Articles published in The AIR Professional File volumes are journal-length publications grounded in relevant literature that synthesize current issues, present new processes or models, or share practical applications related to institutional research.
Interested in submitting an article to The AIR Professional File? See Instructions for Authors for more information.
Recent Issues
Fall 2020 Volume

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Article 150: Rethinking Completion Analytics to Better Support the Student Experience across Diverse Ecosystems
Author: Jeffrey L. Cornett
Article 151: Brain Drain in Maryland: Exploring Student Movement from High School to Postsecondary Education and the Workforce
Authors: Amber Bloomfield, Bess A. Rose, Alison M. Preston, and Angela K. Henneberger
Spring 2020 Volume
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Article 148: National Trends in Federal Student Loan Borrowing by Income Group and First-Generation Status
Authors: Monnica Chan, Jihye Kwon, David Nguyen, Katherine M. Saunders, Nilkamal Shah, Katie M. Smith
Article 149: Community College Business Intelligence: A Case Study at Lone Star College–Tomball Campus on a Business Intelligence Approach to Community College Challenge
Author: Leezet Llorance
Fall 2019 Volume
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Article 147: Enrollment Projection Using Markov Chains: Detecting Leaky Pipes and the Bulge in the Boa
Authors: Rex Gandy, Lynne Crosby, Andrew Luna, Daniel Kasper, Sherry Kendrick
Article 146: Perception Isn’t Everything: The Reality of Class Size
Authors: Mark Umbricht, Kevin Stange
Spring 2019 Volume
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Article 145: From Data Crisis to Data-Centric
Authors: Rebekah Anderson, Nichole Rip
Article 144: University-Wide Assessment Days: The James Madison University Model
Authors: Dena A. Pastor, Kelly J. Foelber, Jessica N. Jacovidis, Keston H. Fulcher, Derek C. Sauder, and Paula D. Love
Summer 2017 Volume
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Article 143: Constructing a Peer Institution: A New Peer Methodology
Author: Steve Chatman
Article 142: A Case Study to Examine Three Peer Grouping Methodologies
Author: Mary Lou D’Allegro
Article 141: Needle in a Haystack: Finding Learning Improvement in Assessment Reports
Authors: Keston H. Fulcher, Kristen L. Smith, Elizabeth R. H. Sanchez, Courtney B. Sanders
Article 140: Institutional Data Quality and the Data Integrity Team
Author: Katherine A. McGuire
Fall 2016 Volume
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Article 139: Mining Text Data: Making Sense of What Students Tell Us
Authors: John Zilvinskis and Greg V. Michalski
Article 138: An Alternative Approach: Using Panels to Survey College Students
Authors: Shimon A. Sarraf, Sarah Hurtado, Mark Houlemarde, and Xiaolin Wang
Spring 2015 Volume
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Article 137: Two Heads are Better than One
Authors: Julie Carpenter-Hubin, Jason Sullivan, and Joan M. Herbers
Article 136: Applications of Social Network Analysis in Institutional Research
Author: Ning Wang
Spring 2014 Volume
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Article 135: Institutional Research and Athletics Reporting
Authors: Kyle V. Sweitzer, Jennifer Hoffman, and David Horton Jr.
Fall 2013 Volume
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Article 134: Unrealized Educational Expectations: A Growing or Diminishing Gender Gap? It Depends on Your Definition
Authors: A. Seifert, Ryan S. Wells, Daniel B. Saunders, and Bryan Gopaul
Article 133: Tracking the Discount: Tuition Discount Rates, Net Tuition Revenue, and Efforts to Inform Institutional Practices
Authors: Natalie Pullaro Davis and Kenneth E. Redd
Article 132: A Case Study to Examine Peer Grouping and Aspirant Selection
Authors: Mary Lou D’Allegro and Kai Zhou
Spring 2013 Volume
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Article 131: Programs for Engagement and Enhancement
Authors: Xinxing Anna Zan, Sang Won Yoon, Mohammad Khasawneh, and Krishnaswami Srihari
Article 130: Alternative Estimates of the Reliability of College Grade Point Averages
Authors: Joe L. Saupe and Mardy T. Eimers
Article 129: A Comparison Study of Return Ration-Based Academic Enrollment Forecasting Models
Authors: Xinxing Anna Zan, Sang Won Yoon, Mohammad Khasawneh, and Krishnaswami Srihari
Archive
The AIR Professional File/IR Applications archive is unavailable due to the transition to an updated website and user portal. This feature should be available soon. If you need a specific publication in the meantime, please contact publications@airweb.org.
Instructions for Authors
Authors are encouraged to submit journal-length publications (approximately 5,000–10,000 words; including figures, tables, and references) for consideration. All submissions undergo a peer-review process led by the Volunteer Coordinating Editor, Sharron Ronco. Authors may find the rubric used in the peer review process to be a helpful guide. Submissions may be emailed to publications@airweb.org in the form of Word documents. Please include contact information for all authors.