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Roles for Institutional Research (IR) andInformation Technology (IT)

Reid Bluebaugh, IT Systems ProgrammerAnd

Robert Smith, Ed.D., AVP for Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research

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Goals of Presentation

• Summarize selected changes in higher education environment.

• Present role of institutional research, business intelligence, and data analytics.

• Present role of information technology.

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Changing Higher Education Environment: The Need to Compete with Data

• Highly competitive environment for faculty, staff, students, and research funding.

• New institutional initiatives.• Unprecedented calls for accountability, effectiveness, efficiency, and

transparency. • Performance funding.• Sustainable business model (e.g. enrollment management, persistence,

competition, facilities, Library, technology).• Deterioration of support for public higher education.• Strategic market positioning based on institutional capabilities.• Building institutional digital capacities over the long term.• Engaging stakeholders digitally.

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Roles

Role of IR: • Primary function of institutional research is to provide data that informs

institutional decision-making and planning (Borden & Kezar; Delaney, 1997; Saupe, 1990).

• Maintains ultimate responsibility for completing all internal and external reporting requirements.

Role of IT:• Does not usually include major reporting obligations.

• Focuses on enterprise information management and storage; information systems design, operation and maintenance of ERP, LMS, CRM, and etc.; technical support; and user access and training.

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Role Confusion

Confusion exists about which office should provide what type of data.• IR — for example, the percentage of first-time-

in-college students enrolled in the fall semester or first-time-in-college students by major.

• IT— for example, requests for class rosters or contact info of students per majors.

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IR: Common Structures Requiring Reporting

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IR Conceptual Framework

Institutional Research

Analytics

Business Intelligence

Data Quality

Transaction Systems

(ERP,LMS, HR, Finance, RLO, Library, etc.) Institutional

ExperiencesOutputs and Outcomes

Prediction about Future

Based on History

Prediction Tested and Feedback is Displayed

Performance Level and Outcomes

Faculty and Staff

Intervention

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IR Core Functions

• Federal, State, and Local compliance reporting, (e.g., IPEDS, MHEC, USM)• Accreditation: regional and programmatic• Planning and Assessment• Strategic Planning

Institutional Support

• Accreditation• Faculty Workload• Faculty and Staff Productivity• Characteristic, Salary, and Evaluation

Colleges and Departments

• Census• Student Achievement • Standard Reporting• Internal Research• Adhoc

Office

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IR Dimensions: Descriptive to PredictiveTraditional Diagnostic IR

Hypothesis Estimations and Predictions

Census Reporting Internal Research Studies Descriptive Reporting Predictive

Transaction Systems Reporting

Statistical Analysis of Student Success Time base Metrics Strategic Thinking

Persistence and Completion Outcomes Yield Rates Course Tools and Content

Financial Aid Faculty Salaries Completion Rates Enrollment Management

Productivity Employment Studies Productivity Metrics Core and Support Services Intervention

Institutional Characteristics Longitudinal Studies Student Attributes Academic Support

Interventions

Finance Operating Revenue and Expenditures

Alumni Participation Faculty Attributes Completion Probability

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Types of Data

Administrative (Regularly Collected)

Administrative (Regularly Collected)

Semester or older Quantitative QualitativeStudent-level: Demographic & background Course enrollment Course grade, certificates & degrees Retention and GraduationCourse-level: Course details by

section (basic skills status, distance learning status, day/evening, etc.)

Examples: Survey, questionnaire Student performance

Examples: Survey, questionnaire Focus group Interviews Text analysis

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Institutional Research and Mission

Fundamental Elementso Institutional leadership-marketing and branding.o Strategic thinking and market acquisition.o Leverage strengths and flexible opportunities.o Optimize reporting. o Data quality, integrity, accuracy, and consistency.o Unit and program level reporting. o Common analytics language.o Data Custodian

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Enterprise Applications Goals

Fundamental Elementso Enable Faculty/Staff easily get info on students.

o Provide commonly requested info to all departments.

o Assist in data integrity.

o Move data from PAWs to other applications.

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Questions and Answers

Thank you

Reid Bluebaugh

301-687-4018

rbluebaugh@frostburg.edu

Rob Smith

301-687-4489

rsmith@frostburg.edu