Institutional Research Priorities

FIRST: Essential Reports and Surveys
SECOND: High-Priority Reports and Surveys
THIRD: All Other Data Requests

FIRST: Essential Reports and Surveys

Each semester and/or academic year, several reports must be produced to fulfill the college’s federal and state reporting obligations. A variety of external surveys are also completed each year to ensure that accurate information about Purchase College is disseminated nationally to prospective students and their parents. Each of these reports and surveys has an inflexible submission deadline.

These essential reports and surveys, because they are required by SUNY System Administration for compliance with federal and state mandates, or because they contribute to Purchase College’s national visibility, take precedence over other reports, surveys, and related data requests.

These essential reports and surveys include:

1. To SUNY System Administration:
   
   • Student Data File (each semester)
   • Course-and-Section Analysis (annually)
   • Automated Degree File (annually)
   • A variety of surveys
2. To a variety of publishers:
   
   • The Common Data Set (annually)
3. External surveys to publishing companies, such as (but not limited to):
   
   • Peterson’s Annual Survey of Undergraduate Institutions
   • Peterson’s Annual Survey of Higher Education Personnel
   • Peterson’s Survey Applying to College's and Universities in the U.S.
   • Peterson’s Financial Aid Survey
   • Peterson’s Annual Survey of Graduate and Professional Institutions
   • Peterson’s Annual Survey of Professional Degree Programs in the Visual and Performing Arts
   • Barron’s Survey Profiles of American Colleges
   • Chronicle Guidance Publications
   • The College Board Annual Survey of Colleges
   • U.S. News & World Report "America's Best Colleges"
   • Wintergreen/Orchard House
   • ACT Institutional Data Questionnaire
   • American University and colleges
   • Fiske Guide to Colleges
   • National Beta Club

SECOND: High-Priority Reports and Surveys

Cyclical Internal Reports (Critical Institutional Data)
Critical institutional data is provided on a cyclical basis to various individuals, offices, and committees to support college-wide decision-making and operations. With the exception of weekly admissions funnel reports, most reports are produced each semester and include (but are not limited to):

1. Enrollment reports
2. Retention/graduation rate reports
3. Academic profile reports
4. Faculty workload reports
5. Attrition reports
6. Selectivity reports
7. Commuter data reports

Annual Reports
The following two reports are produced and distributed annually to the college community. They provide a variety of enrollment and demographic information that is used by many offices, from the academic units to communications and creative services:

1. College Fact Sheet
2. College Fact Book

Ad Hoc Requests From College Officers and College-Wide Committees
Finally, any ad hoc data request from a college officer or collegewide committee is a high priority for the Office of Institutional Research.

THIRD: All Other Data Requests

While data required to meet institutional needs has a higher priority, the Office of Institutional Research also serves the college community by providing data and reports to individual offices to assist in their operations. These reports include:

1. For the Business Office:
   
   • Distribution of credit load
   • Enrollment breakout
2. For the School of Liberal Studies & Continuing Education:
   
   • LSCE revenue reports (three terms annually)
3. For the EOP and Student Health Services Offices:
   
   • Student lists
4. Various ad hoc reports

Ad hoc requests are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and a minimum of one-week lead time (from the request is submitted until it is fulfilled) is required. Depending on the size, scope, and complexity of the request, as many as four weeks may be required. The more lead time available, the more service we will be able to provide.