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...

A 2025 AIR Forum session titled “Party at the Lakehouse: Enhancing Data Ecosystems and Stakeholder Engagement” offered Institutional Researchers a compelling vision for the future of data architecture in high...

2025 AIR Forum attendees packed the room for the session “Unpacking the 2025 Carnegie Classifications,” an update on the most significant overhaul of the Carnegie Classification system in its 50-year history....

AIR caught up with Greg T. Harris, Director of Institutional Research within the Office for Institutional Planning, Assessment & Research at East Carolina University, to chat about his experience with the AIR LEADs c...

As Institutional Researchers, we navigate an overwhelming landscape of AI technologies. Since late 2022, Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed how we can approach data analysis, but choosing the right integration...

We are a busy group. Most data professionals in higher education would describe themselves as constantly working, often beyond capacity. According to the 2024 AIR National Survey, 56% of those in small IR offices, 44% of...

As I think about this past year with the Board, I'm proud of the strides we've made together to advance the mission of AIR. We worked to broaden pathways to volunteer leadership within AIR, aiming to reflect the rich div...

In May 2025, the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) conducted a survey to assess the impact of recent and proposed changes to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on Institutional Research and Institutional Ef...

I write to share that the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has received official confirmation that our subcontract for the IPEDS training program will not be renewed for the 2025–26 data collection cycl...