availability and Ongoing Stewardship
Research and iteration to create a strong foundation for the Data Glossary. Peer exploration: Review glossary practices at peer institutions Mock‑up & design: Design an accessible, user‑friendly dictionary and feedback process Incorporate business definitions: Incorporate existing definitions from the cross‑campus Collibra community	Grow and improve the glossary through structured campus collaboration. Share initial mockups: Share early versions of the Data Glossary with campus partners Work with beta testers: Learn about needs, draft priority definitions, and refine content Expand to more domains: Engage additional campus groups, including the Data Governance Committee	The Data Glossary becomes a living, shared campus resource. Glossary shared with campus: Move the glossary to a broadly accessible location and communicate updates Continue to add definitions: Campus members may suggest changes reviewed by data domain working groups Further integrations: Align definitions with Collibra and incorporate additional technical metadata where appropriate

Phase 1: Foundation and Design (Current Phase)

Phase 2: Collaborative Development

Phase 3: Campus Availability and Ongoing Stewardship

Research and iteration to create a strong foundation for the Data Glossary.

Peer exploration: Review glossary practices at peer institutions
Mock‑up & design: Design an accessible, user‑friendly dictionary and feedback process
Incorporate business definitions: Incorporate existing definitions from the cross‑campus Collibra community

Grow and improve the glossary through structured campus collaboration.

Share initial mockups: Share early versions of the Data Glossary with campus partners
Work with beta testers: Learn about needs, draft priority definitions, and refine content
Expand to more domains: Engage additional campus groups, including the Data Governance Committee

The Data Glossary becomes a living, shared campus resource.

Glossary shared with campus: Move the glossary to a broadly accessible location and communicate updates
Continue to add definitions: Campus members may suggest changes reviewed by data domain working groups
Further integrations: Align definitions with Collibra and incorporate additional technical metadata where appropriate

We’re Looking for Beta Testers

The Data Glossary is currently under development, and we are seeking campus partners to participate in early testing during Phase 2.

Beta testers will have the opportunity to:

Explore early versions of the Data Glossary
Provide feedback on usability, clarity, and usefulness
Help shape priorities for terms, domains, and features

Participation does not require technical expertise—only an interest in improving how data is understood and used at CU Boulder.

Interested in participating?

If you would like to be considered as a beta tester or want to learn more, please contact Data & Analytics using our Request Form.

If you are already beta tester or have early access, you may view the prototype here:

Data Glossary Dashboard (VPN required)