The office assumes responsibility for the completion of all federal and state compliance reporting. The following are but a few of the key functions we complete.
Reports and Studies for External Agencies
Institutional Research Assessment and Effectiveness (IRAE) prepares reports and studies for local and federal agencies regarding admissions, courses, enrollment, degrees awarded, student characteristics, tuition and fees, financial statistics, faculty salaries, faculty staffing and characteristics, and instructional costs. Regular reports include the National Center for Educational Statistics IPEDS suite of reports, HEPC data files,
IRAE also completes questionnaires from private agencies such as the American Council on Education, ACT Institutional Data Questionnaire, College Board Survey, NSF-NIH Survey of Graduate Students, U.S. News & World Reports, Moody’s Investors Service, and Peterson’s Surveys.
Strategic Planning
IRAE conducts special request research studies that support the planning, budgeting, and policy-making functions for executive administration. Areas of research and study that the office can offer for strategic plan decision making includes student retention and academic progress, peer institution comparisons, salary studies, and cost analyses.
Data Coordination and Institutional Reports
IRAE serves as the primary information center for both external and internal requests for official data, designs and distributes reports to all administration levels within the University on enrollment, credit hour production, enrollment, degrees granted, and faculty course load. The office provides support for the Title III grant through annual reporting using the National Student Clearinghouse. IRAE prepares the University Quick Facts document, student profiles, and the annual Fact Book.
WV Data Policy Council (DPAC)
IRAE is charged with assuring the accuracy and integrity of WVSU’s officially reported data to the state board. DPAC serves as a source of networking and communication for those involved with file production at institutions. WVSU submits a specific set of files submitted each semester using the specifications laid out by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission:
Program Review and Academic Planning Support
IRAE assists Academic Affairs in the program review and academic planning process by providing program data and analyses on enrollment, majors, credit hours, student characteristics, faculty loads, assessment plans, and costs to facilitate assessment of program effectiveness. The Director serves as an ex officio member of the Program Review committee.
Accreditation support to the WVSU Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
IRAE provides assistance to the HLC Accreditation liaison by staying current with Commission policies and procedures, providing oversight and direction for the institution’s Data Update Coordinator to ensure the currency, accuracy, and timeliness of information submitted to the Commission as part of the Annual Institutional Data Update (AIDU). The office facilitates responses to Commission inquiries as necessary, including complaints referred by the Commission staff to the chief executive officer.