1. Lessons Learned TAIR Conference 2009 Jerry Scheerer Dean, Research and Planning Mountain View College 214-860-8735 jscheerer@dcccd.edujscheerer@dcccd.edu http://www.mountainviewcollege.edu/sites/ie/default.aspx

2. Overview Background Context Presentation IR Toolbox Time Management Other Lessons Learned

3. Background Air Force Coordinating Board Adjunct Faculty Victoria College Bakersfield College Mountain View College

4. Context -Context -Context Research-Analysis-Statistics can be misleading, meaningless, or wrong unless put into context Foundational IR role is communicating descriptive statistics within context

5. Context -Context -Context Context is answering the question “Relative to what?” Relative to our college’s: –Mission and Goals –Educational programs & services –Students –Audience –Trends & those of Peer institutions

6. Context -Context -Context Percent change – relative to what? Term statistics - relative to: –Trends –Unduplicated student headcount –Duplicated student course enrollments –Be careful of small “Ns”

7. Context -Context -Context How? Know your institution Know your audience Know your data Never let a statistic stand alone – tell its story

8. Presentations Must Communicate Consider your audience Begin with an executive summary and drill down Reader friendly formatting Define key terminology Don’t forget the context! Presentation

9. Build & maintain an IR Tool Box. Accessible data Consistent terminology - definitions Useful recurring reports Use the Internet Earn your customers trust IR Tool Box

10. Accessible data are imperative Real-time and historical trends Consistent structure & definitions At a minimum: –Student demographic records (undup) –Student course enrollment (dup) –Graduate; and financial aid records Note about transactional databases IR Tool Box

11. Consistent terminology/definitions Retention Success Completer Graduate IR Tool Box

12. Useful recurring reports Enrollment update Enrollment change analysis Grade distribution FTIC student profile Financial aid student profile Graduate profile IR Tool Box

13. Use the Internet. Save trees. Share your work online Create a user-friendly, easy to navigate front page Train your customers to use it IR Tool Box

14. Earn your customers trust. Always strive for accuracy, and don’t be too proud to admit mistakes Always respect and protect faculty specific data Get ‘engaged’ in your college IR Tool Box

15. Work smarter not harder Learn what/who is important at your institution “Help” customers define requests Use your IR Tool Box Ask for help Time Management

16. Other Lessons Cannot explain what I do for a living Texas is better than California Beware of the “AIR Job Postings” web site link