Institutional research has been defined as "research conducted within an institution of higher education in order to provide information which supports planning, policy formation, and decision making" (Saupe, 1981, p.1). Areas of interest and analysis include admissions, financial aid, enrollment management, student outcomes, staffing, student life, finance, facilities, alumni relations and athletics. For the purposes of comparison data relative to these areas is routinely collected and analyzed from peer institutions.
Data is also collected for the purposes of mandatory and voluntary reporting to agencies including The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), The Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS), The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), The Higher Education Research Institute (HERI), The Tennessee Independent College and University Association (TICUA), US News, The Princeton Review, Peterson’s and several others.
Survey research is also conducted and supported including the Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s (CIRP) Freshmen Survey that is administered each fall, The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) that is administered to freshmen and seniors and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement which is administered to faculty on a periodic basis.
Saupe, J. L. (1981). The functions of institutional research. Tallahassee,
FL. The Association for Institutional Research.
