Purpose
The purpose of the institutional research function is to facilitate the study, analysis and evaluation of the institution's purposes, policies, procedures and programs, and the determination of the college's success in carrying out its mission and purpose. Through its efforts the office of institutional research and assessment facilitates the planning and decision-making process of the college. The office reports to the associate provost.
Description
Institutional Research gathers data on various aspects of the college such as programs, enrollments, majors, advisee assignments, retention, faculty, teaching loads, grades and other information, organizes, and presents it in useful formats to college users. The office produces an annual Fact Book of institutional data for internal distribution in October.
Research also pursues studies that provide measures of institutional effectiveness such as progress of Berry students in the general-education program and in their major field; student, faculty, and staff expectations and satisfaction with programs and services; alumni (both undergraduate and graduate) evaluations of the effectiveness of their college experiences; employer satisfaction with performance of Berry graduates employed; and public image; and, in addition, assists other offices in the development of assessment instruments for determining the effectiveness of their efforts. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is one of several instruments used to assess the extent to which students engage a variety of effective educational practices.
Through its budget and long-range scheduling, institutional research facilitates the periodic (on a five-year time line) external reviews of academic programs and services. The office participates in self-studies through the provision of appropriate data and assistance with writing and editing.
The office updates the comprehensive institutional plan (three-year time line) and the Berry College Strategic Plan and provides the Planning Council with benchmarks for the plan's goals and objectives.
A final area of responsibility entails filing data with national databases such as NCES and responding to official questionnaires seeking institutional information.
Student Success Report
Martha Berry founded Berry College as an entrepreneurial strategy to serve poor rural youth of the area at the turn of the 20th century, and many aspects of the current mission reflect that founding. For example, she believed in the combination of academics and practical work experience to create superlative outcomes for students that might not otherwise have such opportunities. Today, it remains an integral component of Berry’s mission to make excellent academic opportunities accessible to students from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. Guided by our mission, history and purpose, Berry will be a model academic residential community by fusing rigorous academic preparation with firsthand experiences through research, work, service, leadership, and campus activities.
Success with respect to student achievement in relation to the Berry College mission includes consideration of enrollment data, first to second year retention, four- and six-year IPEDS graduation rates, post-graduation employment and graduate study. Data relating to retention and graduation rates are disaggregated to better inform the Berry mission. You may download a copy of our most recent student success report which provides data on these measures. The most recent data for Berry College is located on the National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator website.
Accreditation Information
Berry College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, and education-specialist degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Berry College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC's website (www.sacscoc.org). Berry's music program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), Berry's Nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Berry's programs in Business are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Berry’s programs in Teacher Education are accredited by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.