Institutional planning decisions and assessment processes are about to become better informed with the help of the University's new Center for Institutional Research (CIR), a collaborative effort to expand institutional research support for all sectors of CWRU.

The center was launched in March following years of discussion among various members of the campus community—including a recommendation in the 2001 final report of the President's Commission on Undergraduate Education and Life—about the need for coordinated, efficient, University-wide institutional research efforts.

CIR's mission is to provide information about the University's students, faculty, staff, programs and environment to support decision-making, policy analysis, institutional assessment and strategic planning. As resources permit, the center's services are available to school-based faculty and staff as well as to central administration and campus committees.

"The CIR is expected to play a key and essential role in advancing CWRU toward its new vision," said Donald Feke, vice provost for planning and assessment. "This will be accomplished by providing decision-makers with useful background information, the capability for analytical modeling and insight into the cause-and-effect relationships between policy or investment decisions and the outcomes of those choices."

Among its first projects, CIR is developing a plan for collection and analysis of data to support enhanced undergraduate admission and retention efforts. The center will provide research that could be used to sculpt many of the characteristics of entering classes as well as to enhance CWRU's recruiting position.

The center also is providing support as the University's undertakes various self-studies as part of the overall plan for re-accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and reauthorization by the Ohio Board of Regents.

As part of the re-accreditation process, CIR will aid in four focused self-studies to advance the University's vision. The vision-related studies are in interdivisional collaboration and partnerships between schools and between schools and outside agencies, faculty engagement and commitment, the academic and social development of undergraduate students and the academic and social development of graduate and professional students.

The center also will commence a comprehensive review of needs for outcomes and satisfaction assessments, particularly at the undergraduate level, and coordinate the administration of student surveys, either existing or new instruments, and other data collection processes.

"In recent years at CWRU, there have been many activities that could be described as 'institutional research' ongoing in various offices, such as public affairs, the budget office, undergraduate studies, graduate studies, plus several others," Feke said. "However, there wasn't a formal coordination of these activities."

In addition to projects already in the works, the center plans to conduct surveys of faculty, staff, students and alumni to track long-term trends and assess institutional goals and objectives. CIR also will collect data on peer institutions and national developments and maintain various databases and census files for longitudinal studies and statistical analyses.

Jean Gubbins, who had served as program manager for institutional data and search support in the CWRU public affairs office, has been reassigned to the CIR, based in the Office of the President and the Provost. Gubbins, now institutional research associate, is joined in the center by James Henson, institutional research specialist.

Henson came to CWRU in October 2002 from the University of Rochester, where he was assistant dean for enrollment management and director of enrollment management, systems and research. Before that, he directed the student affairs information and research office at UCLA.

Gubbins and Henson draw on the expertise of staff with the responsible for related data who are based in other departments.

CIR associates, who may conduct institutional research as part of their regular responsibilities, include Dan Dowhower, undergraduate admission; Amy Hammett, University registrar; Steve Hoagland, graduate studies; Julia Hurley, budget office; Julie Petek, undergraduate studies; Venus Puliafico, financial aid; and Dennis Rupert, student affairs.

As part of serving as a clearinghouse for information about the University's people, programs, resources and external environment, CIR staff also coordinate CWRU's reporting to federal and state agencies, respond to requests for information from within and outside the University and participate in inter-institutional data exchanges.

The staff are currently designing a Web site for profile data about CWRU.

 

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