Category: Institutional Research and Decision Support


  • Data Literacy at Ball State University

    In the world of Institutional Research, there are many cases where technical skills must be merged with linguistic, organizational, and social skills. Data literacy is one such area that calls for expertise across all four of these dimensions. At Ball State University (BSU), we are committed to growing our collective capacity to make data-informed decisions […]

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  • Introducing the IRDS E-Magazine

    Welcome to the first edition of Ball State University Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support (IRDS) E-Magazine! This publication serves as a platform to showcase how we are fulfilling our mission for Ball State. The IRDS E-Magazine provides readers a glimpse into the work that supports planning, decision-making and student success across the university. […]

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  • Data Liaisons Group: Data Wins

    During our monthly Data Liaisons Group meeting on September 9, 2024, we invited each member to share recent data wins from their areas. This was an excellent discussion and we had the opportunity to hear from several colleagues about how they use data to support students, streamline operations, and provide necessary context about the institution […]

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  • Data Governance at Ball State

    Data Governance at Ball State

    Universities rely on information, but it’s not enough to just have vast amounts of data. We need a strategy for using data wisely, and that’s where data governance comes in.  We’re deliberate about finding effective ways to manage our data at Ball State, and in this post we share an inside look at some of […]

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  • Useful Links to Data and IRDS Services

    As we expand our offerings to the Ball State community it can be challenging to find them all. In this post we will, on a regular basis, update those links. Please feel free to bookmark this page and refer back to it as needed. IRDS uses Tableau and we have other official lines of communication. […]

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  • Basic Tableau User Training

    On a regular basis IRDS conducts training for users before they are granted access to our Tableau environment. If you would like to request access to Tableau please review this post and then you can request access here. If you have already attended the training you can access the training powerpoint here for a refresher […]

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  • Welcome Joseph, New Addition to the IRDS Office

    IRDS is happy to introduce Joseph Finke, a new Research Associate. A lifelong Hoosier, Joseph grew up on a farm in southern Indiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Classics from Valparaiso University and a Master’s of Public Affairs from IUPUI. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University Bloomington and […]

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