SSU Institutional Research & Planning (IRP)
General Effectiveness Survey--May, 2000

We are evaluating IRP's institutional research & planning services and would appreciate your completing this form. Please indicate the most appropriate response and freely comment on each item, should you wish to do so (attaching additional pages, as necessary.) When completed, please return this form to the IRP office. Your own responses will be confidential; only summary data will be used in preparing an analysis. Thank you for your help.

SSU's IRP Mission: IRP objectively studies and clearly informs relevant stakeholders about current University affairs and operations by communicating accurate and timely institutional data in the context of contemporary higher education issues, practices, and theory. It also facilitates and serves as internal technical consultant to stakeholders as they develop their strategic and action plans and continuously evaluate their operating effectiveness.

1. How frequently have used services or products of IRP over the past two years?  

I receive regular written reports or data.
Rarely/Never   Once a Term    Once a Month   Once a Week    Almost Daily

My views are asked via survey instruments.
Rarely/Never   Once a Term    Once a Month   Once a Week    Almost Daily

I request informal reports, information, or data.
Rarely/Never      Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I request formal written ad-hoc reports or studies.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I request consulting services or advice.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I send students for individual assignments.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I send students for consultation & advisement.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I use IRP for workshops or seminars.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I use IRP for presentations or demonstrations.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I participate with IRP staff on committees.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I use the College Fact Book.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I refer to the SSU Student Profile.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I carefully read other written reports from IRP.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

I access the IRP or SACS Committee web sites.
Rarely/Never  Once a Term    Once a Month  Once a Week    Almost Daily

2. How useful do you think IRP activities have been to help support or improve aspects of SSU?

Assisting with strategic planning.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Supporting academic program review.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Evaluating institutional effectiveness
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Monitoring student progress or achievement.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Monitoring staff productivity.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Monitoring student graduation rates.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Relating curriculum to community needs.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Informing key committees with data.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Evaluating student counseling services.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Evaluating college support services.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Evaluating teaching/learning processes.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Relationships between staff and students.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Monitoring benefactor donations & support.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Monitoring student attrition & retention.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

External community understanding of SSU.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Planning enrollment management.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Facilitating the SACS accreditation self-study.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Facilitating professional accreditation processes.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Providing data sets or summary statistics.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

Informing with workshops or presentations.
(Not Very Useful)   1    2    3     4    5      (Very Useful)

3. How important is IRP to improving your own understanding of SSU affairs?

Enrollment patterns .
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Student attitudes.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Attrition & withdrawal patterns.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Completing developmental courses.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Regents' Test success patterns.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Completing degree programs.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Attending college functions.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Student goal achievement.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Student living arrangements.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Participation in graduate studies.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

SSU Employee attitudes.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Student employment.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Student career development.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Student grade patterns.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Organizational/institutional issues.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Strategic planning functions.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

Program review activity.
(Unimportant)  1    2    3    4     5  (Highly Important)

4. Please rate the quality of IRP services you have used in terms of:

Accuracy                                       Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Comprehensiveness                        Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Clarity/readability                           Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Timeliness                                      Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Usefulness/value added                     Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Current on major higher ed. issues   Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Accomplishing IRP mission              Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Overall quality of service                  Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

5. Please rate the quality of the IRP staff in terms of:

Professional Knowledge                 Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Enthusiasm                                     Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Commitment                                  Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Communication Skill                      Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Helpfulness                                     Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Courtesy                                         Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Availability                                    Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Proactive                                       Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Interpersonal Attitudes                  Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

Overall quality of staff                  Excellent     Good    Adequate    Needs Improving

6. Please check which attributes most describe yourself.

Male ____ Full-time at SSU ____ Student ____ Faculty ____ Afro-Amer. ____

Female ____ Part-time at SSU ____ Employee____ Support Staff ____ Caucasian ____

Yrs at SSU? _____ Administrator ____ Asian ____

Organizational unit affiliation? ______________________________ Other ____

7. Please complete the following thoughts:

Institutional research & planning support for SSU could be most improved by______________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

I wish that IRP would/could make available to me______________ _____________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

8. [Optional.] Name: ______________________________________

[Please return survey to IRP, Colston Hall # 107 or P.O.Box 20296, SSU.]

Savannah State University
Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation

May 10, 2000

Dear ____________________:

SACS' Criteria for Accreditation (3.3), requires that the University demonstrate that it regularly evaluates its institutional research, planning, and evaluation functions and then uses those evaluation results to improve future performance. One main component of this requirement is an evaluation of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning to see how it might be improved.

Our records and memory indicate that you have made some specific use of IRP and/or its staff either for information, advice, counsel, or aassistance during the past year. Accordingly, it is particularly important for us to know your thoughts about how SSU's IRP could better serve the institution and your work in it.

In this undertaking, your individual views are vitally important. Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey items on the attached form. Feel free to jot ideas or comments on the form or on a separate piece of paper, if you wish. Rest assured that your responses will be held in strict confidence. Only summary statistical data will be reported in preparing an analysis of the survey.

Should you have any questions about or wish to discuss the survey, please contact me directly at 691-6880. Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Michael Crow

Director, Institutional Research & Planning
Savannah State University