North Carolina State University Undergraduate Assessment Symposium: Aligning Pedagogy, Curriculum & Assessment
April 24-26, 2009

• Presentation - Assessing Institutional Effectiveness with the Mission Percepton Inventory (MPI): Linking Mission Goals and Learning Environment
  Dr. Ellen Boylan, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
  Sr. Jane Wakahiu, LSOSF, Graduate Assistant
  

  The presentation is available here.
  

15th Annual CHERC Forum - Villanova, PA
March 29-30, 2009

• Profile: Catholic Colleges and Universities - Selected Characteristics from the IPEDS PAS
  Dr. Ellen Boylan, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
  Sr. Jane Wakahiu, LSOSF, Graduate Assistant
  

  The presentation is available here.
  

35th Annual NEAIR Conference - Providence, RI
November 1-4, 2008

• Contributed Paper - Assessing Institutional Effectiveness: Using the Mission Engagement Index (MEI) to Measure Progress on Mission Goals
  Dr. Ellen Boylan, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
  A two year Teagle Foundation grant propels new research on student outcomes and funded development of a performance indicator for assessing progress on institutional goals. The presenter analyzes the five-year study.

  The presentation is available here.
  The paper is available here.

48th Annual AIR Forum - Seattle, WA
May 24-28, 2008

• Contributed Paper - Keeping Confidence in Data Over Time: Testing the Tenor of Results From Repeat Administrations of a Question Inventory
  Dr. Ellen Boylan, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
  This paper describes continuing research supported by the Teagle Foundation on the relationship between institutional mission and student learning outcomes.

  The paper is available here.

Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) - Washington, DC
February 2, 2007

• Presentation - Leadership in Catholic Higher Education Research on Mission: One Project
  Dr. Ellen Boylan, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
  

  The presentation is available here.

33rd Annual NEAIR Forum - Philadelphia
November 4-7, 2006

• WORKSHARE - The Institutional Effectiveness Plan: An Excellent Way to Convey Evidence of Assessment
  Dr. Ellen Boylan, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
  An Institutional Effectiveness Plan (IEP) is a compilation of assessment evidence expected for Middle States accreditation review. The IEP serves as a comprehensive catalog of research and results, and demonstrates the ways assessment is ongoing and integrated on campus. Marywood University's IEP design and finished product is shown.

  The presentation is available here.

32nd Annual NEAIR Forum - Saratoga Springs
November 6-8, 2005

• BEST PAPER AWARD
  CONTRIBUTED PAPER - Using Factor Analysis to Clarify Operational Constructs for Measuring Mission
  Dr. Ellen Boylan, Associate Director of Institutional Research
  The process of blending qualitative and quantitave research methods to develop the new 17-item Mission Perception Inventory (MPI) is described, as are the steps involved in building a NSSE consortium to administer it. Also described is the successful outcome of factor analysis on the results to determine the internal reliability of the instrument and the presence of operational constructs within.

  The presentation is available here.
  The paper is available here.

• POSTER SESSION - The Role of IR in Supporting the Accreditation Process: A Chair's Perspective
  Dr. Barbara Sadowski, Chief Planning Officer
  IR offices can organize well in advance to support an institution's reaccreditation process and need for information. This presentation focused on organizing tools that can be put into place before the self-study process begins and other long-range strategies that will minimize the impact of additional responxibilities.

  The presentation is available here.
  The handout is available here.

• WORKSHARE - Measuring Excellence in the First Year of College
  Dr. Ellen Boylan, Associate Director of Institutional Research - Marywood University
  Mary Louise Gerek - Nazareth College
  Marywood University and Nazareth College participated in Foundations of Excellence™ in 2003-2004. Researchers at FOE schools engaged in campus-wide collaboration to evaluate first-year programs and articulate standards of excellence. They shared tools for assessing the first year developed during the Foundations project and described its continuing impact on IR and the institutions.

  The presentation is available here.

• WORKSHARE - Creating a Dashboard Indicators Web Page
  Charlotte Woodward, Data Coordinator/Analyst
  Administrators need to be able to track indicators from the institutional effectiveness plan. A web page on our intranet was chosen for ease of use. The page was designed using HTML and CSS to make the chosen indicators easy to modify and update. The presentation was an explanation and description of the annotated, modifiable text file containing the HTML and CSS code which produced our Dashboard Indicators web page. Excel charts with their source data were shown and the procedure for producing a graphics file from a chart was demonstrated. A CD is available with the text file, spreadsheet and graphics files for individual customization by institutions.

  The presentation is available here.
  A CD with all files necessary for web page is available on request.

45th Annual AIR Forum - San Diego
May 28 - June 2, 2005

• RESEARCH PRESENTATION - Student Engagement and Mission Effectiveness: Looking for Links Between Outcomes and Institutional Goals
  Dr. Ellen Boylan (Author), Associate Director of Institutional Research
  In 2004, a consortium of private universities administered a version of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) that had 20 unique questions attached on mission-related items. This presentation describes the design of the study and the methodology, and examines results. Conclusions are drawn about whether student engagement and learning environment are related to institutional mission and goals. The discussion is useful to institutions of higher education looking to measure mission effectiveness, particularly before an accreditation visit or restructuring.

  The presentation is available here.

AFT ER&D Annual Network Conference 2004
July 12 - 13, 2004

• Dr. Barbara Sadowski, Chief Planning Officer, and Dr. Marie Loftus presented during the AFT ER&D Annual Network conference "Making Data Your Ally!" in Washington, D.C. The session, "Using Data for Decision Support and Planning," was a group activity to show how to develop questions, analyze data sources and discuss research results.

  The slides used in the session are here.

Association of Institutional Research (AIR) Annual Forum
May 30 - June 2, 2004

• Ms. Ellen Boylan, Assistant Director of Institutional Research, and Charlotte Woodward, Data Coordinator/Analyst, attended the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) 2004 annual forum in Boston, MA. Ms. Boylan-Fick was a member on the panel "Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year: An Aspirational and Measurement Model for Private Colleges."

  The panel's presentation is here.

North East Association of Institutional Research (NEAIR) 30th Annual Conference
November 15-18, 2003

• Ms. Ellen Boylan, Assistant Director of Institutional Research, and Charlotte Woodward, Data Coordinator/Analyst, presented during the North East Association for Institutional Research (NEAIR) annual conference in Newport, RI. The presentation, "Using the Web to Boost IR Efficiency and Reach," described the process of creating an electronic reserve of IR resoueces and building a web site for differing levels of access to those resources. The paper will be included in the conferrence proceedings.

  Their presentation is available here.

North East Association of Institutional Research (NEAIR) 29th Annual Conference
November 16-19, 2002

• Dr. Barbara R. Sadowski, Assistant to the President for Planning and Research, and Ellen Boylan-Fick, Assistant Director of Institutional Research, presented during the North East Association for Institutional Research (NEAIR) annual conference in Annapolis, MD. The presentation, "Linking Assessment Planning and Mission Review: One University's Experience," described the process followed in both mission review and development of an assessment plan. Dr. Sadowski and Ms. Boylan-Fick distributed materials and listed resources available to IR professionals engaged in assessing institutional effectiveness. The paper will be included in the conferrence proceedings.

  Their paper is available here.

80th EACUBO Annual Meeting in Montreal, Quebec
October 17-19, 1999

• II-C: Collaborative Facility Planning Process -
  Planning for expanding graduate program space needs - including clinics, research space, labs and support services - required thoughtful integration of academic and institutional resources and facilities priorities. Dr. Sadowski and Ms. McDonald discussed alternative building/renovations designs; trade-offs among academic priorities, technology integration and coordination and creating a business plan projecting enrollment, revenues and expenses.

  Their presentation is available here.