The work of the Office of Institutional Research is directed toward the development of a systemic, integrated approach to data collection and analysis. This work is critical to academic affairs’ larger goal of promoting sustainable academic quality. Institutional research’s progress toward this larger goal can be measured in relation to three key aspirations for institutional research at Curry:

 1) Consistency of data use and definitions within and across reports (facilitated by the implementation of a common codebook and procedure manual for all institutional research functions—whether conducted by the Office of Institutional Research or not);

 2) Clarity of analysis and utility of results (driven by the creation of a rigorous-yet-adaptable conceptual model for data collection and analysis that will direct and organize high quality reporting);

 3) Completeness of the reach of data collection in the present and future (leading to the development of a comprehensive, longitudinal data set that records all manner of pertinent information about the effectiveness of a Curry education).

Major goals for the Spring 2012 Semester include:

 1)  The provision of relevant, high quality data to support Curry’s existing internal and external reporting obligations;

 2)  The evaluation of existing data collection practices and the creation of new processes necessary to provide data analysis to support institutional decision-making in the future;

 3) The administration of 2012 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the analysis of responses, and the dissemination of results in a manner consistent with supporting institutional decision-making;

 4) The creation and first administration of a locally-developed survey (Curry Pulse) designed to track Curry’s progress in meeting key student success goals.