Research

Institutional Assessment

Institutional Assessment assists the university in conducting assessment for the enhancement of services, programs, and operations.

Assessment activities are an integral component of the mission of Institutional Assessment. We assist departments to include continuous assessment as part of their planning, budgeting, and overall effectiveness. Departments work together through Assessment Teams to develop, critique and share their various assessment activities. As a function of the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, we collaborate with other UNT departments on research projects. In addition, we collaborate with researchers from other institutions by participating in their studies. The net impact of our work is to continually improve services and to understand the needs of students at the University of North Texas. Our efforts are instrumental in translating theory into practice and ensuring the resources, time and talents of UNT are being utilized in the most professional, efficient and high-quality manner possible.

Division Data

Understanding members of the UNT community is fundamental to the mission of the Division of Student Affairs in delivering exemplary programs and services to address the needs of a diverse student body as well as collaborate effectively across and beyond campus. RAP partners with Institutional Research and Effectiveness and Division departments to gain insight into the characteristics, experiences and perceptions of various campus populations using a wide range of instruments and data collection techniques.

Engagement-Retention Index (ERI)

The University of North Texas, with participation from the Divisions of Student Affairs, Equity and Diversity, and Academic Affairs, is in the process of building out a statistical model to assess and predict undergraduate student retention and academic performance.  This model, the Engagement-Retention Index, will utilize card-swipe data from departments as the primary dataset for analysis.  The research questions driving this ongoing study are:

1. What effect does program participation have on undergraduate student retention?
2. What effect does program participation have on undergraduate student GPA?
3. What effect does office contact have on undergraduate student retention?
4. What effect does office contact have on undergraduate student GPA?
5. Is there a relationship between student status and program participation?
6. Is there a relationship between student status and office contacts?

More information on this study will be made available as it progresses.  Please contact Stella Mulberry Antic with any questions you have about the ERI.

 

Card Swiping

The ID card swiping initiative is a true institutional collaboration, utilizing much time and dedicated attention on the part of several units on campus, including the Division of Student Affairs, Institutional Research and Effectiveness, CITC, Decision Support and Human Resources Information Systems.

While UNT has incredibly robust data with regard to student enrollment patterns, demographic variables and academic degree progress, there is a dearth of data on student co-curricular/out-of-class habits. UNT is in a position of strength to serve as a leader in better understanding these engagement patterns through the Eagle Access system. Eagle Access enables campus departments, units and divisions to assess exactly where students take advantage of critical services, attend important campus events or engage with academic or student service providers through one-on-one contact.

On a primary level, data is utilized by front-line staff in aggregate form to determine program effectiveness, fiscal responsibility, marketing success and patterns of student usage. On a second and more critical level, data garnered from this system will be utilized to predict and assess patterns of overall student engagement, success and retention through statistical modeling and higher order quantitative methods. Tracking engagement factors that predict student retention should ultimately improve student graduation rates.

For more information about card swiping, please refer to the Hype of Swipe materials presented during staff training sessions.  For more information about setting up swipe stations for offices and events, please refer to the Card Swipe Configurator Training materials used for self-training purposes.

Card swipe configurators may use the system by clicking here.

 

Executive Summaries

RAP assists Division departments with assessment projects, including the development of methodology, instruments, and executive summaries.  As executive summaries are made available, they will be posted on this site for reference.  The following executive summaries are available for download:

• Student Legal Services Walk-In Appointments Assessment (2010-2011)
• UNT Dining Services NACUFS Study (Spring-Summer 2011)
• Leadershape 2011 (Summer 2011)
• Career Center Student Employment GPA Study (FY2010)
• Center for Student Affairs at Discovery Park Needs Assessment (Fall 2010)
• Greek 101 Program Assessment (Fall 2010)
• Housing Quality of Life Survey (2009-2010)
• Student Legal Services Walk-In Appointments Assessment (2009-2010)
• Center for Leadership and Service Leadership Certificate Series Assessment (Spring 2010)
• Eagle E.D.G.E. Program Assessment (Spring 2010)
• Leadership Certificate Series (Spring 2010)

2014

• NT40 Leadership Dinner Series (2014)
• Distinquished Lecture Series - Dan Choi (Spring 2014)
• Distinquished Lecture Series - Roslyn Brock (Spring 2014)
• Coffee and Coversations (Spring 2014)