Institutional Research Initiatives, 1999-2000

Initiative: Conduct a study of transfer students as designed with Academic Affairs

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment:

  • The study was published in December, 1999. It was shared with Academic Affairs and all Virginia community colleges. It is located on the OIR web site at: http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/resrchstud/transfers/jmutransferstudy.pdf
  • Recommendations involve:

    • Prioritizing transfers for admissions to JMU;

    • Academic performance of transfers in specific disciplines should be further explored

Initiative: Produce materials and conduct activities designed to increase the knowledge of the JMU planning process

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • OIR assisted the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness with the development of the planning process and developed the planning process web site. http://www.jmu.edu/ie/planning_process.htm

  • Next Steps: A subcommittee of the PAC has been charged with helping the division to develop and implement communication strategies that will enable all JMU staff to learn about the planning process and encourage them to be involved. The recommendations from the subcommittee will be shared with the IE staff in late summer and implemented in the fall.

Initiative: Assist with the development of university-wide performance indicators

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • OIR collected data that helped the division develop the Institutional Portfolio. OIR also develops the reports that are sent to the Department of Planning and Budget about JMU.

  • Next Steps: OIR will continue to assist IE with the development and collection of performance indicators

Initiative: Produce materials and conduct activities designed to increase the knowledge of the Office of Institutional Research activities.

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • OIR continued to share information as needed with the division and other division. Primary means of sharing were through email and the web site. Also, OIR published its annual Statistical Summary in hard copy and on the web: http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/statsum/199900/99-00toc.htm. The web version is updated as new tables are completed. The paper copy this year was delayed due to difficulties in obtaining information from the new student information system. This delay should not occur next year. Eighty-six percent (86%) of respondents to a June 2000 survey agreed (50.0) or strongly agreed (36.4) that OIR's communication strategies are helpful. 
  • Next Steps: OIR needs to develop a periodic (at least quarterly) web-based  newsletter. This will occur in 2000-01. Email announcements will be distributed to all staff at least quarterly.

Initiative: Analyze and begin collection of information for the SACS Self-Study; coordinate all questionnaires; assist with development of SACS web site.

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • OIR assisted with the collection of information for the SACS Self-Study by: developing a database of all SACS Criteria; helping the divisions identify important documents; cataloging documents as they were received; developing online surveys to collect information for the principal committees; and developing an electronic catalog for the principal committees to use to access or locate documents. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of respondents to a June 2000 survey indicated that OIR met (64.3) or exceeded (33.3) expectations in this area. Ninety-five percent (95%) felt that OIR's assistance in communicating about the Self-Study met (68.4) or exceeded (26.3) expectations.
  • Next Steps: The is an ongoing process that will include in 2000-01: deployment and analysis of SACS surveys; continued collection and cataloging of documentation; and technical assistance as needed to SACS Steering Committee and principal committees.

Initiative: Improve the usability of OIR's Web site

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • The OIR web site was completely redesigned  in fall 1999. The redesign was completed by a GA in TSC. The June OIR mini-evaluation found that, in most instances, over 90 percent of respondents found the major sections to be useful or very useful.
  • Next Steps: OIR will continually enhance the data placed on the web. Eventually, we think it could be a more interactive site that allows certain users to gather data tailored to their specific needs. This capability will be explored in the spring 2001 OIR program review.

Initiative: Participate in the development of a comprehensive institutional solution to the problems in maintaining the facilities inventory.

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • A new staff member in Resource Planning was hired to manage the facilities inventory. The OIR statistical analyst has worked closely this year with the new staff member to teach him about the inventory. It is expected that this training should take about one more year.

Initiative: Clarify OIR's mission within the context of a growing, diverse institution.

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • In response to the 1998 OIR program review recommendation, the OIR Mission Statement was revised in the fall of 1999. We believe the Mission Statement is linked to JMU's Mission Statement and outlines the major emphases of our office. The Mission Statement will be reviewed every three to five years. The Mission Statement is located at: http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/ .

Initiative: Self-Study Processes For Nonacademic Departments

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • The Director of OIR worked with representatives of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to develop a set of recommendations for program reviews for all divisions (http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/present/air2000/Components%20Of%20An%20Effective%20Program%20Review.doc ). The Director also conducted training session in program reviews for the Division of Administration and Finance. He also provided technical assistance to several program reviews and conducted a review of the Center for Multicultural/ Student Services.
  • Next Steps: OIR will continue to assist administrative departments in program reviews as needed and time permits. OIR expects to assist with surveys developed to gather data for program reviews. The Director may teach a short course on electronic surveying during 2000-01.

Initiative: Enhance Data Management Capabilities

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • OIR staff participated in the development of parameters for several administrative databases to support decision-making and SCHEV reporting. All the databases should be completed by December 2000. These databases may become the initial data for a JMU data warehouse.
  • Next Steps: Explore in 2000-01 the development of a JMU data warehouse to support decision-making.

Initiative: Implementing A Comprehensive Planning Process

Division: Institutional Effectiveness

Status/Accomplishment

  • The Director of OIR assisted the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness with the conceptualization and revision of the JMU planning process. This year we reconstituted the Planning Advisory Committee, revised the planning process, developed a planning web site ( http://www.jmu.edu/ie/planning_process.htm), and assisted with the development of the new JMU Mission Statement (http://www.jmu.edu/ie/JMUmissionstatement.htm).
  • Next Steps: During 2000-01 the planning process should be more fully developed. This includes defining the activities for each subcommittee of the PAC, coordinating the collection of university initiatives (http://www.jmu.edu/ie/21stcentury.htm), communicating clearly the process to the university community, developing indicators of the achievement of the university's Institutional Characteristics (http://www.jmu.edu/ie/institutionalcharacteristics.htm), and evaluating the effectiveness of the planning process.