ABSTRACT
Higher education, certainly in the United States and to varying degrees abroad, is in a period of disruptive innovation. Higher education institutions of all stripes, from for-profit vocational schools to state university system administrations, will need to navigate dynamic but uncertain pedagogical, financial, and political landscapes while at the same time meeting decision-making needs and compliance requirements developed for an era of mass, state-supported higher education. Institutional research (IR), as a field, refers to a broad set of management support and, sometimes, learning support functions within higher education. The Chief Institutional Research Officer (CIRO) leads by supporting and coordinating all IR, institutional effectiveness, assessment, accreditation, mandatory reporting, business analytics, and other data-focused decision-support activities. The position assures an effective IR function, internally-driven and resourced through purchased and shared services. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
