About Institutional Research

IR is the official source of NOVA’s institutional data and is responsible for ensuring data integrity. The office provides data and data analysis to the college president, senior administrators, committees and the college community in general. IR regularly publishes information on various sectors of the College, posting these publications on this website. The office is responsible for reporting requirements at the federal and state levels.

IR conducts research studies and publishes its findings in the form of research reports, research briefs, data reports and fact sheets. Research study topics include a wide area of subjects, such as student performance, developmental studies and enrollment patterns. IR periodically conducts external environmental scanning that focuses on local demographic changes, labor market trends and local business needs.

The office provides research support to faculty and staff and, in some instances, to students. Research support takes many forms including developing survey instruments using statistical techniques in research, helping to analyze data and conducting various types of evaluations. The office also provides support with writing grant proposals, statistical analysis, tracking student performance and conducting doctoral studies.

At the request of the college president and the Administrative Council, the office conducts special studies on an ongoing basis. These studies focus on a variety of subject areas, such as changing enrollment patterns, evaluating major areas of college services and providing or completing needs assessments before policy decisions are made at the college. In addition, OIR takes a leadership role in major college initiatives, such as Achieving the Dream (ATD) and the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE).