When I started overseeing the Office of Institutional Research, it was a one-person shop with support from Information Technology (IT) and the Registrar. The teams were steady but shared cross-campus priorities, so every...

In higher education, assessment is too often used as a mechanism for compliance rather than a catalyst for change (Miller & Felix, 2025). Data is gathered within institutions, analyzed and disseminated for accreditor...

AIR is pleased to announce the release of the Fall 2025 issue of the AIR Professional File, AIR’s peer-reviewed publication supporting institutional research and analytics practice. This volume features two forward...

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season as we wind down the semester. I want to begin this Board Corner by recognizing the amazing leadership we benefit from in AIR. In case you did not see it, our Executive Dir...

My current role in institutional research focuses on cyclical internal reporting, ad-hoc research, state/federal reporting, and components of effectiveness. One of the mission pillars at Florida SouthWestern State Colleg...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has joined a coalition of 34 organizations in signing a formal letter submitted to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the proposed Admissions and Consumer Transpar...

On December 15, 2025, the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) submitted additional written comments to the U.S. Department of Education in response to new documentation released for the proposed Admissions and C...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) is pleased to announce the publication of the 2024 AIR National Survey brief reports, offering insights into the structures, roles, and activities of institutional researc...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) is pleased to share that Executive Director and CEO Christine M. Keller, Ph.D., has been named one of U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Leaders.The U.S. News ...

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...

On October 14, 2025, AIR submitted formal comments to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) regarding the proposed ACTS expansion to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The letter expres...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has joined the PostsecData coalition and other higher education organizations in signing a letter responding to the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed Admission...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) joined a coalition of higher education associations that submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing concerns about the proposed Admissions and Consu...

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...