Mission

The mission of the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Effectiveness (IRAE) at Drexel University is to support the achievement of the University mission by providing timely, accurate, and unbiased information for institutional decision-making, assessment, effective management, and strategic planning.

Goals of the Office

The Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Effectiveness fulfills its mission by achieving the following goals:
INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

  • Provide insight that informs planning, policy formation, and decision-making across the University
  • Provide analytical services and consultations that help transform data into actionable information
  • Lead the institution-wide Committee on University Analytics and Data Reporting to improve the institution’s ability to collaboratively, efficiently, and meaningfully collect, analyze, and use data
  • Serve as a clearinghouse for statistical information about the university, benchmark institutions, and higher education more broadly
  • Provide leadership for institution-wide development of data and analytic structures
  • Gather, organize and facilitate access to information obtained from internal and external sources for appropriate stakeholders
  • Develop policies and processes for the gathering, analyzing, validating, and sharing of institutional data and analyses
  • Disseminate information and techniques related to institutional effectiveness through workshops, teaching, and other resources

REPORTING

  • Manage regulatory reporting requirements of state and federal governments, accrediting agencies, and other regulatory agencies
  • Coordinate non-regulatory reporting requests from outside agencies, including commercial publishers
  • Respond to external information requests and surveys that are determined to be of value to the University by senior leadership
  • Produce an Annual University Benchmark report that provides key performance indicators and trend information for peers and aspirant institutions

ACADEMIC QUALITY MEASUREMENT
Program and Institutional Accreditation and Review

  • Develop a set of academic quality indicators, structures, and processes that can be used to support improvements in student learning
  • Provide information to academic units to facilitate program reviews and accreditation self-studies

Learning Assessment

  • Encourage and promote a culture of evidence-based learning and teaching
  • Provide leadership in the implementation of learning assessment technologies
  • Provide direction and support to University personnel in their learning assessment research and activities
  • Provide leadership for the communication and assessment of the Drexel Student Learning Priorities
  • Coordinate the University’s involvement in national research studies designed to assess institutional effectiveness and student learning
  • Provide a central repository and knowledge management service for learning assessment information
  • Provide leadership on the University Committee on Learning Assessment
  • Provide leadership in integrating University assessment and quality assurance efforts with international quality assurance efforts

SURVEY MANAGEMENT

  • Conduct surveys and other studies within the university community 
  • Coordinate the distribution and timing of large-scale surveys across the institution
  • Analyze and report survey data in collaboration with colleges, schools, and other partners as appropriate to inform decision making
  • Document and support improvements in the use of survey data across the institution
  • Identify ways to improve survey response rates

RESEARCH

  • Publish, present, and acquire funding in areas of institutional research and learning assessment
  • Develop collaborative relationships with key national and international partners in order to support the mission of the University and the IRAE
  • Conduct research to ensure the proper placement of Drexel University within national and international frameworks of higher education