Mission and Responsibilities

Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

 Mission

 The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment serves the University of Southern Maine by providing information that supports institutional decision-making, policy formation, strategic planning, program evaluation, student outcomes assessment, and quality enhancement. 

Goals

The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA)

• Provides consistent, reliable information for internal policy planning and external reporting
• Provides leadership and educates the campus in the systematic use of institutional information

• Maintains objectivity in the analysis of institutional information
• Facilitates a university culture that values evidence-based decision-making

• Employs standardized data definitions and processes, innovative technologies, and best-practices to develop and maintain official institutional information
• Builds collaborative relationships with institutional offices and departments to systematize and maintain processes that insure data integrity

Responsibilities

The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

• Collects, integrates and transforms data into official institutional information following established guidelines and best practices to insure data consistency, reliability and validity (link to Institutional Information Policies and Procedures)
• Develops and maintains a systematic cycle of information reporting and provides the campus and the public access to information online
• Serves as the point of contact for federal, state, and regional agencies on matters related to institutional accountability and accreditation
• Works with the Institutional Research Council (link) to identify University information needs and develop processes to maintain the integrity of institutional data
• Facilitates data-gathering activities for strategic planning, departmental self-study, program evaluation, funding requests, market analyses, policy impact studies and special research projects
• Educates the University in the constructive use of institutional information and the methodologies and techniques of institutional research and reporting
• Facilitates studies of student outcomes through the Office of Academic Assessment (link)
• Participates in  institutional governance, is knowledgeable about the University’s culture and anticipates its information needs
• Monitors data for evidence of changes in trends and suggests strategies for improvement
• Participates in professional activities that advance the knowledge and practice of higher education