Taking Inventory of Iowa Higher Education: The Institutional Research Storehouse. AIR 1990 Annual Forum Paper.

The State of Iowa conducted several higher education inventory studies in an effort to identify strategies and priorities for the future. The Long Range Strategic Planning Study, the first of the studies to be undertaken, was charged with reviewing all academic programs, identifying program strengths, and making recommendations for redesigning the university into a smaller, more manageable institution. Peat Marwick Main & Co. conducted numerous educational institution organizational audits and is developing a comprehensive statewide informational data base. The data base is to provide a framework for coordinating and establishing policy for postsecondary education in Iowa and to encourage dialogue on postsecondary education public policy in Iowa. All the study activity created considerable apprehension on campus. Several studies were viewed as program eliminators. Data collected externally compared with departmental data was often shown to be inconsistent, further enhancing apprehension. Reconciling the data proved to be difficult and underscored the need for an information system: an electronic storehouse that can efficiently and consistently meet the data needs of future studies. Enthusiasm has increased from all quarters for building the information that is now in its beginning stages. Contains 23 references. (GLR)