Please select from the following:
Institutional Research and Planning (IRP)
- What is IRP's role at UW Tacoma?
- What types of research does IRP perform?
- Where does IRP get its data?
- Where can I find data on student enrollment, student demographics, graduation rates, and other statistics?
- How do I request data?
- What IRP data or information is available to the new media for publication?
- Why doesn't the Office of Institutional Research and Planning report individual data?
- What assistance can the IRP office provide for my survey?
- Does the IRP office take requests for customized data?
- Will IRP extract and analyze data for my class project, Thesis, or Dissertation?
1. What is IRP's role at UW Tacoma?
UW Tacoma's Office of Institutional Research and Planning (IRP) has as it's central mission the development and reporting of data and information essential to the educational mission of the University.
This is made possible through research methods that create consistent and accurate data, transformed to information that is instrumental to enabling student success, and a culture of evidence and inquiry. IRP works within a diverse college community of academic schools and divisions, administrative departments and programs to support collaborative and data-driven decision-making designed to:
- Create and maintain a central source of data
- Provide reliable data as a basis for critical analysis
- Design and administer surveys for data collection
- Make available tools and information resources for faculty, administrators, and staff to access the information they require
- Provide oversight of data integrity from collection and entry to retrieval, access, analysis and use
- Provide the services required for creating internal and external reports
- Produce and share data and information proactively with all university stakeholders (faculty, staff, board of trustees, students and community members) to support our shared institutional goals.
2. What types of research does IRP perform?
Our office has been established to provide data and information useful to University planning in meeting its core mission of student education, research, and community development. Thus our research efforts are keyed on subjects necessary to this mission.
IRP research activities include information and data related to academic program planning, institutional management, and financial planning. The research focuses on:
- Campus and community demographics,
- Student enrollment patterns,
- Student and faculty needs assessment, survey, and focus-group research,
- Student outcome measures,
- Curriculum and instruction metrics,
- Student retention and persistence,
- Academic program development
- Projections for facility growth needs
- Data analysis
The UW Tacoma Office of Institutional Research and Planning will also provide insight and measures gauging the overall institutional effectiveness of the University as a significant partner in the development of the South Puget Sound community.
3. Where does IRP get its data?
The University maintains many databases dedicated to collecting and warehousing data. These data include students, faculty and staff, courses and classes, facilities and other aspects of university operations. IRP has access to a variety of these databases and frequently accesses these data through custom developed queries and programs designed to capture and present data specific to UW Tacoma as well as the University in general.
4. Where can I find data on student enrollment, student demographics, graduation rates, and other statistics?
IRP has developed general statistics in many areas. This includes "Fast Facts" that provide an overview of the University. These data cover the most recent academic year. We also have a "Fact Book" that offers more specific statistics concerning topics not covered in the Fast Facts. Additionally, you can make a request for customized data to obtain the needed information.
By winter quarter 2008, staff and faculty will be able to log-in to a secure Website for data pertinent to their respective programs.
5. How do I request data?
The easiest way is to submit a data request via our "Contact Us" page. In addition, you may also make a request via e-mail at uwtdata@u.washington.edu, or through campus mail (Box 358430). Data requests will be evaluated by the Director of the IRP Office to determine our ability to respond to the request.
The length of time to complete a request will depend on the complexity of the request. It is the goal of IRP to respond in a timely and efficient manner.
6. What IRP data or information is available to the new media for publication?
Institutional Research and Planning can provide a variety of data and information about UW Tacoma. However, IRP does not provide these data directly. IRP works with UW Tacoma's Public Relations & Communications Office to provide institutional data and information to the media. Data requests can be made by contacting the Director of Public Relations & Communications.
7. Why doesn't the Office of Institutional Research and Planning report individual data?
In all but a very few instances, it is against federal law to report individual student information or provide any data that can lead to an individual's identity. Moreover, it is UW Tacoma policy that data provided by IRP meet all University guidelines governing the distribution of data and information. We take seriously our ethical obligation to protect the rights and privacy of our students, faculty and staff. These rules also apply to survey data.
8. What assistance can the IRP office provide for my survey?
The Office of Institutional Research and Planning can assist student organizations, administrative departments, and faculty in all phases of survey development. This includes design, content editing, clarification, and production. However, IRP cannot take responsibility for the physical reproduction and mailing of surveys, though our staff can assist with Web programming of surveys. IRP can also analyze the survey after the data has been collected, as well as provide documentation related to the analysis in an easy to read format.
9. Does the IRP office take requests for customized data?
Customized data requests are appropriate if and when data or research is needed that is not available on the IRP Web site or in an existing standard report. Depending on the complexity of the request, developing such data may require the initiation of a "project" purposed to gather and produce the data.
A request for customized data can be initiated via our "Contact Us" page. The request will be evaluated by the Director of the IRP office and the IRP staff to determine the best approach for facilitating the request. If possible, please plan to allow us at least two (2) working days to review your request. If your request involves sensitive data about individuals, we will ask you to complete a confidentiality form, indicating you understand the importance of protecting individual privacy and that you have completed FERPA training. Additionally, customized data projects may require two to four weeks to complete.
Once the request has been evaluated, you will be contacted by IRP with the details and a time line for servicing the request.
10. Will IRP extract and analyze data for my class project, Thesis, or Dissertation?
Class work is considered part of the student's studies and thus is not customarily subject to IRP support. However, research for a student project, Thesis or Dissertation deemed beneficial to the University, can qualify for IRP assistance. In these instances, a written request from the student's Dean or director must be provided.
