Association for Institutional Research
Enhancing Knowledge. Expanding Networks.
for Independent Colleges and Universities  Sponsored by: Association for Institutional Research (AIR) and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Hartford Marriott Farmington, Farmington, Connecticut October 2-4, 2008 The Application Period for 2008 is Now Closed.Please check back soon for information on the 2009 Data and Decisions™ Workshop.Increasingly, college and university leaders seek to base strategic decisions on data-targeted information about their own institutions and up-to-date, comparative information about other institutions. The ability to access, analyze, and convert data into strategic information is critical to institutions operating in today's competitive educational climate. Institutional accountability to trustees, accrediting agencies, and the public requires benchmarking on key indicators of institutional performance. AIR and CIC are again offering a workshop on using data for strategic decision-making. The Data and Decisions Workshop addresses ways to identify peer and competitor institutions, define key institutional performance measures, and compare relative positions on these measures with other institutions. These measures include tuition revenue and financial aid, faculty salaries, instructional expenditures per FTE student, as well as retention and graduation rates. Workshop instruction is based on the use of existing national data sets. For example, the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) provides online tools to identify similar institutions and analyze comparative information. These and other data sources addressed as resources for improving institutional effectiveness. In addition, CIC offers a variety of benchmarking services for member colleges, including the Key Indicators Tool (KIT) and the Financial Indicators Tool (FIT). Combining these resources with institutional data and knowledge provides workshop participants with an understanding of core competencies and feasible strategies for continuous institutional growth and improvement. Learning Outcomes Those who attend this workshop will learn to:
Workshop instructors combine experience in institutional research, knowledge of available data, and an understanding of independent institutions. Instructors are:
The Data and Decisions Workshop is designed for institutional teams of three individuals who have significant responsibilities in the areas of institutional decision making. A fourth team member may be added for an additional fee. One team member should have primary or coordinating responsibility for institutional research at the institution (even if not so titled). Other team members should be key decision-makers who will use this information, for example, the president, dean, or other academic officer, financial officer, enrollment manager, or student affairs officer. Individual applications (e.g., one person "teams") will not be accepted. Preference will be given to institutions that are participating in the Data and Decisions Workshop for the first time. Institutions desiring to participate for a second time should provide an explanation in the supporting statement that accompanies the application. What to Bring Several of the sessions involve hands-on work with national data sets. Each team MUST bring at least one laptop computer for the team to use in a wireless computer lab that will be set up onsite. Teams may bring one laptop per team member, if desired. Each laptop must meet the following specifications:
Workshop registration begins at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 2. The Workshop begins with a luncheon and overview session at noon and concludes at noon on Saturday, October 4. Meeting Location The Workshop sessions will be held at the Hartford Marriott Farmington. Participants stay Thursday and Friday nights in the hotel, which is located at 15 Farm Springs Road, Farmington, Connecticut 06032. More information can be found at: http://marriott.com. Fee Structure The registration fee for a three-person team is $500; a four-person team is $800. This fee, in conjunction with grant funds from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), covers workshop materials, overnight accommodations on Thursday and Friday, and all meals, beginning with lunch on Thursday through lunch on Saturday. For those arriving on Wednesday, October 1, rooms may be reserved for an additional charge of $129 per person. A credit card will be required upon check-in at the hotel to pay for the extra night. How to Apply Space is limited to 25 teams. Eligible institutions include all CIC member institutions and small private, liberal arts institutions that are AIR members. Representatives from AIR and CIC will select institutions to participate in the Workshop based on the particular planning and data analysis interests expressed in the supporting statement. The supporting statement should be a one-page, typed, double-spaced statement that (1) Describes your institution’s interest in participating in this Workshop; (2) Describes how your institution will benefit from participating in this Workshop; and (3) Outlines any specific planning activities your team would like to apply to the Workshop content. In addition, if a team has previously attended this Workshop, please explain the benefit of a second team from your institution participating now. Applicants will be notified via e-mail of the selection results by Friday, June 20, 2008. If a team is selected to attend the workshop, payment information will be sent with the institution's confirmation. |