Across higher education, institutions are wrestling with a familiar challenge: how to translate the promise of data into the practice of meaningful change. Turning analytics into action requires more than dashboards or r...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Education in response to its Request for Information on Redesigning the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) (Docket I...

As data professionals, we find ourselves in one of the most unsettling reporting environments higher education has faced. The uncertainty is real; shifting federal priorities, new requirements, and unclear guidance makes...

AIR joined 44 other higher education associations this week in submitting comments on the Department of Education’s proposed changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The proposal would revise ...

Higher education institutions have long been data-rich, accumulating vast datasets across enrollment, academic records, financial aid, and student success. Yet many IR teams face challenges in turning those datasets into...

I hope everyone’s start of the fall semester is going well. I want to take a moment to advocate for you to read the annual report published yesterday. I would hope that it is no surprise to you that we are living i...

The past year has brought significant change across higher education—shifting policies, evolving priorities, and the conclusion of AIR’s federal subcontract for IPEDS training after more than two decades. Thr...

AIR is partnering with EDUCAUSE, CUPA-HR, and NACUBO to better understand how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are shaping work in higher education. We invite you to take a short survey about AI’s impact on...

Colleges and universities face difficult choices—tight resources, accountability demands, shifting student demographics, and rapid technology evolution. In that context, data should be a stabilizer: a shared langua...

When the U.S. Department of Education proposed adding an Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) to IPEDS beginning in 2025–26, AIR recognized the importance of elevating institutional voices in that...

In my role, I ensure timely completion of federal, state, and external reporting requirements such as IPEDS, NYSED, and U.S. News, etc. I also use analytics, dashboards, and predictive models to support key institutional...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has joined more than 160 higher education and research organizations in signing a letter to House and Senate appropriators urging support for the Financial Accountability ...

In an Inside Higher Ed opinion piece published September 15, 2025, Bryan Cook, vice president of data and policy analysis at the American Council on Education, and Christine M. Keller, executive director and CEO of the A...

The U.S. Department of Education has proposed adding the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) to this year’s IPEDS data collection. https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-15536.pdf &nb...

As data professionals, we know that data and insight aren’t enough—it’s what we do with them that truly drives impact. Turning information into meaningful change requires strategy, collaboration, and th...

On July 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued Electronic Announcement GE-25-03, reminding institutions that the 2025 Financial Value Transparency (FVT) and Gainful Employment (GE) reporting cycle opened J...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) recently provided input for a national report titled Education At Risk: Frontline Impacts on Students and Institutions. Released in July 2025 by Sen. Elizabeth Warren&rsqu...

When the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) reaffirmation cycle officially began for our institution two years ago, I anticipated a demanding process, but I didn’t fully g...

As newly-elected members of the Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC), we are excited to encourage our fellow members of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) to consider stepping into a leadership role. W...

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable summer with a little time to unwind. At the start of the new Board year, I want to remind everyone that nominations for both the Board and the Nominations and Election Committee (NE...