The need for data-informed decisions is not limited to national policy, state systems, or senior leadership of postsecondary institutions. Decisions that impact the achievement of higher education missions are also made by students, faculty, frontline staff, and program administrators--all of who deserve data and information to support their…

This article reports the results of a nationwide questionnaire survey of 1,104 Japanese higher education institutions conducted in late 2015 and early 2016. Its goal was to investigate the current status and issues related to the utilization and disclosure of educational information. A total of 248 institutions responded to the survey. Based on…

Bridgewater State University (BSU) is a public institution that falls under the Carnegie classification of Master's Colleges and Universities. BSU is committed to serving students in the New England region. This student population includes a sizeable number of underrepresented students. BSU is dealing with intense pressure to serve these students…

Institutional researchers are responsible for the collection, organization, analysis, and maintenance of large amounts of personally identifiable data on students, faculty, and staff. Not only are institutional research (IR) offices required to report these data to state and federal agencies, they are also responsible for providing information to…

As demand for information on postsecondary education has increased, institutions have had to adapt information systems to accurately report data. Institutions currently respond to multiple constituencies including national media outlets, higher education associations, state regulatory authorities, and federal agencies. The purpose of this study is…

Presents an approach increasingly employed by businesses to track and respond to their customers to provide better and faster services: customer relationship management. Discusses its applicability to the operations of higher education and institutional research and the role it plays in the knowledge management framework. (EV)

TO DETERMINE THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF JUNIOR COLLEGE EDUCATORS AS A BASIS FOR PLANNING ACTIVITIES OF THE ERIC CLEARINGHOUSE FOR JUNIOR COLLEGE INFORMATION, QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO 3,792 POTENTIAL USERS OF CLEARINGHOUSE SERVICES (ADMINISTRATORS, LIBRARIANS, AND OTHERS). THE 1,062 RESPONDENTS INDICATED GREATEST INTEREST IN AN EXCHANGE OF CURRENT…

The effective communication of desired information between the generator and the user requires one to accommodate variances in decision-making style, behavior, and context. The premise that decision making in organizations follows the classic rational model is discussed. (Author/MLW)

This paper discusses the role that the Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Planning played in providing data support, planning, and cohesiveness as Utah Valley Community College worked to become Utah Valley State College. The two tier model adopted at Utah Valley State College aspires to describe a cost-effective four-year college with…

Successful implementation of assessment requires effective administrative leadership to get started, convert data to information, and use the information in making improvements. Assessment may pay its greatest long-term dividends as an organizational device for directing scarce reserves of institutional attention to teaching and learning. (MLW)

Twenty-eight deans of instruction (out of 29 contacted) responded to a survey eliciting information on institutional research at small junior colleges (head-count enrollment of 3,000 or less) in Texas. The survey instrument covered four general questions: (1) is there a systematic on-campus procedure for compiling information; (2) what information…

The University of Maryland System administration has been constructing a relational database that enables comparisons between the more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The data base contains information from nationally available sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Center for…

Techniques for conducting student-attrition studies using the Student-Outcomes Information Service (SOIS) are outlined. General concepts to effectively guide an institutional research effort are discussed, with attention to better defining student attrition and a summary of results of recent research on the reasons why students withdraw from…

The concepts of need and needs assessment are examined in the context of information needs for college administrators. A description is included of the conceptual framework underlying the Needs Assessment Information System (NAIS), which was developed by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. Attention is directed to: (1)…

Student satisfaction surveys assess satisfaction with various facets of the university and includes key sets of questions on programs and services, university learning and social environment, university mission and values, educational preparation, transfer intent, general satisfaction, attitudes toward coursework, and student demographic…