Fact book earns more awards for excellence

Here’s a fact: Radford University’s Institutional Research, Reporting and Assessment office has again been recognized for its extraordinary work.

The Southern Association for Institutional Research (SAIR) awarded the Institutional Research office second place in the Best Fact Book category and third place for the Best Electronic Fact Book. The honors were given at SAIR’s annual conference on Oct. 11.

“We are honored to be recognized among the very best of the colleges and universities within the 15-state SAIR region,” Director of Institutional Research Eric Lovik said. “For Radford University to be selected for multiple awards this year speaks to the quality and dedication of the IR staff.”

In 2012, Radford won first place for Best Fact Book and second place in 2013. In 2014, the university earned first place in the Best Electronic Fact Book category.

The fact book includes point-in-time snapshots of data from the 2015-16 academic/fiscal year. Additionally, it provides historical data going back five to 10 years, and beyond a decade for some measures.

“Readers find that the annual fact book serves as a valuable resource about the university overall and specific units,” the printed book states in its introduction.

The electronic fact book is a dynamic, interactive website that is updated every semester. This resource not only provides the numbers on a wide range of measures but also includes visualizations to illustrate the current snapshot and multi-year trends.

“Many data requests submitted to Institutional Research are for information already provided on the IR website, so we encourage people to first go to the print and electronic fact books before submitting a request,” Lovik said. “These resources contribute to promoting a culture of data-informed thinking, so we want students, faculty, staff and the general public to make use of this information.”

The Institutional Research office has a mission "to enhance institutional effectiveness by collecting, analyzing, maintaining and providing data to support university decision-making and planning processes along with ensuring compliance with state, federal and other external reporting requirements."

Its staff includes Lovik and associate director Damien Allen.

According to its website, SAIR "is dedicated to the advancement of research leading to improved understanding, planning and operation of institutions of post-secondary education." The association bestows fact book awards – for print and electronic versions – annually, as well as various other acknowledgements.