Streamlining Statewide Collection of Student-Unit Record Data

Session Abstract: Data collection and management is the most time intensive charge for institutional researchers. According to a 2021 survey, 26% of time is spent on this task on average (Association for Institutional Research, 2021). Less discussed are the minutiae of processing submitted data, which often involve a feedback loop between parties. This session covers the planning, implementation, and lessons from an initiative by the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) to streamline student-unit record data submission and processing. The hallmark of these efforts is the launch of our new student-unit record data portal, which automates a previously semi-manual process by empowering institutional researchers to submit and process standardized student unit record files directly to our SQL database via a secure web application. Institutions can then generate reports outlining potential issues or inconsistencies in the provided data before OSHE aggregates and submits data to IPEDS.

Keywords: External reporting; streamlining data processes; student-unit records; IPEDS