University Integrates Research Team to Enhance Decision-Making

As part of a strategic initiative to bolster data-informed decision-making, Syracuse University has officially integrated its institutional research team into the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) as of June 1, 2023. This consolidation aims to enhance institutional performance and streamline processes across the campus.

The merger combines two teams with complementary missions, according to Jerry Edmonds, chief of staff for academic affairs. “This strategic step creates a unified and agile continuous improvement and analytics-driven unit,” he stated. This integration is expected to deliver more impactful insights and better support the university’s strategic goals, particularly in areas such as student success, academic excellence, and institutional effectiveness.

The OIE provides leadership, academic programs, and administrative offices with timely insights and decision support. This support encompasses a range of services, from data analysis to meaningful assessments. The office plays a critical role in aspects such as accreditation, assessment, strategic planning, and program reviews, thus contributing significantly to Syracuse’s institutional mission and values.

New Structure and Responsibilities

With this reorganization, the institutional research team, now led by Amy Gardiner, will continue to focus on retention, graduation, and student performance research. They will also gain access to enhanced tools and methodologies through their collaboration with OIE. Gardiner will now report to Laura Harrington, the director of OIE.

Meanwhile, the Office of Institutional Data and Reporting (IDR), led by Seth Ovadia, remains a separate unit. IDR will maintain its responsibilities for official reporting, data integrity, and compliance, including oversight of federal and state reporting, as well as internal data needs.

Edmonds emphasized that this new structure aims to provide faculty, staff, and senior leadership with more coordinated and forward-looking data services. The benefits include a single access point for data needs, more responsive processes for data requests, enhanced dashboards, and clearer definitions of official data sources.

Impact on University Decision-Making

The integration is designed to foster collaborative engagement and shared responsibility for data-informed decision-making across the university. As the institution continues to evolve, the restructured OIE aims to support effective planning and continuous improvement initiatives.

For further details, interested parties can visit the OIE website at effectiveness.syr.edu or contact Harrington at [email protected] or Ovadia at [email protected].