The Director of Institutional Research and Assessment promotes and supports nuanced, efficient, and meaningful data-informed decision making across the university in order to advance the mission, goals, and strategic priorities of the university and its programs.

The Director works collaboratively with the Provost and the Associate Provost to maintain and improve data processes in the areas of assessment, institutional research, strategic planning, budgeting, and accreditation in ways that reflect and promote the distinctive Christian aims and ethos of the university. The Director serves as a member of the Academic Leadership Team and chairs the University Data Team.

Guiding Principles of Institutional Research & Assessment

• The primary aim of institutional research and assessment is to engage in an ongoing, inquiry-driven, evidenced-based process of asking and answering our most important questions.
• Institutional research and assessment culminates in action—the use of evidence to inform decision making, communicate strengths to the appropriate audiences, and respond to weaknesses with improvements to the relevant programs and processes.

Practicing the Guiding Principles

The key to engaging in inquiry-driven institutional research and assessment is to continually ask ourselves the following questions (contextualized by our specific areas/programs and by the mission, goals, existing evidence, and strategic plans of our specific areas/programs and the larger university):

• Are we asking the right questions?
• What do we most want to know and need to know?
• Do we have the structures, plans, practices, and resources we need to give us meaningful, useful answers to our most important questions?
• How can we make assessment as meaningful, useful, and efficient as possible?
• Are we communicating evidence to the appropriate internal and external audiences?
• Are we using evidence to inform and improve decision making?
• Are we using evidence to inform and improve our systems, procedures, and practices?