Institutional Research

The Institutional Research function provides North Idaho College with data to support national reporting projects, state reporting projects, institutional planning, defined action projects, and division, program, department, and course analysis needs. The Institutional Research (IR) function at NIC consists of a core IR team who provide structure, guidance and education regarding use and interpretation of data. IR staff work collaboratively with key employees in Information Centers throughout the institution, who serve as data stewards and expert reporters for their unique functional areas. A strong partnership with the Enterprise Applications team in the IT department allows for a strong data structure and reporting capabilities. The IR team at North Idaho College is committed to supporting a data-literate and data-informed institution.  External Agencies: For official data requests, please visit Public Information Requests.

Data Standards

North Idaho College has determined a set of data standards that align with best practices in data collection and reporting. All NIC employees are expected to abide by these guidelines. Please see our Data Standards Handbook.

Data Assurance Group

The Data Assurance Group serves as the central coordinating body for prioritization, access, analysis, and communication of reporting efforts at North Idaho College. Learn more about the Data Assurance Group in the committee charter.

Data Collection Projects

North Idaho College participates in a number of internal, national and state reporting projects. Comparisons to state and national norms helps NIC to better inform actions for improvements to programs and services that support student success. An NIC login is required to access most reports.

• Common Campus Measures (CCMs) - This dashboard reflects yearly trends for all currently active CCMs. The data collected is used campus-wide for a variety of reporting purposes, including accreditation, strategic planning, and state reports requirements such as the yearly Performance Measurement Report.
• Common Data Set (CDS) is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers as represented by the College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student’s transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers. 2021-2022 Report, 2020-2021 Report.
• Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE) - Developed in response to demand from the community college field, the CCFSSE elicits information from faculty about their perceptions regarding students' educational experiences, their teaching practices, and the ways they spend their professional time—both in and out of the classroom. Offered as a companion to the CCSSE student survey, CCFSSE is an online census survey that invites all faculty teaching CCSSE-survey eligible courses at participating colleges to contribute their front-line perspectives on student engagement. 2021 CCFSSE Results,  2021 CCSSE and CCFSSE Results.
• Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) is administered every other year to NIC students who have been in college for more than one semester to gather information about their overall college experience. CCSSE helps institutions gauge their performance in different areas of student engagement. Questions include how students spend their time; what they feel they have gained from their classes; how they assess their relationships and interactions with faculty, counselors, and peers; what kinds of work they are challenged to do; and how the college supports their learning. NIC plans to administer the CCSSE during the Spring 2023 semester. Reports: 2021, 2019, 2017.
• Complete College America (CCA), established in 2009, advocates nationally for dramatically increasing college completion rates and closing institutional performance gaps. The CCA works with states, systems, institutions, and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success. NIC submits data to the state for inclusion in state-level reports and for strategic initiatives identified by the CCA.
• Idaho State Board of Education Data Dashboard and Annual Fact Book - NIC provides data to support a dashboard of commonly collected institutional measures among Idaho's Public Universities and Community Colleges.  NIC also provides data for the Annual Fact Book published by the Board.
  
• Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS) is a system of interrelated surveys conducted annually by the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. IPEDS consists of twelve interrelated survey components that are collected each year. The completion of all IPEDS surveys is mandatory for all institutions that participate in any federal financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Annually, IPEDS creates a customized Data Feedback Report, a report that graphically summarizes selected institutional data and compares the data with peer institutions. Additionally, IPEDS data submitted by over 7,000 institutions is accessible through NCES data tools.
• National Community College Benchmark Project (NCCBP) is a national data collection effort coordinated by Johnson County Community College in Kansas. The NCCBP collects and provides national community college effectiveness data enabling participating institutions to interpret and benchmark their performance. Reports: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
  
• Opportunity America Community College Survey was administered during the Spring 2021 that explored what makes community colleges different from four-year colleges and universities: their surprising student profile, their distinctive mission and their unique potential as drivers of economic growth.  The final report with supporting documents were released on September 14, 2021.  Statewide data and an interactive portal were released on November 11, 2021.
• Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) is a nationwide effort from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to help colleges and universities more easily understand student educational progress and outcomes. The objective is to provide easier access to better data in order to enhance knowledge and facilitate more informed decisions to support student success. NIC recently joined the PDP and submitted initial data in December 2020. NIC also participates in the public-facing Student Insights Dashboard.
• Student Achievement Indicators - North Idaho College collects and shares widely a set of indicators for student achievement including, but not limited to, persistence, completion, retention, and postgraduation success. These indicators are disaggregated by race/ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and first-generation status, with a goal of promoting student achievement and removing barriers to academic excellence and success. NIC also participates in the Postsecondary Data Partnership's Student Insights Dashboard featuring six different early momentum and completion dashboards.
  
• Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) is administered every other year to NIC students who are beginning their academic education. The SENSE helps colleges focus on students’ experiences in the critical first few weeks of college. Grounded in research about what works in retaining and supporting entering students, SENSE collects and analyzes data about institutional practices and student behaviors.  NIC plans to administer the SENSE during the Fall 2023 semester.  Reports: 2021, 2019
  
• Voluntary Framework for Accountability (VFA) is a national accountability system to measure how two-year colleges perform in serving their students.  The VFA provides community colleges with a more accurate assessment of their success in helping students reach their educational goals. Previously existing accountability measures focused primarily on success factors for four-year institutions and did not adequately measure performance against a community college’s multiple and unique missions or take into account their role in serving a more diverse student body—including part-time students, as well as non-credit career and technical students. Reports: 2018, 2019, 2020.  The college does not plan to conduct the survey in the near future.