Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning (IERP)

Promote Institutional Excellence: OIERP strives to support the university in achieving and maintaining excellence in all aspects of its operations, including academic programs, student services, and administrative functions.

Data-Informed Decision-Making: OIERP aims to establish a culture of data-informed decision-making across the university. This involves providing timely, accurate, and relevant data to guide strategic planning and resource allocation.

Accreditation and Compliance: Ensures that the university maintains its accreditation status by actively engaging in assessment processes and meeting all necessary requirements. This goal includes monitoring compliance with federal and state regulations as well.

Enhance Student Success: OIERP focuses on improving student success metrics, including retention rates, graduation rates, and academic achievement. This involves conducting research on best practices and implementing interventions to support student success.

Institutional Sustainability: OIERP plays a critical role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the institution by monitoring financial health, resource allocation, and enrollment trends. This goal also involves conducting research on emerging trends in higher education and making recommendations for adaptation.

IERP staff, L-R: Willie D. Moore, Jasmine Frowner, Carolyn Ortiz, Dr. Nicole Lucas, Myra Moody, Dr. Rollinda Thomas, and Hannah Passey.

The Data Governance Committee at Fayetteville State University assumes a pivotal role in the institution's data ecosystem. As the driving force behind data management and integrity, it stands as the foundation upon which data-related policies, practices, and strategies are meticulously crafted and diligently executed. Positioned at the very core of Fayetteville State University's data landscape. The committee embraces its primary mission to sustain and propagate a robust framework of data governance practices. These practices are designed to accomplish the following key objectives:

Policy Development: The committee is responsible for crafting and updating data governance policies, standards, and procedures. These documents define how data is collected, stored, processed, and shared throughout the organization.

Data Quality Assurance: Ensuring the quality of data is a top priority. The committee establishes protocols for data validation, cleaning, and error correction to maintain data accuracy.

Data Security: Safeguarding sensitive data is paramount. The committee oversees data security measures, including access controls, encryption, and compliance with data protection regulations.

Data Accessibility: It ensures that authorized personnel have appropriate access to data while maintaining data privacy and security. This involves defining roles and responsibilities for data access and usage.

Data Compliance: The committee monitors and ensures compliance with data-related regulations and industry standards, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or industry-specific data governance frameworks.

Data Stewardship: Appointing data stewards responsible for specific datasets or data domains is a common practice. The committee defines their roles and responsibilities.

Data Strategy: It develops and aligns the data governance strategy with the organization's overall business strategy, helping to identify opportunities for leveraging data to achieve business objectives.

Issue Resolution: Addressing data-related issues and conflicts is essential. The committee acts as a forum for resolving disputes, making decisions on data-related matters, and escalating issues when necessary.

Communication and Education: Effective communication and education initiatives ensure that all employees understand and adhere to data governance policies and best practices. The committee develops training programs and communication plans.

Composition:

The Data Governance Committee typically consists of cross-functional members representing different departments and areas within the organization.

Key Roles Include:

Chief Data Officer (CDO): Chairs the committee and is responsible for overall data governance strategy.

IT and Information Security Experts: Responsible for data security and technical aspects of data management.

Legal and Compliance Representatives: Ensure data governance aligns with legal and regulatory requirements.

Data Owners and Stewards: Individuals responsible for specific datasets or data domains in various divisions within the university.

Business Representatives: Stakeholders from various divisional units who use data for decision-making.

The mission of the Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment Committee is to advance the continuous improvement and excellence of Fayetteville State University by fostering a culture of assessment, accountability, and data-driven decision-making. We are dedicated to systematically evaluating the institution's programs, services, and operations to ensure they align with our mission, meet or exceed established standards, and fulfill the evolving needs of our students, faculty, staff, and stakeholders. Through collaborative efforts, rigorous analysis, and a commitment to transparency, we aim to provide actionable insights and recommendations that empower the institution to optimize its educational quality, promote student success, and achieve its strategic goals.

Areas of Focus

Assessment and Evaluation: Conduct systematic assessments and evaluations of the institution's academic programs, administrative services, and operational processes to measure their effectiveness and alignment with institutional goals.

• Data-Driven Decision-Making: This area involves promoting data-driven decision-making through the collection, analysis, and interpretation of relevant data to provide actionable insights and recommendations for improvements.
  
• Assessment and Evaluation: This area focuses on systematically assessing and evaluating academic programs, administrative services, and operational processes to measure their effectiveness and alignment with institutional goals.
  
• Accreditation and Compliance: This area is responsible for ensuring the institution's compliance with accreditation standards and regulatory requirements, including overseeing assessment and reporting processes required for accreditation.

Composition: The committee is chaired by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning and typically consists of representatives from various academic departments, administrative units, faculty, staff, and sometimes external experts with experience in assessment and institutional effectiveness. A diverse composition ensures a comprehensive and inclusive assessment of the institution's operations.

Coming soon