The Need for a PhD in Institutional Research

1
The Need for a PhD in Institutional Research

• John Willse
• The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

2
Why We Need a PhD in Institutional Research (IR)

• There are currently no doctoral programs with an
  explicit focus on Institutional Research (IR),
  but almost every institution of higher education
  has an institutional research function.
• IR offices have traditionally been staffed by
  persons holding doctoral (or Masters) degrees
  from related disciplines in the social sciences
• Many professionals are masters level and may
  come from programs in Higher Education or related
  fields.
• Professionals develop many of the skills they
  need on the job
• Positions in IR are becoming increasingly
  specialized, making this ad hoc training
  inadequate.
• The need for IR professionals will only increase
  with ongoing changes to accreditation (and
  general accountability) requirements.
• Regional accrediting bodies (e.g., Southern
  Association of Colleges and Schools) now place
  more emphasis on institutional effectiveness than
  ever before.

3
Why We Need a PhD in Institutional Research (IR)

• IR jobs essentially work on an apprenticeship
  system.
• Individuals are hired based on how few skills
  they lack.
• New hires usually have one, or at best two, of
  the three competency areas needed in an
  institutional researcher.
• Current educational programs do not provide the
  correct compliment of courses.
• If there were a program that prepared
  professionals with these skills, they would be
  highly attractive candidates upon graduation.

4
IR Functions are Broad

• IR is often tasked with
• Collecting/cleaning institutional data
• Requiring knowledge of information systems
• Performing outcomes assessment
• Performing forms of program evaluation
• Presenting results and summaries
• Disseminating information (often via the Web)
• IR products are most valuable when
• When knowledgeable professionals are part of the
  process that defines the product
• Results are presented in a broader context

5
Is IR a Discipline?

• The Association for Institutional Research (AIR),
  the primary professional organization for
  institutional research professionals, provides a
  good example of the growth of this field.
• AIR began with 46 people in 1965 and has grown to
  a membership of 3,100.
• Last year 1,700 people attended the AIR National
  Forum.
• Institutional Research has grown into a distinct
  discipline with its own scholarly products.
• AIR publishes and sponsors a number of
  publications Resources in Institutional
  Research, Research in Higher Education, New
  Directions for Institutional Research, Higher
  Education Handbook of Theory and Research, and
  the Journal of Higher Education.

6
Extant Programs

• Starting in 2001, AIR partnered with the National
  Center for Education Statistics to develop
  graduate certificate programs that would teach
  skills that would advance institutional research
  and the use of national data sets (e.g., IPEDS).
• The certificate programs offer training in higher
  education and assessment studies, statistics and
  methods, data base design and management, Web
  page design and management, and effective
  reporting.
• These are the same skills on which we focus for
  the proposed degree program.
• Review of these certificate programs shows that
  they rely on one or two courses for each skill
  area
• Totaling only 18 credit hours

7
The Focus of the UNCG Program in IR

• This program will give students the skills they
  need to
• serve as a partner with administrators and
  faculty in developing research about the
  effectiveness of an institution of higher
  education
• engage in effective analysis of educational data
  to answer specific empirical questions
• perform reporting for accountability purposes
• create, administer, and analyze surveys
• design and implement student outcomes assessment
  plans
• utilize student information systems
• use the Internet and related technologies as a
  reporting tool

8
Interdisciplinary Approach

• The program objectives draw on what are normally
  considered distinct disciplines.
• Empirical research design and analysis provides a
  foundation for the degree.
• Courses will be provided by the Department of
  Educational Research Methodology.
• If institutional researchers are to be partners
  in the process of determining institutional
  needs, defining research questions, and
  interpreting results in the context of student
  learning and development, than institutional
  researchers need to have a broad understanding of
  higher education in the United States.
• The Department of Curriculum and Instruction
  (Higher Ed Faculty) will provide coursework in
  those areas.
• If institutional researchers are to be savvy
  users of student information systems, national
  educational databases, and Internet based
  reporting tools they need appropriate training.
• The Department of Information Systems and
  Operations Management will provide coursework in
  those areas.
• The program/students will be actively involved in
  relevant professional offices on campus and
  across the NC.

9
Draft Curriculum

• We are still obtaining permission to plan from GA
• So our curriculum is likely to change
• We currently envision the research methodology to
  be the anchor for the program
• Higher education course and Information Sciences
  are each a major component

10
Curriculum and Instruction Higher Education
Courses (CUI)

• CUI 602 Theoretical Foundations of Higher
  Learning E
• CUI 607 Adult Learning and College Teaching E
• CUI 606 Administration in Higher Education
• CUI 661 Higher Education in the US
• CUI 663 Program Planning in Postsecondary
  Education
• CUI 745 Higher Education Equity, Inclusion, and
  Learning E
• CUI 751 Public Policy in Higher Education
• CUI 753 Accountability in Higher Education
• 15 hrs required Up to 6 additional hours of
  potential electives
• P indicates Prerequisite
• possibly obtained in a Masters program
• E indicates Elective

11
Educational Research Methodology (ERM)

• ERM 667 Foundations of Educational Measurement
• ERM 668 Survey Research Methods
• ERM 680 Intermediate Statistical Methods P
• ERM 681 Design and Analysis of Educational
  Experiments P
• ERM 682 Multivariate Statistics
• ERM 728 Factor Analysis and MDS or
• ERM 731 Structural Equation Modeling
• ERM 732 Hierarchical Linear Modeling
• ERM 604 Methods of Educational Research P
• ERM 642 Program Evaluation P
• ERM 643 Applied Program Evaluation
• ERM 675 Data Presentation and Reporting E
• 15 hours required Up to 18 additional hours of
  potential prerequisites or electives
• P indicates Prerequisite
• possibly obtained in a Masters program
• E indicates Elective

12
Information Systems Operation Management (All
classes 1.5 hrs)

• ISM 600. Desktop Data Management Tools
• ISM 601. Business Processes and Technology
• ISM 602. Business Data Systems
• ISM 603 Web Design and Development
• ISM 610 Enterprise Information Systems and Data
  Warehousing
• ISM 611 Data Mining
• ISM 654. Project Management E
• ISM 657. Knowledge Management E
• 9 hrs Up to 3 additional hours of potential
  electives

13
When Will the Program Be Available?

• If we are given permission to plan this program
  could be available by in Spring 2008 or Fall 2009
• Once permission to plan is obtained we may begin
  recruiting students to take courses before the
  program is officially open
• The program would not be guaranteed to become an
  official program at that point
• Flexibility with our current program allows us to
  provide similar course offerings right now
• Our current program does require more measurement
  courses than most IR practitioners would need

14
Questions

• Let me know if you have any questions or
  comments.
• We are particularly interested in what you have
  to say about what would make a meaningful
  curriculum
• John T Willse
• jtwillse_at_uncg.edu
• 336-334-3435
• Assistant Professor
• Educational Research Methodology
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro