Office of Research and Institutional Effectiveness
Our purpose is connecting resources to change lives by coordinating the following six distinct functions: Grants Development, Planning & Assessment, Institutional Research, Accreditation, and Federal Relations.
Federal Relations
The Office of Research and Institutional Effectiveness develops and maintains effective relationships with congressional staff and federal agencies, remains informed about current federal legislation and issues that impact higher education, and communicates recommendations for action to appropriate stakeholders.
Accreditation
The Office of Research and Institutional Effectiveness serves as the College liaison with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), our regional accrediting agency, and supports College departments in their professional accreditation review processes.
- Read about Indian River State College accreditation
- Read about SACSCOC and Substantive Change Processes at IRSC
Grants Development
The Office of Research and Institutional Effectiveness serves to research, design and develop new programs; identify public and private funding sources; write grants; and advise potential grant writers about strategies for resource development.
Learn more about IRSC’s Institutional Review Board or email IRB@irsc.edu for information about conducting research with the College.
Planning & Assessment
The Office of Research and Institutional Effectiveness facilitates the strategic planning process at the departmental and institutional levels through training, strategy session facilitation, communication and support of the online planning system (SPOL).
At IRSC, the ultimate measure of institutional success is student success. Every department exists to support student learning. Educational programs focus on effective instruction and student engagement. An array of support services facilitate learning by helping students overcome obstacles and take advantage of opportunities, while administrative programs provide the infrastructure to allow students and employees to perform at the highest level.
Assessment refers to the collection and analysis of data in order to judge our effectiveness and identify our strengths and weaknesses. Every department conducts regular assessment to determine how well it is meeting its goals and where improvement is needed. Educational programs rely primarily on instructional assessment while the other departments utilize a variety of non-instructional assessment measures to evaluate their own performance. In addition, a number of targeted surveys are administered to supplement direct assessment.
Indian River State College is committed to ensuring that all of our graduates are well prepared to enter the workforce or continue their education. Learning outcome objectives that articulate the essential skills and knowledge needed for success and advancement have been identified for all degree and certificate programs as well as the general education core. The faculty-led Learning Assessment Workgroup was established to guide and support learning assessment for the purpose of academic program improvement throughout the College.
The General Education curriculum at Indian River State College is designed to empower students to become lifelong learners. Students who complete a degree will acquire a broad body of knowledge and experiences from the humanities, natural sciences, mathematics and social sciences disciplines. These courses foster critical thinking, effective communication and application of knowledge to meet the new challenges in students' everyday lives.
Behavioral and Social Analysis
- Demonstrate critical thinking skills in the analysis, evaluation, and formation of ideas about the human experience.
Communication
- Demonstrate effective communication skills for a variety of audiences.
Critical Thinking
- Demonstrate ability to interpret meaning and draw conclusions using evidence as support.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Demonstrate mathematical reasoning in problem solving.
Scientific Reasoning
- Demonstrate scientific reasoning in problem solving.
Every element of Indian River State College, including educational programs, administrative support services, educational support services and community/public service programs, strives for excellence and is committed to a process of continual improvement. Each department identifies goals in support of the College’s Mission and Goals. Departments conduct regular assessments to evaluate how well their goals are met. The assessment results highlight strengths and weaknesses; based on analysis of those results, departments implement plans for improvement. Naturally, the nature and frequency of assessment varies widely, according to the purpose of the department.
Indian River State College conducts a number of surveys to assess the effectiveness of its programs from different perspectives. These include:
- Incoming Student Survey—administered during New Student Orientation
- Student Course Evaluations—administered online in all regularly scheduled classes
- Student Satisfaction Survey—administered annually to a sample of students at each campus
- Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory—administered bi-annually to a sample of students
- Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE)—administered 2014
- Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)—administered 2004, 2007, 2010, 2014
- Alumni Survey—administered 2011
- Employer Survey (Career & Technical Programs)—administered annually
- Various service and satisfaction surveys administered by individual programs and departments
Contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness for survey results or further information.
Strategic Planning & Assessment Recognition (SPAR) Award
- The SPAR award was established at IRSC in 2013–14.
- The purpose of the SPAR award is to highlight good planning practices and provide concrete examples from SPOL to help other unit managers improve.
- The emphasis is on process of developing and documenting a plan in SPOL—not on the merits of the initiative or the results.
- Submissions are evaluated and winners selected by the Planning and Assessment Workgroup.
- Winners are announced at the Fall Quality Enhancement Council meeting.
Full copies of the award-winning planning objective reports for planning years 2013–14 to present are available on the employee intranet. Copies may also be requested through the Institutional Effectiveness Planning and Assessment office.
Institutional Research
The Office of Research and Institutional Effectiveness leads the collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting of data about the College’s students, faculty, staff, programs, services and operational procedures. It supports and facilitates informed planning and decision-making to improve student success and institutional effectiveness.
