As we watch the protests take place around the U.S. in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) acknowledges the range of emotions people are feeling and shares in the grief that we still face the specters of racism, privilege, and injustice in our society.
As a global leader for the ethical use of data for better decisions, AIR values and works to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. We do not tolerate racism or harassment. We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for association events and activities and ensuring safe experiences for our community. AIR strives to offer programming that incorporates diverse approaches, solutions, and viewpoints from individuals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We encourage and support the honest and respectful exchange of ideas and perspectives.
Our mission is intentionally broad and inclusive with an emphasis on evidence and actions that foster change and improvement within higher education around the world. AIR is a global association that empowers higher education professionals at all levels to utilize data, analytics, information, and evidence to make decisions and take actions that benefit students and institutions and improve higher education. Furthering the use of data for decisions that improve equity and success for all students is at the heart of our work. AIR believes that all of us are called to bring an equity lens to our work, regardless of our roles and responsibilities.
The AIR community plays an important role in identifying inequities and working to provide solutions. Data professionals explore new ways to share tools and information that challenge conventional ways of thinking about student success and transform how colleges and universities support and educate students. We’ve made some progress, but more work is needed.
AIR is here to help by providing resources and a platform to share ideas and challenges. We invite you to share resources and engage your colleagues across the globe in active dialogue through our online community at hub.airweb.org.
During this pivotal moment, let’s come together to prioritize the provision of data, analysis, and evidence that can lead to greater understanding, dialogue, and effective solutions.
June 2020