In this brief, Kaylan Baxter talks about the potentially transformative role of two connected units less commonly associated with racial justice: institutional research (IR) and institutional effectiveness (IE). Institutional research (IR) consists of a wide-ranging set of tasks conducted in support of the decision-making processes of various…

In 2019, the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group) conducted a survey of institutional research, planning, and effectiveness (IRPE) offices in the California Community College system. The purpose of this survey was to: (1) Identify key research and planning priorities and activities of the IRPE offices; (2)…

In this chapter, we explore the contexts within which institutional researchers must try to ensure the ethical use of data. We also identify challenges institutional research professionals can face when navigating college culture while trying to ensure the ethical use of data. Finally, we identify potential solutions for improving institutional…

The main purpose of institutional research (IR) is to provide objective, systematic, and thorough data that support an institution's enrollment goals, planning, policy formation, and decision making. Traditionally, institutions gathered data on their activities, students and staff, programs, management, and operations. University staff then…

After examining typical legal contexts for IR practice, this chapter offers the Practices, Policies, and Legal Boundaries (PPLB) framework for using laws as guidelines for policy and practice.

Despite being accepted as a key function in research management, research planning seems to be a neglected practice in some higher education institutions, particularly in economically disadvantaged countries such as Vietnam. This paper addresses a research gap in this area by examining (1) the practices of research planning at four leading…

As museums strive to become more welcoming and accessible, house museums occupy complex positions. The Frick Collection's scale is more intimate than that of many art museums; the general stability of the installation renders the collection more familiar, and the taste on display is personal and idiosyncratic rather than authoritative. As…

Contemporary 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…

This chapter sheds light on the ways in which institutional research (IR) professionals can be involved in the development and/or modification of high-quality academic programs. Suggestions from authors within this volume for how IR can assist in accomplishing these goals will be integrated and organized in alignment with Terenzini's (1993) three…

This article provides postsecondary leaders with a way to quickly develop a more thorough understanding of higher education accountability. It describes the complexity of the broader higher education accountability environment and then maps the seven accountability silos: assessment, accreditation, institutional research, institutional…

It is shocking to notice that universities still research few of what daily happens inside their walls. Even though knowledge amount to just a small part of the numerous things that are produced in/between academic relations, it is rare to find investigations in which academic modus operandi is the research focus. The text relies on references…

Institutional research (IR) leaders rely on staff members to accomplish office missions and support institutional decisions. Like any supervisors in higher education, IR leaders must be familiar with a host of employment and intellectual property laws that guide the institution/employee relationship. This chapter offers insights into specific…

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…

Sustainability has become increasingly important to research and practice. In order to determine impacts, identify improvement potential and to disclose efforts towards sustainability, an organization needs appropriate reporting. Thus, sustainability reporting has become a topic of broader interest, for example, to assess own situations, enable…

Whatever your method of selecting institutions for comparison and benchmarking, you can both increase the validity and accuracy of those comparisons and extend the value of comparisons to department and college levels by constructing a peer institution from disaggregated components. This paper will demonstrate the methodology using the National…