An effective environmental scan will improve the quality of community college planning and decision making by alerting institutional leaders to the challenges and opportunities in the environment. Scanning can be done in three ways: (1) establishing a scanning committee to gather and synthesize information to guide planning; (2) sponsoring a…

Designed to help institutional researchers transform data into useful information, this paper discusses principles for presenting research results to administrators in the top levels of management. The first section describes ten fundamental principles of data presentation: knowing what information is needed; knowing when the information is…

Describes how Prince George's Community College developed an institutional research-based approach to accountability reporting in response to Maryland's statewide accountability requirements. Offers specific examples of the application of institutional research data to the development of accountability plan objectives. Identifies several issues…

Environmental scanning, enrollment forecasting, budget analyses, and institutional effectiveness assessment are examples of the explicit contributions institutional research offices make to campus strategic planning.

An overview is provided of the responses made by Maryland's community colleges to growing concerns for accountability and the measurement of educational outcomes. First, the paper reviews the legislative initiatives and agency actions that characterized the state's movement toward a formalized, state-coordinated institutional assessment procedure.…

Designed for institutional researchers, this handbook provides practical guidelines for the operation of an effective research office. Chapter I defines institutional research and describes tasks a research office may undertake, including strategic planning support, budget development, facilities planning, personnel and staffing analyses,…

In response to low graduation and transfer rates among degree-seeking students, Prince George's Community College (PGCC), in Maryland, established a campus-wide retention committee to develop recommendations to improve student achievement. A significant source of information for the committee was a longitudinal student tracking system and a…

Guidelines are offered to institutional researchers and planning analysts for presenting research results in formats and levels of sophistication that are accessible to top management. Fundamental principles include: (1) know what is needed; (2) know when the information is needed; (3) match format to analytical sophistication and learning…

In 1991, a national survey was conducted of institutional research directors at 150 two- and four-year colleges to investigate practitioner perceptions of institutional research effectiveness and productivity. Randomly selected directors of institutional research were mailed a one-page questionnaire, requesting information about institution size…

At Prince George's Community College (PGCC) in Largo, Maryland, a number of environmental and revenue changes in the 1980's resulted in complex political issues for the college. Changes in the county's black population (from 14% in 1970 to 51% in 1990) meant that the faculty's composition no longer reflected the diversity of the student…

Enrollment management includes the processes and activities that influence the size, shape, and characteristics of a student body by directing institutional efforts in marketing, recruitment, admissions, pricing, and financial aid. Institutional research plays an essential, if not the key, role in enrollment management. This report discusses the…

Focusing on the changing roles of institutional researchers (IRs) due to the widespread distribution of computer technology, this monograph explores the effective application of IR skills to maximize the impact of research on campus policy making. The discussion is centered around three major principles guiding institutional research: know the…