NEAIR 33rd Annual Conference
November 4-7, 2006
Sheraton Society Hill
Philadelphia, PA
Pre-conference workshops will take place Saturday and Sunday, November 4th and 5th.
Workshops seats are available on a first come, first serve basis. Seating is limited. Please register for workshops early to assist us in our planning. Conference organizers reserve the right to cancel any workshop due to low enrollment.
Please note: "Hands-on" computer workshops are on-site at the hotel!
NEAIR would like to extend special thanks to Drexel University's LeBow College of Business for providing the technological support necessary to run all computer workshops on-site at the Sheraton Society Hill.
Saturday, November 4th |
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1:00 – 4:00 pm |
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| Newcomers to Institutional Research, Part I | $100 |
| James F. Trainer, Villanova University; Michelle Appel, University of Maryland; Janet Nickels, Carroll Community College | |
| This workshop is designed for new practitioners and addresses key components of IR including: defining critical issues; identifying sources of data; developing standard institutional information/reports; and conducting effective assessment/ evaluation activities. This workshop will be taught by persons representing three segments of higher education (public, private, community college). | |
| A Practical Approach to Developing an Outcomes Assessment Plan, Part I | $120 |
| Mitchell Nesler, SUNY-Empire State College; Gayle Fink, University System of Maryland | |
| This workshop introduces participants to outcomes assessment at the institutional, program and course levels. Expected learning outcomes include: identifying and describing assessment concepts and terms, and applying assessment concepts to real situations. Specific assessment instruments and effective strategies for engaging and integrating outcomes assessment will also be discussed. | |
| Data 101 (Onsite Computer Lab) | $85 |
| Linda Mallory, US Naval Academy | |
| This basic data analysis course will cover descriptive statistics (mean, mode, median, variation, and standard deviation as well as the normal curve), data cleaning, and the use and misuse of descriptive statistics. Excel and SPSS output will be examined. This computer workshop will be useful for anyone without a statistics background or someone who needs a refresher on the basics of data analysis. | |
| Using MS Access for Data Clean up, Recoding, and Summarization: A Delaware Study Test Case (Onsite Computer Lab) | $85 |
| Laura Uerling, Stonehill College | |
| Learn how to use basic Access tools (Tables, Queries, etc.) to identify and correct data, perform mass recoding of records, and summarize detail data as needed. Preparing of data for the Delaware Study (National Study of Instructional Costs and Productivity) will be used as a test case. The objective of this computer workshop is to expand participants' MS Access skill set, specifically as a tool for data clean up and summarization. | |
Sunday, November 5th |
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9:00 – 12:00 noon |
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| Newcomers to Institutional Research, Part II (Continuation from Saturday afternoon) |
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| James F. Trainer, Villanova University; Michelle Appel, University of Maryland; Janet Nickels, Carroll Community College | |
| Continued from Saturday afternoon, November 4th | |
| A Practical Approach to Developing an Outcomes Assessment Plan, Part II (Continuation from Saturday afternoon) | |
| Mitchell Nesler, SUNY-Empire State College; Gayle Fink, University System of Maryland | |
| Continued from Saturday afternoon, November 4th | |
| Introduction to Strategic Enrollment Management, Part I | $120 |
| James Fergerson, Bates College | |
| “Strategic Enrollment Management” (SEM) refers to coordinated efforts to recruit, enroll, and retain students. How do institutions achieve optimal enrollments and generate sufficient fee revenues, while fulfilling their mission, goals, and values? This is a basic to intermediate overview of SEM concepts, strategies, modeling techniques, and data tools as they relate to admissions and enrollment planning. | |
| Undertaking Alumni Studies | $60 |
| J. Fredericks Volkwein, Penn State University; Vicki L. Baker, Penn State University | |
| This workshop examines the dual purposes of alumni research – to demonstrate institutional effectiveness and to enhance alumni giving. The workshop describes the value of alumni studies; reviews alumni outcomes identified in various studies; evaluates locally designed versus existing published surveys; and shares ideas for enhancing institutional effectiveness and fund-raising. | |
| Intermediate Statistics for Institutional Research (Onsite Computer Lab) |
$85 |
| Mary Ann Coughlin, Springfield College | |
| Intermediate concepts in statistics will be covered in a way that is useful in this half day computer workshop. The workshop will focus on applications of ANOVA, factor analysis, and regression analysis. | |
| Using GIS in IR: A Different Way to Look at Data (Onsite Computer Lab) |
$85 |
| Kim Bridgeo, Bentley College; Brock Tibert, Bentley College | |
| Go beyond the traditional tables and graphs, and visualize your IR data geographically! This computer workshop will demonstrate how data can be analyzed with mapping software (ArcView). Participants will learn how to create meaningful maps using IR data. | |
| Making Posters from PowerPoint (Onsite Computer Lab) | $85 |
| Charlyn Fisher, York College of Pennsylvania | |
| Learn the simple techniques to create that large, full color poster from PowerPoint. Pointers on poster layout will be included such as format, font, and color. Bring a project you'd like to complete; there will be plenty of hands-on time to work with it under supervision. Printing not included. | |
Sunday, November 5th |
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1:30 – 4:30 pm |
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| Introduction to Strategic Enrollment Management, Part II (Continuation from Sunday morning) | |
| James Fergerson, Bates College | |
| Continued from Sunday morning, November 5th | |
| IPEDS Tools for Newcomers (Onsite Computer Lab) | $85 |
| Michael Duggan, Suffolk University | |
| This computer workshop will be an introduction to NCES/IPEDS data and the tools developed to access the data through the Peer Analysis System (PAS), the Executive Peer Tool (ExPT), the Data Feedback Report, and the College Opportunities Online (COOL). We will discuss different type of comparison groups and how to select them. Participants will have the opportunity to practice hands-on exercises. | |
| Intermediate IPEDS Workshop (Onsite Computer Lab) | |
| Gayle Fink, University System of Maryland; Paula Hollis, University System of New Hampshire | $85 |
| This computer workshop is designed to build upon a practitioner's working knowledge of the Peer Analysis System (PAS) by discussing data concepts unique to PAS, and demonstrating various ways PAS can be used to respond to real life IR questions. In addition, participants will be introduced to the Data Set Cutting Tool and the IPEDS Data Analysis System Online Application (DASOL) and have time to try out these tools. This workshop is intended for individuals who are familiar with IPEDS surveys and who have some previous exposure to PAS. computer workshop focuses on IPEDS data analysis tools - Peer Analysis System (PAS), Data Set Cutting Tool and the Data Analysis System Online Application. Intended for practitioners with experience navigating PAS | |
| Where Do I Start? Analyzing and Reporting on Survey Datasets (Onsite Computer Lab) |
$85 |
| Julie Alig, Saint Anselm College | |
| This computer workshop will help you get your bearings and chart a course through the maze of data generated by a survey. It will outline where to begin; when to use various statistical techniques; how to report your findings to different audiences; and discuss ethical considerations in survey research. | |
| Assessing General Education Outcomes | $60 |
| J. Fredericks Volkwein, Penn State University; Alex Yin, Penn State University | |
| This workshop will focus on defining general education and how to assess it. Upon completion, participants will be able to understand general education issues and challenges; summarize a two-pronged process that assesses GenEd at both the course and program levels; compare the GenEd outcomes recommended by the AAC&U with those at another institution of your choosing; and identify general education assessment methods, measures, and instruments. | |
| Qualitative Data Analysis | $60 |
| Carol Trosset, Hampshire College | |
| Institutional Researchers are increasingly asked to work with data gathered from survey comments and interviews. There are systematic methods for analyzing these data, but they are not widely understood. This workshop will demonstrate and teach basic qualitative analysis methods. Participants will work with several data sets to practice these skills. | |
| The Theory and Practice of Focus Groups | $60 |
| Rena Cheskis-Gold, Demographic Perspectives | |
| In this workshop we will discuss the theory and practice of focus groups. Theory: we will address the appropriate usage and limitations of qualitative research and focus groups. Practice: creating a protocol, organizing and conducting the focus groups, and report-writing techniques. Participants will role-play being effective focus group leaders. Examples of successful focus groups materials will be shared. | |
PLEASE NOTE: Questions about workshop content should be directed to the presenter(s). Workshops seats are available on a first come, first serve basis. Seating is limited. Please register for workshops early to assist us in our planning. Conference organizers reserve the right to cancel any workshop due to low enrollment. Full day workshops include a Part I and Part II.