Institutional research is key to tracking appropriate data and information within the University and must provide information for the long-range planning process to become effective. Activities include survey data compilation, environmental scanning, external data reporting, comparative studies with peer institutions and regulatory reporting.

An institutional research unit traditionally has gathered, analyzed, and disseminated to an institution's constituents and publics data that represent the success of the institution in fulfilling its purpose. That role has grown now to encompass assurance of assessment and evaluation in support of continuous improvement throughout the institution and its programs.
To fulfill this expanded role, the institution MUST:

• develop institutional research as an effective arm for assuring the collection and analysis of data and the dissemination of results for continuously improving, effective operation of the institution;
• incorporate institutional research as an integral part of the institution's planning and evaluation process;
• assign administrative responsibility for conducting institutional research;
• allocate adequate resources and allow access to relevant information;
• incorporate into institutional research the following activities:
• ongoing timely data collection;
• analysis for and dissemination of results;
• use of external studies and reports;
• design and implementation of internal studies, including studies related to students,
• personnel, facilities, equipment, programs, services, and fiscal resources; and
• development of longitudinal databases suitable for statistical analysis for longitudinal effectiveness studies;
• provide institutional data to individual programs and units on a timely basis needed for the assessment of their respected units;
• provide annually a "Fact Book" or similar compendium of institutional and program effectiveness data and data related to students, faculty, student services, and administrative functions; and
• report data on the students, faculty, instruction, support services, administration, finances, continuous improvement results (consequent to assessments, evaluations, and changes), and other aspects of the institution to the Commission on a continuing basis, of a type, in a format and in accord with a schedule established by the Commission.