Evaluations and Data Collection Cycles

Institutional Research collaborates with other divisions to sustain continuous quality improvement processes at SMU by collecting, analyzing, visualizing, and reporting meaningful and critical performance and outcomes data.  The listing below describes the data collection tools, cycles, methodology, populations, and reporting of key institutional data. 

Alumni Survey

  • Graduates of SMU 1 and 5 years back across all programs are surveyed.
  • Data collected every year.
  • Online and paper surveys.
  • Implemented, analyzed, and reported by Institutional Research.

Course and Faculty Evaluations (summative)

  • Evaluations across all courses, programs, and campuses at the end of the course.  
  • Data collected every semester.
  • Online forms using Qualtrics Course Evaluation System.
  • Implemented, analyzed, and reported by Institutional Research.

Course and Faculty feedback (formative)

  • Evaluations across all courses, programs, and campuses at the end of the course.  
  • Data collected every semester.
  • Online forms.
  • Inbuilt in Canvas LMS and viewed by course instructors in real-time.

Curriculum Mapping of Learning Outcomes Visualization

  • Linkages and alignments across course, program, and student learning outcomes are collected across all programs.
  • Key assignments and alignments with specialty accreditation standards are collected across all programs.
  • Data are collected or updated after a University Curriculum Committee approval.
  • Structured, analyzed, visualized, and reported by Institutional Research.

Employer Survey

  • Employers of SMU graduates who graduated 1 and 5 years back, across all programs are surveyed.
  • Data collected every year.
  • Online and paper surveys.
  • Implemented, analyzed, and reported by Institutional Research.

Entering Students’ Survey

  • New students in each semester are surveyed across all campuses.
  • Data collected every semester.
  • Online surveys.
  • Implemented, analyzed, and reported by  Admissions.

Facts at a glance (Factsheet)

  • Current summary report of institutional facts - admission, enrollment, demographics, degrees, financial aid, faculty and staff
  • Data collected every year.
  • Analyzed and reported by Institutional Research.

Graduate Exit Employment Survey

  • Graduates surveyed immediately on graduation for employment details
  • Data collected every graduation period.
  • Online surveys.
  • Implemented, analyzed, and reported by Institutional Research.

Institutional Data

  • Detailed five-year trend visualizations of admission, enrollment, degrees, financial aid, faculty, and staff data with data interactions.
  • Data collected every year.
  • Analyzed and reported by Institutional Research.

Regulatory Reporting

  • Program specialty accreditation annual reports.
  • IPEDS data collections.
  • WSCUC annual report.
  • Other annual reports to regulatory agencies.
  • Annual HRSA grant performance reports.
  • Analyzed and reported in collaboration with Institutional Research and other departments.

Predictive Analytics for Student Success

  • New students in each semester are surveyed using a comprehensive tool.
  • Data collected every semester.
  • Online surveys.
  • Implemented by Admissions.
  • Statistically modeled and reported by Institutional Research.

Predictive Analytics for Student Success for Licensure Results

  • Admissions data and HESI exam results are modeled to predict student first-time success in licensing exams.
  • Models identify which applicant or enrolled student is likely to pass on the first attempt.
  • Statistically modeled and reported by Institutional Research.

Student Satisfaction Survey

  • All enrolled students are surveyed across all campuses.
  • Data collected every year.
  • Online surveys.
  • Administered, analyzed, and reported by Institutional Research.

Student Success Measures

  • Collected across all identified indicators from various data sources.
  • Data collected every year.
  • Analyzed and reported by Institutional Research.

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