Strengthening Data-Driven Decision Making

Coordinating assessment, accreditation, institutional research and planning is the mission of the new Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness. The position was approved by the Board of Trustees at the March 5 meeting, and the college will look to fill the position in the coming weeks.

“Overall institutional effectiveness involves planning for the college’s desired strategies,” said East Central College President Dr. Jon Bauer. “This person will help carry out those plans, establish measures to determine whether those actions are working and analyze data to continue improvement of the college.”

The position was one of the top recommendations of ECC’s Higher Learning Commission Task Force, in response to the college’s Comprehensive Quality Review.

“Our institutional and programmatic accreditors expect to see the institution working in a continuous quality improvement framework,” said Dr. Bauer. “This position supports that mission.”

According to a study by the Association for Higher Education Effectiveness, more colleges across the country are creating similar positions. In 1995, only 43 positions existed. The number jumped to 501 positions in 2015, an increase of more than 1000 percent.

“The ability to measure and demonstrate our effectiveness – institutionally and programmatically – is critically important to the college,” said Dr. Bauer.