This Week In IPEDS (TWII)

ACTS Update Affecting the Reporting of Sex Data

To simplify reporting to the IPEDS Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey, blank values are now permitted, when necessary, in the “sex” field of record-level data used to produce required aggregate files. Instructions for reporting this and other variables including the ACTS collection are available online (see below). This update applies to all academic years being collected in ACTS. This update does NOT affect any IPEDS components other than ACTS.

ACTS data files already submitted do NOT need to be re-submitted.  However, files may be re-submitted if desired.  To do so, re-process the revised data files using the ACTS Aggregator tool. Once revised aggregated files have been produced, they can be uploaded to the DCS and they will over-write any previously uploaded files.

As a reminder, the ACTS components are scheduled to close to IPEDS keyholders on March 18, 2026 and to IPEDS coordinators on April 1, 2026.

Please note that ACTS resources related to file construction are available on the ACTS Aggregator website, as follows:

• https://acts.rti.org Aggregator website
• https://acts.rti.org/updates for periodic updates and announcements/li>
• https://acts.rti.org/faq for FAQs that will be updated periodically/li>
• https://acts.rti.org/templates for downloadable data file templates, with instructions and codebooks, for the required ACTS file submissions. A template with example data is also included, for illustrative purposes/li>