Institutional Research, Assessment, and Evaluation

Mission

The mission of the Office of Institutional Research and the Quality Enhancement Plan (OIR/QEP) is to provide data and information that internal and external constituents use to plan, make decisions, and certify institutional effectiveness as well as implementation and reporting relative to the Quality Enhancement Plan. Facts and information are made available in formats that lead to the development of "new ideas" and actions that serve as the basis for improving academic and support programs to enhance student learning.

Vision

Within the next five years, the Office of Institutional Research shall present its constituents with an automated resource environment containing data, information, and publications in support of research initiatives that improve student learning; institutional effectiveness; and the African American community, the nation, and the world.

Goals and Objectives

Annual goals and objectives for the Office of Institutional Research and the Quality Enhancement Plan are summarized in the table below.

Goal (G)

Outcome, Objective, or Associated Activity (O)

G1.To prepare the annual fact book and respond to requests for data and information

O1. Major research activities (e.g., fact book, required surveys from external agencies such as the National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], reports for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs [ACBSP], Georgia Professional Standards Commission [GAPSC], Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation [CAEP], and admissions) will be completed and the corresponding reports will be disseminated.

G2. To facilitate the delivery, evaluation and dissemination of results of institutional effectiveness activities that support student assessments of learning, engagement, and satisfaction

O2. Reports based on commercial or institutional assessments that measure students' mathematics, writing, reading, critical thinking skills, or engagement in classroom and extra-curricular activities will be completed (e.g., combined report based on data from the National Survey of Student Engagement [NSSE] and Faculty Survey of Student Engagement [FSSE], Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency [CAAP], and Survey of Graduating Seniors [SGS]).

O3. Research activities (briefs, reports, or projects based on data that from Jenzabar or research studies completed by the Office of IR/QEP that may include collection of assessment data from individuals) and ad-hoc requests for information will be completed.

O4. Facilitate completion of the updates to the outcomes and objectives (and their corresponding reports) as defined in the Paine College Institutional Effectiveness Paradigm Policies, Guidelines, and Procedures Manual.

G3. To facilitate (annually) assembly and organization of available documentation regarding implementation of activities and preparation of reports associated with the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

O5. Facilitate loading of rubrics and assignments into Blackboard for all Common Curriculum Courses.

O6. Ensure that the deadline for grading QEP assignments in Blackboard is established and announced.

O7. Download and summarize grades for all QEP assignments.

O8. Update the QEP report with annual data summaries.

G4. To establish an interactive, automated resource environment to present institutional research and assessment data to Paine College's constituencies

O9. Establish a committee to (1) seek sources of funding and write proposals for funding, (2) review and assess sources of automated resource products, and (3) select an automated resource product to present institutional research and assessment data

O10. Purchase equipment and software for the automated resource environment, setup the automated resource environment

O11. Test the environment

O12. Open use of the environment to on-campus constituents

O13. Open use of the environment to off-campus constituents

Focus Areas

The Office of Institutional Research and the Quality Enhancement Plan (IR/QEP) serves as the official information source for Paine College and its constituents whether they are on-campus or in the local, regional, national, and international arenas. The Office plays vital roles in institutional research, planning, assessment, evaluation and completion of activities associated with the Quality Enhancement Plan. There are three focus area as described below.

Institutional Research

Functions related to institutional research include collecting data and organizing it into information for use in institutional research, assessment, and evaluation as factbooks and reports are completed. They also include reviewing, analyzing, and interpreting collected data. Use of appropriate tools and statistical techniques to provide accurate and reliable documents and reports is paramount. Essential duties of office personnel are to

Develop an effective data collection system and sound strategies for obtaining quality data from internal and external sources in collaboration with the immediate supervisor
Acquire, organize, analyze, and synthesize data and results from internal and external data sources to produce the fact book and meaningful and accurate reports
Complete all required and requested institutional surveys
Use InfoMaker to extract student, faculty, employee data from Jenzabar and review the output for reasonableness, accuracy, consistency, and validity
Document query/report criteria and processes to ensure consistent application of methodologies in future projects
Prepare statistical reports on operational performance of the IAER Title III activity as requested
Provide guidance and assistance to individual faculty, staff, and administrators to determine suitable data and information to meet their needs
Collaborate with unit personnel to complete unit activities

Assessment and Evaluation

Leadership and support for developing and maintaining an ongoing and comprehensive process of assessment and evaluation of student learning outcomes in the Common Curriculum and degree programs are the primary functions related to assessment and evaluation. Staff members give guidance to all institutional units as success is documented in completing ongoing outcomes and objectives. Essential duties of office personnel are to

Manage, guide, and monitor tasks relative to the implementation of institutional assessment and evaluation activities that document improved student learning and other aspects of the College in collaboration with unit leaders and the immediate supervisor
Review objective and outcome reports from all units to ensure appropriate use of assessments that document improved student learning or other office objectives
Plan, coordinate, and complete campus-wide assessment activities (e.g., NSSE and CAAP) and corresponding reports
Provide guidance and assistance to faculty, staff and administrators in determining suitable analytical methodologies to meet their needs for assessment data to support both accreditation and departmental program reviews
Oversee the development and administration of program-level surveys, analysis of collected data, and dissemination of results to appropriate audiences
Interpret assessment findings and use appropriate methods to report such findings, with emphasis on results that influence institutional decision-making and policy development
Provide strategic and annual data or information for planning, assessment, evaluation, proposal development, and Title III
Work collaboratively with College personnel (professional and support) to complete assignments to evaluate the impact of activities designed to improve the effectiveness of College programs

Quality Enhancement Plan

Paine College established a special assessment project whose general name is the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) in 2011. Its purpose is to enhance literacy and decision-making as students engage with today's information-rich society. The title of the College's project is Learning Interactively Outside the Norm (L.I.O.N): The Great Books at Paine College. It was chosen to support Paine College's mission of providing a "liberal arts education of the highest quality" that emphasizes academic excellence, ethical and spiritual values, social responsibility, and personal development. Paine's QEP aims to link literary works with contemporary issues to prepare its young men and women to be analytical thinkers and problem solvers. The primary duty of the office personnel is to oversee the development and preparation of the College's QEP Impact Report to be submitted to SACSCOC. Other essential duties are to

Direct the preparation of all modifications to the QEP required for compliance with the recommendations provided by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and direct the preparation of the College's QEP response
Oversee the quality assurance process for all QEP initiatives
Serves as a member of and coordinator of the QEP Implementation Team and work closely with all members of the QEP Implementation Committees to prepare for the submission of all required QEP reports to the College and SACSCOC
Ensure completion of each QEP objective within the established timeline
Provide technical and operational support to departments and provide responses to requests for QEP assistance, data, assessment, and analyses
Assist with assessment research as needed for benchmarking and comparability purposes and analyze data/information for QEP objectives; prepare results and findings for dissemination, as appropriate
Assist with the interpretation of CAAP and other data (as necessary) for engagement initiatives
Coordinate staff development activities for college-wide professional development sessions each fall and spring