Special Features

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing many aspects of our world, including institutional research (IR), providing unprecedented capabilities for data analysis, predictive modeling, and decision-making. To remai...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) is preparing for its 2025 AIR Forum, scheduled for May 20–23 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. This annual conference is the largest global gathering o...

Dr. Edward L. Delaney Jr., a distinguished figure in the field of institutional research and a dedicated member of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), passed away on August 14, 2024, at the age of 79. His c...

Shari: Eric, it’s been great serving with you on Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) this year. What highlights do you most want to share with our IR friends and colleagues? Eric: It’s been great s...

Institutional research (IR) offices are often tasked with providing information about student progression towards a degree. The nature of the institutional data available lends itself to providing significant insigh...

Data science and advanced analytics capabilities generally refer to a set of methods, skills, and tools aimed at extracting actionable insights and knowledge from enterprise and external data resources to inform decision...

In 2007, I moved from a tenured faculty position into higher ed administration; namely, I became a Director of Institutional Research (IR). The move was sudden, and I had no prior knowledge of IR as a field and no prior ...

“If service is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you.” This powerful quote is attributed to Bishop Dale Bronner, a well-known pastor and speaker who has emphasized the importance of servant leadership. S...

Data-informed decision making continues to be a focal point for higher education leaders around the world and colleagues across the globe work hard in this area. Although it may be called by a slightly different name or ...

If you work in higher education administration or institutional research (IR), you've probably heard rumblings about new federal regulations around "financial value transparency" and "gainful employment" that are set to ...

Each year, AIR recognizes and celebrates individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the success of the association and the profession through their leadership, service, and scholarship. AIR is also pleased ...

I was fortunate to join the wonderful world of Institutional Research (IR) in October 2022. While it is hard to believe, my first year serving as an IR Analyst has already passed, and as cliché as it sounds, &ldq...

Institutional research (IR) practitioners are often at the forefront of their campus’s strategic planning and monitoring efforts. Yet, IR departments may not have a strategic plan for their department. Strategic pl...

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) is releasing content related to generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in the higher education, institutional research (IR), and institutional effect...

Have you ever thought about volunteering for AIR and, instead of pushing the submit button on the application, you instead took a step back and said, “Nope, not this year.”? We have all been at points in our...

In January 2017, I moved from a medium IR office to a one-person office; specifically, from Office of Institutional Research and Planning at The Ohio State University, to the one and only IR role for the College of Arts ...

During the beginning of September when I was a child, I could count on two things with certainty. First was the start of the new school year. Second was the arrival of the much-anticipated Sears and Roebuck’s annua...

The AIR community mourns the loss of James “Jim” Riley Montgomery, who was a pioneer in the field of IR and served as Director of Institutional Research at University of Tennessee followed by Virginia Tech. H...

As fall sets in, we begin another year focusing on the myriad of tasks before us. But let me draw your attention to an important announcement - AIR has opened nominations for the 2024-2025 AIR Board of Directors an...

Published on September 8, 2023, the 2022–2023 AIR annual report details the association’s work over the past year. The AIR Board of Directors and AIR Staff remain committed to supporting, connecting, and empo...