How Do Term Codes and CRNs Work in Banner?
Banner identifies terms with term codes defined on STVTERM and class sections with CRNs. How they are structured and why they matter for registration, billing and reporting.
What are term codes and CRNs in Banner?
A term code identifies an academic term and is defined on STVTERM. Most institutions use a six-character code made of the academic year plus a term suffix, such as 202610. A CRN (Course Reference Number) is the number that uniquely identifies one class section within a term; students register by CRN, and the same CRN can be reused in a different term.
Overview
Think of the term code as the "when" and the CRN as the "which section". Together, term and CRN identify exactly one class offering.
Term codes
- Defined on
STVTERM, with start and end dates, the financial aid year and other attributes. - The format is institution-defined. A common pattern is YYYY + two digits, for example
202610,202620,202630, where each institution decides what each suffix means. - Because codes sort as text, consistent formatting keeps terms in chronological order in reports.
CRNs
| Concept | Where | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Course (catalogue) | SCACRSE | ACCT 101, Principles of Accounting |
| Section (schedule) | SSASECT | ACCT 101, section 02, Mon/Wed 10:00 |
| CRN | Assigned on the section | 10452 |
| Registration | SFRSTCR table | Student PIDM + term + CRN |
Why it matters
- Registration and fee assessment work per term and CRN.
- LMS integration creates course shells from term and CRN. See ILP integration.
- Reports that ignore the term when joining on CRN produce wrong results.
Tip: In reports and integrations, always use term code and CRN together as the section key.
Frequently asked questions
No. A CRN is unique within a term. To identify a section uniquely across time, combine the term code and the CRN.
Class sections are built on the schedule page (SSASECT), which assigns the CRN, meeting times, instructor and capacity.
Last reviewed by the ITCadence Banner team. Ellucian product capabilities vary by version and licence; confirm details against current Ellucian documentation.
