Institutional Research

July 2023
Moraine Valley Community College wanted to do more than talk about its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), so it found a way for faculty and staff to actively embrace the trio of core values by creating the Equity Academy. Academy participants could engage as little or as much as they wanted, with some completing full research projects on DEI topics affecting the institution. The response to the academy and the research has been positive, resulting in improvements across the college. In May 2021, Moraine Valley received a Catalyst Grant from the Partnership for College...
May 2023
It is no secret that opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to participate in research and innovation are more prominent in university settings than in community colleges in the United States (Arnaud, 2019; Wladis & Mesa, n.d.; Wladis & Mesa, 2019). On a recent study abroad visit to three community colleges, or technical schools as they are called in Denmark, the author discovered that there had been focused research and innovation departments in these institutions for many years. She realized then that the U.S. had some catching up to do. Inspiration A few years ago, a team...
August 2019
Those at Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) in Palos Hills, Illinois, believe that the measure of student success is best determined by the students themselves. With that in mind, the college’s Completion Commitment Committee implemented several initiatives, including a Retention Academy, to help students reach their goals. Student success can be completion of a degree, but it can also be completing a class or achieving a passing grade. “Of course, when we talk about completion, we want students to earn a degree, but that’s not the only way they are successful,” said Dr. Margaret Lehner...
July 2016
How can a college or university apply the tools in the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service and EDUCAUSE Benchmarking Service to achieve its goals? One example steps through a college CIO's process in using analytics to evaluate their context and support a new initiative to improve their standing among peer institutions. Scenario Common College is a medium-sized, private, residential college in the heart of a picturesque community. Common provides an excellent educational environment, but economic changes have caused enrollment numbers to drop rapidly. What's more, Simon College, a similar school...