Calling All IR Professionals: Your Institution Has Until December 17 to Gain Access to Free Benchmarking
Institutional Research (IR) professionals intimately understand that good data can facilitate smart decisions. That truth applies to the field of IR, too.
The National Survey of IR Offices is the premier source of information about the state of IR in higher education. The deadline to participate is Friday, December 17, 2021.
A nationally representative, longitudinal study of the IR function within U.S. higher education institutions, the survey collects information about IR office structure, leadership, resources, and effectiveness.
What’s new this year?
- First and foremost, the data collection window has been better defined. The deadline to participate is Friday, December 17, 2021.
- We’ve added various questions that reflect various priorities in higher education, including staff diversity and remote working options.
How do I participate?
Someone at your institution should have received an invitation to participate. Feel free to add or change your institution’s survey contact. Keep in mind the deadline to participate is Friday, December 17, 2021.
How long will it take to fill out the survey?
That depends on how accessible the information needed to respond is, but most participants spend about 45 minutes in total entering data. To streamline the process, we’ve already populated any relevant IPEDS data for your institution.
Is it worth participating if I can’t respond to every question?
Absolutely. Certain fields are required to access the basic benchmarking. Answer what you can to strengthen the overall dataset and also benefit from basic benchmarking on those data.
What data will I receive for participating?
Institutional leaders who complete the National Survey of IR Offices automatically gain free access to various benchmarking tools:
- Filter and compare with other institutions based on sector.
- Explore comparison data and download graphs for all survey questions.
- Retrieve summary reports on survey results.
- Review changes over time for institutions that completed the survey in 2015 and/or 2018.
View more specific report and filter options.
Can I access additional benchmarking?
Institutions seeking expanded benchmarking tools to compare with peer institutions may purchase premium access (see pricing) with these additional features:
- Use any of the basic benchmarking tools.
- Refine your peer group using up to 14 filters including Carnegie Classification, state, enrollment, and office size.
- Generate an expanded set of summary reports for each survey section.
View more specific report and filter options.
When will results be available?
Survey data will be available March through July 2022. Data will be available to those who participate by the deadline—December 17, 2021.
Should I respond if I’m a single-person IR office?
Yes! Your experience is important. Even though various questions may not apply, excluding your data certainly skews overall results.
How is my institution’s data used and protected?
The Confidentiality and Use of the National Survey of IR Offices Data Requirements details policies regulating the use of survey data.
Why benchmark?
There is power in benchmarking your office with your peers. Benchmarking provides evidence that higher levels of performance are possible. It changes the never-ending debate of, “Is something wrong?” to an action-driven conversation of, “How can we improve?" It may challenge long-held beliefs about how an Office should operate or contribute to institutional goals while informing your decisions about where and how to improve.
Institutions seeking expanded benchmarking tools to compare with peer institutions may purchase premium access (see pricing) with these additional features:
- Use any of the basic benchmarking tools.
- Refine your peer group using up to 14 filters including Carnegie Classification, state, enrollment, and office size.
- Generate an expanded set of summary reports for each survey section.
What if I still have questions?
- View a recent webinar highlighting the importance of the survey.
- Download the user's guide for answers to your platform questions.
- Send an email to NSIRO@airweb.org.