Institutional Research

Institutional Research helps the university understand itself better. It gathers and analyzes information about students, programs, and campus operations, then shares it with decision-makers, government agencies, and the public. This work ensures the university meets all state and federal reporting requirements, supports planning for the future, and helps evaluate its performance within higher education.

Compliance and Regulatory Reports

HEOA Disclosures

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), requires colleges and universities that participate in federal student aid programs to disclose certain information to current and prospective students and to university employees. The following items constitute the disclosure and reporting responsibilities of Institutional Research in collaboration with other campus offices such as the QUEST Center.

Student Outcomes

Student Right-to-Know Act

The Student Right-to-Know Act is a U.S. federal law passed in 1990 that requires colleges and universities receiving federal financial aid to make certain key information publicly available to current and prospective students. The following items constitute the disclosure and reporting responsibilities of Institutional Research in collaboration with other campus offices such as Athletics and Campus Safety and Security.

Additional Student Consumer Information

  • Accreditation
  • The Academic Catalog is Quincy University’s source for information on academic programs, policies, and requirements. Published annually, it provides essential details on admissions, degree programs, courses, financial information, transfer credit, and academic regulations for prospective and current students, faculty, and staff.
  • The Student Handbook, contained within the QU catalog system, is a comprehensive guide to the University’s policies, procedures, resources, and student expectations. It serves as an essential resource to help students understand our policies and navigate the support systems available throughout their time at Quincy University.

IPEDS

Institutional Research is responsible for the College’s federal regulatory reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics via the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).  All institutions of higher learning are mandated to submit IPEDS surveys several times per year which include the following content areas:

  • student enrollment and FTE
  • retention and graduation rates
  • institutional finances
  • employee counts and salaries
  • student costs and financial aid

NCES utilizes the IPEDS surveys’ data sets to populate its College Navigator service.

External Surveys

Each year, Institutional Research engages in a range of external surveys, studies, and data collection initiatives. These efforts both provide prospective students with information—such as admission requirements and academic opportunities—and enable collaboration and benchmarking with other colleges and universities.