OPEIR Frequently Asked Questions
- What types of information are available from OPEIR?
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The Office of Planning, Evaluation & Institutional Research (OPEIR) is a resource for historical and trend data about the University. You can find trend information on our students, faculty/staff, alumni, library, and financial information. Our office also oversees the program review process and lends assistance to departments undergoing accreditation and annual reporting for accrediting bodies. In addition, the office coordinates institutional effectiveness processes and other institutional assessment projects.
- When do I request information from OPEIR verses from the Banner Support Team?
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The OPEIR office and the Banner team work collaboratively to help you with any data needs you may have. If you are unsure who to contact, simply email [email protected] with your questions and the correct department will respond to you as soon as possible.
- How do I request information that I can't find on OPEIR's website?
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Simply send an email to [email protected] or submit a ticket to our queue via our system.
- What is the Argos Dashboard and what can it be used for?
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The Argos Dashboard is your one-stop-shop for all kinds of information on UTC students. Here you can pull reports about registration, orientation, advising, graduate candidates, etc. The Banner team has worked tirelessly to combine all the separate dashboards faculty and staff had to pull on their students each term into one convenient location.
- Do you offer training for faculty and staff?
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Absolutely. The Banner and OPEIR office offer a variety of trainings throughout the year. Please click here to be taken to the Banner training page where you will find training schedules as well as other resources to help you along the way. If you would like to request specific training for your department or just one-on-one training feel free to email us at [email protected] and we'll be more than happy to help.
- Where can I find data on student enrollment, retention, and other statistics about UTC?
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The OPEIR Factbook has a comprehensive series of tables that should answer most, if not all, questions you may have regarding our student population. If you would like more specific information about our colleges or departments please check out our Institutional Dashboards. The interactive dashboards allows you to drill down to the level of data you are interested in. There are several dashboards to choose from including: Enrollment, Degrees Awarded, Student Credit Hour Production, etc. If there is anything you cannot find on either of these sources please feel free to send us a question through our request email or submit a ticket via our system.
- What if I would like to find information about UTC faculty and staff, or financial data like tuition or cost of attendance?
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You’re in luck! Our Factbook also houses trend information on our faculty and staff and financial information. It can be found under the Employee Demographic and Tuition and Financial Information sections.
- I see acronyms used in a lot of the tables but I don't know what they mean. Where can I find information about the data elements included in the Factbook and Institutional Dashboards?
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The Data Dictionary page has a comprehensive list of data elements and their definitions. It even lists the various metrics reported and explains their formulas. After review, if you still can’t find an answer to what you are looking for, please contact us.
- Where can I find historical data from 15 or even 20 years ago?
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OPEIR maintains institutional data. Please contact us to determine how we can best meet your data needs.
- What is a census date?
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A census date is chosen to allow a consistent snapshot of the student or faculty/staff population. This allows for an apples-to-apples comparison from term to term or year to year. UTC’s census date is the 14th day calendar day from the beginning of classes, including the day on which classes begin, for both spring and fall terms. The census date for summer is done at the end of term because of the compressed part-of-term sessions. The term "frozen data" is also referring to census data for those specific dates.
- What is the definition of underrepresented minorities?
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There are various definitions for underrepresented minorities depending on the institution or organization. One commonly used definition is that underrepresented minorities included U.S. persons who identify as Black, Hispanic, Native American, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, or who have a multi-racial identity that includes at least one of those categories.
- What types of information should I prepare when planning a survey research project and/or data request?
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It makes the process of planning a survey more efficient to prepare materials address the following:
- Is this something a survey will be able to capture?
- What is your timeline for collection and reporting?
- Are your survey questions rooted in central research goals/objectives?
- Who is your target population? Do you have data to support this decision?
- Do you plan on making this an annual/semi-annual collection?
- I am interested in creating a new minor, certificate, concentration, or degree program. What do I do first?
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First, congratulations! This is exciting work to be able to attract students to UTC as well as provide an academic offering that is unique and will better position our students for success!
Second, reach out to Kelli Baker who will schedule a consultation with you to determine your needs and propose next steps. You can also pursue information about the process on the Academic Program Proposals webpage.
- I am curious how UTC compares to our peer institutions. Do we track that information?
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Yes, we do! You can locate our most recently approved peer and aspirant peer list in our Factbook under Other Institutional Data. OPEIR curates the Peer Comparison Dashboard that provides IPEDs and Common Data Set items for a variety of metrics.