Institutional Research Office Research Articles

Pathways to building strong IR professional identities in Taiwanese higher education

ABSTRACT Institutional Research (IR) is an emerging profession in the context of Asian Higher Education. Consequently, understanding of the pathways leading to the development of IR professionals’ identities, crucial for IR capacity building, is limited. The study aims to investigate the contextual and psychological antecedents necessary to attain high levels of professional identity for institutional researchers in Taiwan’s higher education. Using the convenience-sampling, this study recruited IR professionals to participate in the online survey during the spring semester of 2022. A total of 84 participants responded with experience working in a university’s IR office, and multivariate analysis techniques adopted include descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analysis, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Results indicate that high levels of both structural and psychological empowerment (PE) are necessary conditions for cultivating strong professional identities. For IR professionals working in public comprehensive or technical universities, particularly in high levels of PE led to strong professional identities. Conversely, those working in private comprehensive or technical universities were able to attain high levels of professional identity despite low levels of structural and PE. Policy implications are also discussed.

Will Fit Work Here? Using Multiple Data Sources to Adapt a Student–Institution Fit Instrument to a New Institutional Context

Several authors (Bowman & Denson, 2014; Gilbreath et al., 2011) have claimed that measures of fit between a student and the institution they are attending should be useful for institutional decision-making. These student–institution fit instruments were originally developed for research with specific student populations in one institution, but have not been assessed at other institutions. Institutional research offices rarely assess surveys or other instruments that are developed at one institution to determine whether those same instruments would provide results that are reliable and valid in different institutional contexts. The purpose of this study was to determine if the factor structure of a measure of student–institution fit would be appropriate to use at another institution. A survey that included a student–institution fit instrument developed by Gilbreath et al. (2011) was administered to a random sample of first-year students and new external transfers at a large, public university in the Midwest. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine if the underlying factor structure in the original instrument provides an appropriate fit for data obtained from a new sample. In addition, open-ended comments were collected to gain insight into students’ interpretation of each item. The results suggested changes from the original scale to create a more robust measure. Specifically, Great Support Services was moved from the Social Environment fit to the Academic Environment fit, and covariances between multiple items were integrated. Similar methods could be used by institutional researchers at other institutions to gather data on students’ interpretation of survey items, to evaluate the underlying factor structure of external instruments, and to create appropriate modifications to account for their own institutional contexts.

Presenting a Conceptual Model of Institutional Research Office for the Medical Universities of Iran: A Case Study

Background: The office of institutional research (IR) is an efficient part of universities and is responsible for guiding academic research. IR plays a pivotal role in improving the quality of higher education and universities through targeted research. Objectives: The present study aimed to propose a conceptual model of IR for the medical universities of Iran. Methods: This qualitative case study was performed on experts and managers at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran. 10 subjects were selected via purposive sampling, and data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews, text mining, and observation until reaching theoretical saturation. The validity of the research was confirmed based on Lincoln and Guba's evaluative criteria. The retest and inter-coder reliability of the interview texts and documents were confirmed at 0.85%, and 0.81 and 0.79, respectively. Data analysis was performed using thematic analysis. Results: We developed a model consisting of four inclusive themes, including: information authority, spin doctor, policy analyst, and scholar and researcher. Furthermore, the proposed model had 17 organizing and 71 basic themes. Conclusions: Our model with themes and organizing could be used by the medical universities of Iran to guide the measures taken to establish an IR office in these institutions.

Editors’ Note

The New England Educational Assessment Network (NEEAN) is the sponsoring organization for the Journal of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness (JAIE). A long-time member of the Board of Directors, Richard “Dick” Gerber, has retired and has become the first Emeritus member of the Board. Dick was the founding editor of JAIE when it began in 2010. He has had an illustrious history with NEEAN. In 1999 he was appointed program director because, as he put it, he and a colleague “complained most annoyingly,” which led to their being told “in the time-honored tradition of the academy, that if they disapproved of the current NEEAN, they should join up and fix it!” (Gerber, 2010, p. 107). Shortly after, in 2001 he became President of the Board.In 2007 Gerber stepped down from that position “to found the Journal now in your hands” (Gerber, 2010, p. 115). He became Parliamentarian in 2009, a position he held until he was elevated to Emeritus status in 2022. My (RJS) first exposure to Dick’s boundless enthusiasm for assessment was in NEEAN’s annual Fall Forum in 2004, and at later NEEAN meetings his subsequent excitement for founding and publishing JAIE was palpable and infectious. After I became one of the editors, my favorite part of editing the journal was his praise for the work whenever an issue has come out.The articles in this issue continue the tradition of excellence Dick began in 2010. Two topics of interest emerge in the articles and book reviews, reflecting the two foci of the Journal, assessment and institutional effectiveness. On the assessment side, one article and one book review explore high-impact educational practices (Kuh, 2008)—student research and problem-based learning. On the institutional effectiveness side, two articles address program review, and one article addresses assessment committees. A book review explores another aspect of institutional effectiveness that is of great current interest—equity and access.Reichle reports on an extensive evaluation of a model for supporting undergraduate research, one of the high-impact practices in higher education. He reports on and shows how to address the challenges facing data collection on student research that will be familiar to institutional research offices. In particular, he describes “the challenge of the count,” or the difficulty of just being able to identify all the undergraduate research projects conducted across a university. Reichle systematically identifies all the contexts for undergraduate research (in and out of courses, for credit or volunteer) and describes methods for connecting with all of those contexts. In the process he demonstrates a valuable role for a central clearinghouse research advising office in supporting student research. A review of Michael McDowell’s Rigorous PBL by Design explores the merits of project-based learning (another high-impact practice) from an assessment perspective.Two articles address program review. Lucas, Marcum, and Higgins introduce a novel method for reviewing the quality of a doctoral program in criminology, using quantitative and qualitative data in a survey of graduates of the program. Senter, Ciabattari, and Amaya, on the other hand, question the value of program review by surveying chairs of Sociology departments throughout the United States. They acknowledge the value with regard to accountability, but note that many department chairs consider the extensive work of program reviews not to be a good use of their time because it often does not have any impact. However, when upper-level administrators use the information from program review to make decisions about departments that lead to positive change, more positive attitudes result.In related work, Buscher and Humphrey report on an extensive qualitative analysis of assessment committees, a common fixture in higher education institutions. They find that an important factor in the success and engagement of assessment committees is administrative support and responsiveness. They also make a number of recommendations to enhance the work of assessment committees. They note the importance of shared leadership and responsibility among faculty members on the committees: administrative support with a focus on developing (or creating) an “assessment infrastructure” to support the elusive culture of assessment. They provide a clear view of methods for achieving those goals.The second book review, of Paul LeBlanc’s Students First: Equity, Access, and Opportunity in Higher Education, explores another high-profile issue in higher education. One of the issues addressed is affordability, which is of increased interest in higher education, as evidenced by the work by a number of institutions in efforts to create and enable opportunities for three-year degrees (e.g., Marcus, 2022; Whitford, 2021).

Developing and implementing an institutional research office diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plan

AbstractThis article describes how a large Institutional Research and Decision Support (IRDS) office engaged in efforts to promote culturally responsive and inclusive institutional research (IR) practices that take into account the increasingly diverse student, faculty, and staff populations we serve. We describe how we developed a diversity, equity and inclusion (D.E.I.) strategic plan that addressed the following: (a) ensuring our Mission Statement reflects our commitment to diversity; (b) applying an equity lens to our work; (c) supporting campus‐wide D.E.I. efforts while helping the campus live out a commitment to D.E.I.; (d) implementing internal office practices to support the recruitment and retention of a diverse team; and (e) ensuring IR professionals have access to and opportunities to learn about current trends in equity and inclusion. Our approach was guided by Kendi's conceptualization of antiracism, and we examine how we have opportunities to make antiracist decisions in various aspects of our work, including how we frame IR, analyze and label data, and interpret results given local contexts and structural inequities.

Course Grade Reliability

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the reliability of approximately 800,000 college grades from three higher educational institutions that vary in type and size. Comparisons of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) reveal patterns among institutions and academic disciplines. Results from this study suggest that there are styles of grading associated with academic disciplines. Individual grade assignment ICC is comparable to rubric-derived learning assessments at one institution, and both are arguably too low to be used for decision making at that level. A reliability lift calculation suggests that grade averages over eight (or so) courses per student have enough reliability to be used as outcome measures. We discuss how grade statistics can complement efforts to assess program fairness, rigor, and comparability, as well as assessing the complexity of a curriculum. The R code and statistical notes are included to facilitate use by assessment and institutional research offices.

Information Literacy Beyond Librarians: A Data/Methods Triangulation Approach to Investigating Disciplinary IL Teaching Practices

Abstract
 Objective – While library literature contains many studies examining faculty perceptions of the value of librarian-led information literacy (IL)instruction, there is little evidence regarding IL instruction practices of disciplinary faculty independent of librarians. In a climate of uncertain budgets, increasing student enrollment, and increased conversation around the need for IL, media, and digital literacy skills, this study aimed to investigate a little-researched area of the IL instruction, learning, and development milieu.
 Methods – In collaboration with the institutional research office, a data and methods triangulation approach was used. A survey of disciplinary faculty was administered and disciplinary faculty focus groups were also conducted. Student outcomes and annual assessment reports, documents that describe teaching and assessment methods for courses across the university, were analyzed. Voyant, a text-mining tool, was also used to determine key phrases and terms related to IL in these documents.
 Results – Results revealed that disciplinary faculty highly value skills and understandings affiliated with IL competency. Faculty provide the majority of IL learning opportunities independent of librarians, although these learning opportunities are generally provided through implicit, rather than explicit, methods. Pedagogical methods that may enable explicit practices, such as the use of standards and competencies, are infrequently used.
 Conclusion – Evidence and findings from this study are being used to inform several initiatives to work with disciplinary faculty for IL instruction, including new services, resources, and instruction models to support IL development in students.

Data Governance 101: IR's Critical Role in Data Governance

AbstractBuilding a culture of data governance at a higher education institution involves collaboration across the entire institution. Before the creation of formalized roles to perform data management and data governance functions at colleges and universities, these functions were performed by traditional institutional research personnel. Documentation and management of data for analysis have, for a long time, been part of the institutional researcher's forte. However, a concentrated effort in data management and governance is necessary to transform traditional reporting into a dynamic analytic landscape complete with adequate definitions and documentation, and often this goes beyond the scope of today's institutional research offices. The following article offers a framework for developing a data governance program in a higher education setting and highlights the critical role that institutional research offices can play in helping to build institutional capacity for a well‐documented and managed data landscape. Support and rationale for developing a program at your institution are offered, and helpful tips and pitfalls to avoid are provided.

Real‐Time Data and Predictive Analytics: Where Does IR Fit?

AbstractAs institutions seek to shift into more advanced analytics and data‐based decision‐support, many institutional research offices face the challenge of meeting the office's current demands while taking on more intricate and specialized work to support decision‐making. Given the great need organizations have for information that supports real‐time strategic decision‐making, institutions must advance beyond traditional static data reporting offices to modern offices with regular predictive analytics use. The authors believe that institutional research offices should actively engage in contemporary analytical approaches and provide leadership in this area. The following chapter focuses on (a) why higher education should embrace analytics, (b) discusses areas where analytical advancements have occurred, (c) discusses areas where analytical growth is lacking, and (d) provides guidance on addressing cultural changes concerning institutional data use, policies, and practices.

A New Data Landscape: IR's Role in Academic Analytics

AbstractThe increasing volume of information and the intense pace of its circulation are changing the ways universities access, use, analyze, and provide data. Many have championed the use of large‐scale databases to track student admissions and retention, faculty productivity, student wellness, and other phenomena that shape our understandings of higher education. These changes have had major effects on analytics as well. This chapter outlines how analytics can assist the academic side of colleges and universities to best serve all academic stakeholders, including administrators, faculty, and staff. It also addresses the evolving roles of Institutional Research Offices in helping set institutional strategies, collaborating across university offices to develop analytics, and cultivating an institutional culture of informed decision making.IR Offices should consider various facets of the process of collecting, analyzing, and communicating information to serve academic departments. One priority is determining which software, tools, and approaches best align with institutional priorities and needs. Another is creating specific analytics that serve the academic missions of and strategic planning for the institution and representing data in accessible ways to serve academic administration's diverse purposes and roles. Finally, cultivating buy‐in and support from administration and other stakeholders is essential. IR offices can be instrumental in fostering academic colleagues' use, interpretation, and valuing of data and in developing collaborative relationships with academic leadership, colleges and departments. The new data analytics landscape requires expanding the roles and institutional reach of IR offices, thus creating opportunities for IR involvement in strategic planning and vision at high levels of their institutions.

An Integrated View of Student Success at Small Colleges

AbstractContemporary students have a varied set of needs—the “lifecycle” of a typical student may no longer be 4 years of continuous enrollment between the ages of 18 and 22, and many students bring rich and varied experiences with them to college. As institutions strive to allocate resources in ways that provide the most benefit to student achievement, creating a culture of evidence that not only deepens our understanding of students but also promotes institutional action has become more important than ever. This chapter articulates institutional research's collaborative role in integrating data and analytics in ways that support, engage, and enhance student experiences across the institution. Examples of how institutional research offices have collaborated with student affairs and information technology offices will be discussed. The chapter will conclude with a set of recommendations to assist institutional researchers in partnering across campus to share timely and relevant data to enhance student success.

Functions, Structure and Activities of the Institutional Research Unit of Iranian Medical Sciences Universities

BackgroundThe fast pace and complicated nature of the environmental changes taking place and the problems ahead make academic decision-making a challenge for managers that cannot be overcome unless with the application of scientific studies. Institutional Research (IR) units deserve more attention now than before as effective decision-making tools using scientific findings.ObjectivesThe present study was conducted to determine the functions and structure of medical sciences universities and the activities of IR units.MethodsThis qualitative study was carried out through a directed content analysis. The IR unit pertained to Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS). The documents of the official duties of KUMS were analyzed and compared in this research. Directed content analysis was used to enable proper comparisons and data analysis. In the first part of the study, the theoretical foundations were examined and a review of literature was performed on IR units, and by adapting Volkwein’s model, a conceptual model consisting of IR components was drawn. In the second part, the documents of the official duties of KUMS were encoded and categorized and the categories extracted were then divided into 17 domains of IR activities based on the conceptual model, which were then compared and analyzed.ResultsThe results showed that, out of the 17 activities extracted from the theoretical foundations and the review of literature by the researcher, nine activities are already implemented in four major functions of IR units, and the largest IR unit was the Education Development Center (EDC) for medical sciences. This study also explains the structure and status of IR units in Iranian medical sciences universities.ConclusionsMedical sciences universities can complete the tasks of the EDC or establish a new structure as a separate unit at the university for IR implementation functions. The results can work as a guide for reflecting on and taking action about the establishment of an IR office at medical sciences universities throughout Iran.

Waist Circumference Complementing Body Mass Index Assessed as Non-Communicable Disease Risk Indicators in Adult Women in El Salvador; A Comparative International Study (P10-076-19)

ObjectivesThe objective is to confirm waist circumference measures as practical complementary measures to BMI to identify those at risk for obesity and non-communicable diseases in Salvadoran women in an international nutrition study. MethodsAnthropometric data was collected during the pre-testing and educational intervention phase of an international comparative study. Data collection on 128 Latina women 18 years and older occurred during one month at the Shalom Clinic in El Salvador. In-country doctors and osteopathic medical students were pre-trained using videos, pilot testing, standardized equipment and measurement protocols. ResultsThe subjects ranged in age with most, 37%, in their 20 s, 25% in their 30 s, and 21% in their 40 s. Most (n = 97) were non-pregnant, non-lactating with average weights = 147.2 lbs. (17.9, standard deviation, SD); average heights 60.04 inches (2.3, SD); average waist circumferences 37.0 inches (4.39 SD) and average BMI 28.47 (3.36 SD). BMI distributions indicated no subjects were underweight, 21% were normal, 43% overweight (national average, 38%) and 27% considered obese with one subject with BMI 40.6. Both waist circumference and BMI averages for this clinic population were approximately 25% over desired recommendations. Initial relationships relating BMI to several subject characteristics using Pearson correlations resulted in the highest positive coefficient for waist circumferences (r, 0.76) and weaker correlations with age (r, 0.14), physical activity (r, -0.34), education (r, -0.03) and income (r, – 0.11). ConclusionsBMI and WC measures identified overweight and obesity rates exceeding or similar, respectively, to national rates in this clinic population of Salvadoran adult women. WC measures are convenient, noninvasive and inexpensive and available to clinicians yet must be accurate to be of value. WC complimenting BMI as part of a clinical exam provides valuable insight to identify those at risk of NCD and enable clinicians to provide precision nutrition education to patients. Funding SourcesCompetitive Internal Institutional Research Office Award.

How Does the 15 to Finish Initiative Affect Academic Outcomes of Low-Income, First-Generation Students? Evidence from a College Promise Program in Indiana

As the cost of college tuition has increased, policymakers and practitioners have begun to examine the proliferation of college promise programs (i.e., tuition-free grant programs, debt free college programs) across the United States (Perna & Smith, 2020). These initiatives typically aim to lower or eliminate the cost of college attendance and in doing so increase college completion among underrepresented groups: predominantly low-income, first-generation, students of color. While several states and cities have announced or launched promise programs designed to improve college retention and completion, scholars of education policy and practitioners know relatively little about the implications of these initiatives, and whether certain policies or procedures are best suited to specific contexts. The purpose of this study is to determine what effect a statewide 30-credit hour annual completion policy had on the academic outcomes of college promise program recipients at two 4-year public research universities, Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) and Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI). The policy, which has been emulated in many states, aims to encourage students to take 15 credits per semester (or 30 credits per year) and thereby remain on course to complete a bachelor’s degree in 4 years (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2015; Lumina Foundation, 2017; SHEEO, 2008; U.S. Office of the Press Secretary, 2009). While the new legislation adopted in Indiana is an attempt by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) to improve college completion and on-time graduation of students, very few scholar-practitioners, aside from a few within the University of Hawaii system and Complete College America (CCA), have provided evidence that attempting to complete 30 credits per academic year significantly improves academic performance and subsequently, degree completion rates among underrepresented students. This study examines the implementation of and subsequent policy change to the early-commitment college promise program, Indiana Twenty-First Century Scholarship (TFCS) Program. Using administrative data from the Indiana University’s University Institutional Research and Reporting (UIRR) office, representing 7,842 low-income students who enrolled shortly before and adopt the policy was implemented, this observational study employs a quasi-experimental, difference-in-differences (DiD) approach to explore the impact of the Indiana Code Title 21 (IC-21-12-6-7) (30 credit hour annual completion policy) on students’ academic outcomes. Specifically, this quantitative study examines the heterogenous treatment effects of this policy change on the academic performance (e.g., cumulative credit hours accumulated, cumulative grade point average [GPA], degree completion status) of Indiana TFCS recipients at IUB and IUPUI, compared to non-TFCS Pell recipients from the same time period (Fall 2011 through Fall 2014 cohorts). The study will be guided by the following research questions: (1) To what extent did the 30-credit hour annual completion policy (15 to Finish) achieve its intended effects: increasing credit accumulation, improving student progress and increasing graduation rates? and (2) How do any of the identified policy effects moderated by demographic factors (race, gender, generation) and pre-college characteristics (high school GPA, SAT score)? Does the policy appear to have differential effects for various types of students? Results suggest that the 30-credit hour annual completion policy showed a positive significant effect on credits and grades but had no effect on degree completion status at IUB (a small town, primarily residential, more selective, flagship research university). In addition, the study found a significant interaction effect for Gender and Generation Status when accounting for pre- and post-policy groups. Specifically, Gender yielded significant interaction effects on TFCS recipient academic outcomes in terms of Year 1 Cumulative Credits, Year 2 Cumulative Credits, and Year 1 Cumulative GPA, suggesting that female students at IUB appear to have significantly benefited from the 30-credit hour annual completion policy. The policy had no interaction effect on low-income, first-generation students enrolled at IUPUI (an urban, primarily nonresidential, moderately selective research university) for both the academic progress continuous variables and the college completion status binary variables. These findings demonstrate that the policy, which was related to a broader, national 15 to Finish initiative did not produce its intended effect, nor did it have any adverse consequences for low-income, first-generation students. The results of this policy evaluation research have important implications for policymakers, politicians, university administrators, and advanced practitioners who seek to design college promise programs for completion. This research contributes to the empirical literature on state policies aimed at increasing student progression and completion. Moreover, this study extends beyond the CCA’s 15 to Finish initiative and highlight the broader effects of required academic performance policies on student success. The study will inform public debate about and adjustments of the policy and will also highlight several directions for future research.

Spatial divided campus: divided spatial subculture?

ABSTRACTThe culture of the higher education institution should influence the planning and positioning of that institution. However, differences in subcultures between main campuses and their satellite campuses should also be considered. The identified differences underline how radical these strategic positing differences might be on campus communities. Qualitative interviews with students from and trends that emerged from enrolment and completion statistics from the relevant institutional research office provided the data. Differences in the subcultures indicated a potentially dramatic influence in the strategic planning and positioning of the institution among the influence of internationalization, globalization, commodification and massification. Higher education leaders are encouraged to practice knowledge-based planning and positioning, by considering the difference in subcultures in order to capitalize on the strength of their diversity. The ability to value diverse perspectives allows the flourishing of separate and unique subcultures, while contributing to the achievement of a larger purpose.

The Analytics Revolution in Higher Education: Big Data, Organizational Learning, and Student Success

The Analytics Revolution in Higher Education is an excellent and timely collection of insight from 19 practitioners. The authors describe their approaches to navigating the increasing complex and voluminous amounts of data and analysis asked of staff previously labeled as institutional researchers. Included are topics relevant to decision-making, student success, compliance, predictive analytics, and decision support. The content includes acknowledgment of and strategies for the democratization of data and the distribution of analysis tools across campus. With this grounding, the book provides an important argument for the inclusion of institutional research personnel at the decision-making table. This inclusion is not only to provide accurate and timely data and analysis, but also to bring a data-infused mindset to considerations of the strategic direction of the institution.Chapter 5 explores uncharted space between institutional research and information technology departments. This is particularly salient within the new democratized-data ecosystem. Further sections provide the reader with an opportunity to stay one step ahead on their campus by anticipating needs and embracing new paradigms before the existing are outdated. For example, chapter 10 discusses the field of decision analytics and the role of data governance. The customer-service mindset is expanded in chapter nine with regard to the accountability of the institutional research office within the greater accountability and service of the institution as a whole.The book stands toward the front of the field of scholarship as the content is not only current but forward-looking. It situates itself within the field of institutional research and higher education literature by referencing works from the late 20th century while maintaining a firm and practical focus on 21st-century problems. Within the wider arc of institutional research scholarship, the authors strike a tone of collegial dialogue regarding navigating the next institutional research, predictive analytics, and decision-support terrain. This volume will be useful to readers who find themselves suddenly in the institutional research role at a college or university. The modern expectations on such an employee are discussed alongside frameworks for solutions. Such a reader will gain much value as they embark. This volume will also be useful and insightful to readers who have held the positions of institutional research, effectiveness, assessment, compliance, decision-support, and analytics for some time. Here the colleagues-in-conversation format will support such a reader by reinforcing and supplementing hunches and by presenting new ways of doing what may be familiar work.Value can be derived from this volume for readers on campus beyond the institutional research office. Faculty, provosts, and deans will find insight and frameworks for considering the health and scope of the academic portfolio. Presidents, financial officers, and operating officers will encounter helpful paradigms for navigating the landscape of increasingly accessible data and analytics, and the demands of accountability, accuracy, and creation of meaning from the data. The authors recognize the challenges to institutional research offices in creating new collaborative organizational models as well as navigating across previously partitioned and political landscapes.The book is well written and allows readers to select relevant sections even if not progressing linearly through the volume. In the future, it would be tremendous for the editors and authors to provide an interactive website that includes the authors further discussing valuable ideas, videos of them modeling what they describe using safe, protected data, and a space for web-based interaction between presenters and the participants. Future volumes could include voices from community colleges, private higher education, for-profit education, open educational resources and courses, professional education, and beyond. The already high-level collegiality and use of this insightful work may be enhanced through these potential extensions. In the face of raised expectations on the institutional research office, this book is a welcome help in exceeding those expectations with excellence and with collaborations that serve students.

Putting the “Evidence” in Evidence‐Based: Utilizing Institutional Research to Drive Gateway‐Course Reform

AbstractThis chapter provides an example of how one university's institutional research office played an active role in using data from institutional studies to guide the university toward courses ripe for change, faculty toward successful teaching strategies, students toward successful learning behaviors, and the university toward assessing the impact of the changes.

When Does Institutional Research Rhetoric Create a Student Cause of Action?

This chapter asserts that the use and reporting of institutional research (IR) data is an area ripe for litigation. The chapter explores possible student causes of action as they relate to institutional research (IR) data and compares the probable outcomes to reported student lawsuits. The chapter concludes with recommended liability‐avoiding practices for IR offices.

Multiple Paths to Success: Degree Completion of 4‐Year Starters Taking Various Pathways

With the use of data from the institutional research office at a comprehensive public 4‐year university, this chapter describes an in‐depth analysis of the institutional attendance, transfer, and graduation of three first‐time student cohorts, revealing that not all types of multi‐institutional attendance hurt degree completion, and strategic transferring could improve graduation rates.

The Status Quo and Issues of Institutional Research in Japanese Universities—IR Offices at a Crossroads in Universities without Regular University Management

This paper examines the status quo and issues of institutional research (IR) at Japanese universities. There has been a big push from the government towards establishing IR offices to reinforce the governance of the university. There are now quite a few IR offices. But they are reported to be on very unstable grounds. This paper compares the US and Japanese IR offices by its mission, reporting line, and its services. It concludes that Japanese IR offices miss the link to the decision-maker at the highest rank. It points out that the absence of regular university management is inherently the cause for this malfunction. It proposes administrators and IR offices work together to establish regular university management. It suggests providing IR offices more stable ground and trust for regular university management to settle in.