The Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness supports administrators, faculty, staff and students by assisting with the collection, organization and analysis of institutional data. This support can include writing custom reports using Bellarmine’s business intelligence and analytics (BIA) software, developing surveys and evaluations, providing datasets for research purposes, performing statistical analysis and validity testing on datasets, and disseminating findings through visualizations, dashboards, publications and other tools.
To request any data-driven deliverable (e.g. a new report or modification to an existing report, a dataset for research, a research project or any other resource), please complete the following Data Request Form. This is essential in order for the Office of IR&E to manage its workload and to serve the Bellarmine community in a timely and strategic manner. In order to request support for a survey or evaluation, please complete the Survey Request Form.
Please consider the following before submitting a data request:
Who should submit a data request?
Data requests can be submitted by internal as well as external users. Prior to submitting a data request, we encourage you to check the Data & Reports page, the Student Achievement microsite, the Consumer Information microsite, or report repositories such as CROA, to see if IR&E has already produced the report.
How long does it take for IR&E to fulfill a data request?
Our turnaround depends on the workload of the office at the time of your request, as well as the complexity and scope of the request. In the data request form, you will have an opportunity to specify a deadline by which you need the information. We will do our best to complete your request by that date. In general, we request a lead time of at least five to ten business days. Some projects may take 4+ weeks to complete due to other strategic projects in IR&E's portfolio. It is always advantageous to submit the data request as far in advance as possible.
What is the process for submitting a data request?
A member of the IR&E team will email or call you if we have any additional questions after receiving your request. Occasionally, a follow-up meeting or interview may be necessary to fully understand the business needs related to your request. Otherwise, expect the results from your request on or before the requested deadline.
What if I need to add additional information to my request?
If you have a document that will help IR&E understand your data request or provide additional information that does not fit in the form itself, you can attach a file at the end of the data request form. Additionally, military recruiters and other external parties making a Solomon Amendment data request must use this attachment option to provide evidence of their affiliation before IR&E will respond to any student directory information requests. Please note: By policy, Bellarmine does not fulfill blanket records requests for community directory information from third parties except if the request is made under the auspices of the Solomon Amendment. Requests for data of this nature (e.g. disclosure of community directory information for the entire or a large proportion of the student population) will be ignored.
What type of information can IR&E provide?
In addition to publishing official enrollment, graduation and retention statistics, IR&E also provides data about a range of other topics and trends: student achievement, teaching and learning, faculty and academic affairs, engagement and student affairs, alumni and development, budgets and finance, etc. We also provide research consultation services for qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method studies as well as advice on the appropriate use of inferential and predictive statistics, business analytics, longitudinal analysis, visual communication and dissemination of research findings.
A useful resource for helping think through your report request is the Report Design Template—an Excel Spreadsheet that provides a place to document your request in detail. IR&E recommends downloading this document, completing it, and then attaching it with your data request.