An investigation of institutional research in small, private colleges in the southeastern United States

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the role and scope of institutional research in regionally accredited, private colleges with a headcount enrollment of less than 3000 students. A census of the above defined institutions, that were included in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' 1989 List of Member Colleges, was conducted in the summer of 1989. A field-tested questionnaire used to gather data focused on the role and scope, activities, and characteristics of the person(s) and office(s) responsible for institutional research. It was found that the institutional research activities of most small, private colleges did not meet the accreditation criteria established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Further, it was found that institutional research activities in these institutions generally lacked role definition, and were sorely lacking in physical and fiscal support. It was also found that institutional research within the institutions investigated was directed by individuals who lacked training, information, and sufficient allocation of time for the development of an effective institutional research function. Consequently, institutional research activities conducted in small, private colleges were dispersed, disjointed, and characterized by report generation for external agencies. Three directors of exemplary offices of institutional research identified by study participants were interviewed to gather data in support of a model institutional research office. The following major components of this model were developed through an evaluation of data from survey respondents, interview data, and institutional research criteria established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: 1. Role and professional characteristics of the director of institutional research. 2. Organizational location, staffing, and funding of the office of institutional research. 3. Institutional research activities which supported institutional accreditation. 4. Institutional culture and context of the institutional research function.