IR Blog
Utilizing Project Management in Institutional Research
While many Institutional Research tasks are operational aspects of ongoing initiatives, many activities may produce outputs that are more temporary or ad hoc in nature. Much of the work in my current Institutional Research Special Projects rol
03 January, 2024Applying Strategic Change Management (SCM) within Institutional Research
We live in an ever-changing world, not only within higher education but throughout all aspects of life. Institutional Research practitioners help institutions adjust to and monitor changing landscapes. I am a strong believer in expanding capac
28 November, 2022The IR Journey into BA: Applications of Business Analysis within Institutional Research
Institutional Research practitioners perform a wide range of responsibilities within their respective organizations. Professional development opportunities are crucial for building skill capacity and remaining abreast of a rapidly changing hig
16 June, 2021Has COVID-19 affected the rate of enrollment of North Dakota high school graduates into college?
Last spring as the pandemic took hold, schools across the country moved from in-person to a remote delivery mode. And while the transition to remote delivery was fraught with hiccups – which in all honesty were not surprising – in
20 January, 2021NDUS-IR Supports High-Quality Survey Designs & Analyses
The NDUS-IR team takes pride in assisting our collaborators in the creation and analysis of high-quality surveys. To provide the highest quality assistance, we ask our collaborators to involve us in the development of any survey where our assi
19 August, 2020Reflections on Distance Learning in North Dakota’s Public K-12 Schools Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
North Dakota’s 175 K-12 public school districts educating more than 115,000 students were closed by Executive Order 2020-04 on March 15 due to the spread of COVID-19. Educators were tasked with creating distance learning plans pursuant to furt
15 July, 2020Special Education Performance Dashboard Showcases Continued NDUS IR Collaboration
The second annual Special Education Performance Dashboard released in May 2020 on Insights showcases continued interagency collaboration between the North Dakota University System Institutional Research (IR) Office, North Dakota Department of
26 June, 2020Employment Opportunities for Completers of a Higher Education Program
Core Technology Services (CTS) provides secure information management and technology services to North Dakota University System students, faculty, staff, and state residents. As an employee, CTS allocates approximately half of my time to Bisma
29 May, 2020ND Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness Program Evaluated by NDUS-IR
As I’ve written before, teacher shortages and turnover remain persistent challenges in North Dakota. One program that has aimed to address these challenges is the Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness (TSLF) Program. Teachers with education debt c
08 April, 2020Finding Perspective During COVID
It’s a weird world right now. Like many in the U.S., I write this as I work from a basement bedroom in my house that was recently converted to a home office. Like many around the world, my interactions with others are by phone...
20 March, 2020IR Shared Services…and meet our newest team member!
Institutional researchers first began working on college campuses after World War II, primarily to provide data within institutions for planning, decision making, and policy development. Generally stated, these IR staff were predominantly limi
13 February, 2020North Dakota’s Teacher Shortage Illuminated by Continued K-12 & University System Collaboration
In a past blog entry, I explained how my service to the ND University System includes providing K-12 research support to the ND Department of Public Instruction. As our collaborative arrangement continues to succeed, I’m able to work on fascin
15 January, 2020Providing Access to Lifelong Learning – NDUS Annual Enrollment
When the average person hears the term “college student” they think of a traditional degree-seeking student, or in other words, a student pursuing coursework that carries credit which can be applied toward a college degree. Further, when enrol
16 December, 2019Predicting Teacher Retention & Satisfaction: A K-12 & University System Collaboration
What keeps North Dakota’s teachers satisfied with their jobs? What makes our teachers less than satisfied? What makes our teachers continue to serve the same school from one year to the next? What makes a teacher choose to leave their workplac
12 November, 2019Celebrating the 2018-2019 K-12 ESSA Accountability Dashboard Release: Showcasing Continued NDUS IR Collaboration with NDDPI
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI), North Dakota University System (NDUS), and North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) in consultation with Otis Educational Systems, Inc. celebrate the 2018-2019 Insights interactive K
14 October, 2019Measuring the NDUS Strategic Plan: Guiding with Analytics
Over five years ago, the current 2015-2020 Strategic Plan for the North Dakota University System was unveiled to the state after much hard work by countless stakeholders. The higher education landscape has seen massive change since that time,
17 September, 2019From Psychological Science to Institutional Research: Traditional Academic Training is Excellent Preparation for IR Careers
I did not initially plan for a career in institutional research. My original goal was to become a professor who conducts social-political psychology research. In 2008, I began my doctoral program at the University of Chicago. By 2013, I had ea
12 August, 2019NDUS IR adopts Code of Ethics for AI
In the June blog article, Digital Advisory Panel guides NDUS in student privacy issues, it was mentioned that the NDUS Institutional Research department had developed a code of ethics around the use of analytics in reporting. This code emerge
15 July, 2019NDUS-IR Empowers Data-Driven Decision-Making: A Nursing Program Example
Institutional researchers do some of their best work when they collaborate with stakeholders who are committed to data-driven decision-making. Such collaborations may be initiated when someone realizes they need more information or evidence be
19 June, 2019Digital Advisory Panel guides NDUS in student privacy issues
A year ago, we were starting to talk about a train that was coming straight at us. While most would say our reaction should be to get out of the way and let it pass, that wasn’t an option because this train was delivering,...
04 June, 2019Leveraging IR Intellectual Diversity: Institutional Research and Higher Learning Commission Peer Review
Diversity is one of the most rewarding aspects of Institutional Research higher education work. This diversity comes in a variety of forms; from academic disciplines comprising educational preparation, to our primary employment responsibilitie
13 May, 2019Welcome to our Blog!
Welcome to the NDUS-IR Blog! I write this first blog posting from Washington, D.C. where I am attending an annual IPEDS workshop. IPEDS stands for Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and it is the federal system to which all postsecondary
01 May, 2019