Category Seven examines how the organization collects, analyzes, and uses information to manage itself and to drive performance improvement. It examines processes and systems related to:

Collection, storage, management, and use of information and data at the institutional and departmental/unit levels
Institutional measures of effectiveness
Information and data alignment with institutional needs and directions
Comparative information and data
Analysis of information and data
Effectiveness of information system and processes
Measures
Analysis of results
Improvement efforts

Answer the following questions about Category Seven.

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Context for Analysis (C)

7C1
In what ways do you collect and store information and data, both in centralized and decentralized circumstances? In what ways is this information made accessible to those who need it?

Address your primary data collection mechanisms, as appropriate, your information system(s)-not only your central information system, but also those used at varying levels-and your accessibility options (what is available and to whom).

7C2
What are your key institutional measures for tracking effectiveness?

These measures might include data on students; accomplishing other distinctive objectives; faculty, staff, and administrators; other key stakeholder groups; academic and other programs; and the performance of institutional operations and processes; and comparative information concerning students, stakeholder groups, programs, and performance in other organizations.

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Processes (P)

7P1
How do you select, manage, and use information and data (including current performance information) to support student learning (Category One), overall institutional objectives (Category Two), strategies (Category Eight), and improvement efforts (all Categories)?

7P2
How do you determine the needs of your departments and units related to information and data collection, storage, and accessibility? How are these needs met?

7P3
How do you determine the needs and priorities for comparative information and data? What are your criteria and methods for selecting sources of comparative information and data within and outside the education community?

Address determination of needs at both the institutional and department or unit levels.

7P4
How, at the institutional level, do you analyze information and data regarding overall performance? How is this analysis shared throughout the organization?

Analysis of performance information should span measures you determine to be key from across the nine AQIP Categories.

7P5
How do you ensure that department and unit analysis of information and data aligns with your institutional goals regarding student learning (Category One) and overall institutional objectives? How is this analysis shared?

7P6
How do you ensure the effectiveness of your information system(s) and related processes?

Address, for example, your hardware and software system upgrades, integrity and reliability of information and data, and confidentiality and security of information and data.

7P7
What measures of the effectiveness of your system for measuring effectiveness do you collect and analyze regularly?

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Results (R)

7R1
What is the evidence that your system for measuring effectiveness meets your institution’s needs in accomplishing its mission and goals?

Results should address processes associated with information and data collection, analysis, and use. These might include, for example, system accessibility; reliability and confidentiality of information and data; and internal satisfaction ratings of the timeliness, accessibility, and user-friendliness of information and Data.

7R2
Regarding 7R1, how do your results compare with the results of other higher education institutions and, if appropriate, organizations outside the education community?

For 7R1 and 7R2, address historical trends and patterns, as appropriate.

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Improvement (I)

7I1
How do you improve your current processes and systems for measuring effectiveness?

7I2
With regard to your current results for measuring effectiveness, how do you set targets for improvement? What specific improvement priorities are you targeting, and how will these be addressed? How do you communicate your current results and improvement priorities to students, faculty, staff, administrators, and appropriate stakeholders?