The Office of University Accreditation (UA) supports the ongoing process of collecting and analyzing data and implementing data-informed decisions as related to the goals and outcomes of the UNT mission. UA manages the TracDat database for institutional effectiveness (IE) plans, and reports institutional effectiveness to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The Institutional Effectiveness process is focused on improving UNT’s student learning outcomes and services, while increasing student success and institutional quality. Not only is it the right thing to do for our students and UNT, but including continuous improvement and innovation as part of the institutional culture ensures that student success and achievement are at the forefront of our mission.
UNT has built Institutional Effectiveness plans using TracDat for all degrees and graduate certificates; as well as administrative, academic and student support, research and public service units. In addition, UNT assesses the student learning outcomes of general education courses (Core curriculum classes) in TracDat. All of these plans align with SACSCOC Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1.
In addition to the TracDat, the university and libraries engage in card swiping. Student and employee ID cards are linked to their ID numbers, when a card is swiped at an event, office, room, etc., it is entered into a data pool of attendees. Card swipe data can express:
Visits to campus events
- Patterns of frequency
- Patterns of time of day
- Patterns of days of week
Participation in campus events
- Attendance counts
- Demographic reports (reported as group percentages)
- Verification of enrollment
Data reports can be used to enhance programs and services, bolster budget requests, and ensure office staffing is in place at busy times when students visit. Data reports, through the use of statistical analysis, can be used to predict rates of student retention and graduation. When reports are generated, the data is anonymous for privacy protection. Card swipe data is housed and reported through the DAIR office.
The UNT Libraries collects card swipe data and uses collected data for internal assessment reports. When needed the assessment goes through the IRB process.
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