Paying for college:
IR Analyst. WOU created an Office of Institutional Research approximately one year ago and hired Dr. Abdus Shahid as its director. At the outset, Dr. Shahid was charged with creating the office, realigning WOU’s data integrity, and establishing dashboards for the Board of Trustees and the University. With a new baseline on campus established, Institutional Research does not have the capacity to pursue all of the analysis requested by various units on campus. In a paradigm where evidence-based decision-making is required to stay a step ahead, Dr. Shahid requires someone to assist with analysis. WOU needs to move beyond mere data collection and focus on the integrity of the data it collects and how to deploy that to its advantage in both internal and external venues. A keen, nimble ability to analyze data—particularly given legislative requests and the HECC’s outcomes-based funding model—is necessary for survival. Without capacity in these areas, other campuses will fill vacuums—from HECC to external foundations—of WOU which could take advantage. Scarce resources require evidence-based decision-making. Evidence-based decision-making requires additional capacity in this increasingly important office. The ongoing funds listed above includes salary, OPE, and a modest amount for S&S.
See above. The request articulates the impact of the request, as well. Timely and efficient evidence-based decision-making and analysis are all impacted by this request.
All units on campus that pursue evidence-based decision-making in concert with the WOU strategic plan, and the applicants, students, faculty and staff that they serve. The core approach of data-driven decisions is indispensable to any and all campus units that serve students, faculty, and staff. Enrollment, affordability, and new programs are all impacted by the ability of data to inform decisions and deployment of scarce resources. All units that serve students and faculty benefit from the initiative, as well as those that remain focused on the president's initiatives.
With scarce resoources, investment and new initiatives remain, and are perhaps even more, important for the success of the University. A critical element--consistent with the Strategic Plan--is evidence-based decision-making. Dr. Shahid's expertise has enhanced essential elements of campus decision-making, but with HECC interface and various required reports, there is less time for analysis. Outcomes of this position would include consistent data analysis on major University decisions, metrics and acountability for major University decisions, and a purposeful and deliberate incorporation of accountability measures in decisions, as well as the ability to revisit decisions to determine whether or not they remain straetgically avisable for the institution. A consistent use of data, dashboards, and analysis could be included any time a major proposal is offered to the campus with this position.
With the University's declining to extend the Hanover research contract, this position should be advertised and filled as soon as practicable, and hopefully, prior to July 1, 2019. If we were to have the summer in order to plan and acclimiate a new analyst, they could be a part of goal-setting and the late summer/fall retreat of the unit.
Without capacity to analyze problems and initiatives effectively, the IR function will continue to ensure the University's data and reports are accurate and robust and focus on prioritizing the essence of the IR function, as opposed to a forward-looking, evidence-based analysis of various dedcisions throuighout the campus. Without this capacity, the University will need to determine the extent to which evidence-based decision-making is truly required in order to make effective decisions.
All other Oregon public universities have analysis capaity in the Office of Institutional Research. WOU's IR Office is the only one among the public universities with one employee. Even all the other technicial and regional universities (TRUs) have an analyst, in addition to the director, in the IR function. This budget proposal would align WOU with the other campuses in the state and provide the capacity that allows them a competitive advantage in making evidence-based decisions.
Institutional research is an enterprise-wide endeavor. While the Office is relatively new, it is imperative, consistent with best practice and the Straetgic Plan, that the University pursue a evidence-based approach to major, strategic decisions. The chances of squaqndering resources, making poor decisions, impacting the student experience negatively, or relinquishing the ability to compete in an increasingly competitive world for state and tuition dollars increase without the ability to analyze problems and solutions methodically and in a manner consistent with University culture.
Scarce resources demand that straetgic decisions on the campus are as sound as they could possibly be. An IR analyst to assist Dr. Shahid in justifying the myriad decisions on campus makes this optimal paradigm far more likely and possible. With a lack of capacity to analyze initiatives, the likelihood of making decisions withhout evidence, short-term analysis, long-term analysis or unintended consequendces increases.
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