Comparing Ourselves with Others: Lessons Learned in Using Data from Peer Institutions

Presentation Summary

Karen Weisbrodt, The University of Texas at Austin, Ross Hartshorn, Senior Software Developer/Analyst, and Vince Gonzalez, Business Analyst

The need to compare data from your institution to that of state and national peers presents its own unique set of issues and considerations. At the University of Texas at Austin, the past year included three significant efforts centered around comparative data: the NRC (National Research Council) assessment of research doctoral programs, the creation of an internal reporting tool for administrators that includes benchmark data from peer institutions, and a large number of requests from state legislators for comparison data in areas such as student demographics, financial metrics, degrees, and research. Staff from UT Austin will share their experiences from these projects as well as lessons learned from both a technical and methodological standpoint.