Mission
The mission of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning is to empower the Fitchburg State community through accurate data, strategic insights, and collaborative assessment that advance student success, institutional integrity, and continuous improvement.
Official Reporting and Institutional Data
We handle mandatory federal and state compliance (IPEDS, DHE) while upholding Fitchburg State’s presence in external surveys, guidebooks, and rankings. As the official source for institutional data, we ensure every submission is accurate, compliant, and reflective of the university's quality.
Strategic Insights and Decision Support
We turn complex university data into clear, practical insights that help campus leaders make informed decisions and advance student success initiatives.
Assessment and Continuous Improvement
We work side-by-side with faculty to make learning assessment clear, manageable, and genuinely useful. By providing streamlined workflows, practical templates, and direct support, we make evaluating student learning a smooth, worthwhile effort that supports continuous pedagogical growth.
Need Data or Custom Reports?
Before submitting a request, check if your metrics are already available:
- Public Data: Visit Institutional Data for enrollment, graduation, and demographic reports.
- Student Success Data (SSO Required): Log in to our secure Student Success Dashboard for disaggregated retention, persistence, and outcome trends.
Custom data reporting from Banner and institutional databases are managed jointly by the Institutional Research and Planning and Technology Offices.
- Submit a Data Request Form: Route custom data and report requests directly to the joint team.
- Crystal Reports Access and Licensing: Learn about Crystal Reports licensing and use on campus.
Strategic Analytics and Consultation
Bring your research questions, survey ideas, or program evaluation needs to our team. From running statistical analyses to interpreting complex findings, hands-on analytical support is available to faculty, staff, and university leadership. Reach out anytime to discuss a project.
Research Roundtable
Collaborative Higher Ed and Data Literacy Discussions
The Research Roundtable offers hosted journal club discussions and data literacy conversations for campus groups by request (rbuonoco@fitchburgstate.edu). Looking to spark a thoughtful discussion during a department meeting, explore an emerging higher education topic with a working group, or dive into student learning research with colleagues? We can help frame the topic, facilitate discussion, and bring institutional context to your conversation.
How It Works
- Bring an Idea or Topic: Have a specific paper, a research question, or a topic in mind (such as student retention, placement testing, or learning analytics)? Reach out to start the conversation.
- Tailored for Your Group: Sessions can be formatted for unit/departmental meetings, standing committees, interdisciplinary interest groups, or open campus-wide forums.
- Collaborative Facilitation: You bring the interest; we will help frame the discussion, provide complementary institutional data context, and co-facilitate an engaging conversation.
- Planning Ahead: Reaching out a few weeks in advance gives us time to help distribute readings and tailor the discussion to your group's goals.
October 10, 2025 Affordances and Limitations of the ACCUPLACER Automated Writing Placement Tool. Hughes & Li (2019) explores both the strengths and challenges of using ACCUPLACER for writing placement. The authors note that the tool offers important benefits—such as efficiency, consistency, and scalability—which make it especially valuable for institutions serving large and diverse student populations. At the same time, they point out that automated systems may not fully capture the depth of student writing, particularly in areas like argumentation or rhetorical awareness. To best support students, the authors suggest that ACCUPLACER can be most effective when paired with complementary approaches, such as human review or portfolio assessments, to provide a more complete picture of students’ abilities.
May 21, 2025 Session in MAZZ 203. Bicak et al 2023 - Predictors and consequences of math course repetition, the role of horizontal and vertical repetition in success among community college transfer students. Predictors and consequences of math course repetition: The role of horizontal and vertical repetition in success among community college transfer students
Summary: Bicak et al. (2023) examines how repeating math courses affects academic outcomes for community college transfer students. The authors distinguish between horizontal repetition (retaking a different introductory math course after passing one) and vertical repetition (retaking the same course after passing it). Their analysis reveals that both types of repetition are associated with negative academic consequences, including lower cumulative GPAs, increased time to degree completion, and accumulation of excess credits. Notably, vertical repetition is also linked to a decreased likelihood of earning a bachelor's degree. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the impacts of course sequencing in transfer pathways to develop interventions that support transfer student success.
April 2, 2025 Session: - How first-year academic momentum influences transfer outcomes among different racial and ethnic groups
Summary: Yu et al. (2024) investigates how first-year academic success (momentum) influences later academic success and graduation rates (outcomes) of transfer students, exploring disparities among different racial and ethnic groups. Using data from a large, diverse community college system, the study finds that early academic momentum—measured by factors such as GPA, credits attempted, and summer enrollment—strongly predicts transfer success. However, the researchers also found that these predictors of success operate differently across racial groups, suggesting that the impact of early academic momentum is not uniform. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to address and close equity gaps in higher education and ensure that all transfer students, regardless of their racial or ethnic background, have the support they need to succeed.
March 5, 2025 Session: Student engagement, school involvement, and transfer student success
Synopsis: Turnquest et al. (2024) examines the impact of student engagement and school involvement on the academic success of transfer students in higher education. The authors argue that these factors are crucial for transfer student success, finding that higher levels of both engagement (in studies) and involvement (in campus life) are associated with improved academic outcomes. Their research indicates that transfer students who are more engaged are more likely to have higher GPAs and graduate on time, while those more involved in campus life feel a greater sense of belonging and demonstrate increased persistence rates. Collectively, these findings suggest that fostering an engaging and inclusive environment is crucial for supporting transfer students' success in higher education.
No February paper/meeting
Jan. 2025 Session: Essay content and style are strongly related to household income and SAT scores: Evidence from 60,000 undergraduate applications
Alvero et al. (2021) investigates how application essays reflect socioeconomic disparities. Using data from 60,000 applicants, the study found essay content and style were more strongly associated with household income than SAT scores, highlighting encoded socioeconomic markers in qualitative admissions components. The findings stress the importance of revisiting holistic admissions practices amid trends to de-emphasize standardized tests.
Dec. 2024 Session: Choosing to learn: The importance of student autonomy in higher education
Cullen and Oppenheimer (2024) explores the role of autonomy-supportive policies in improving student engagement and learning outcomes. Using a randomized controlled field study, the authors found that giving students the choice to mandate their attendance increased their commitment and attendance rates. Similarly, allowing students to opt out of demanding assessments led to greater effort and mastery, highlighting the effectiveness of autonomy in enhancing motivation and academic performance.
Nov. 2024 Session: A customized belonging intervention improves retention of socially disadvantaged students at a broad-access university
Murphy et al. (2020) evaluates the impact of a customized social-belonging intervention at a broad-access university. It found that such interventions significantly increased retention rates among socially disadvantaged students by addressing belonging-related challenges, ultimately improving persistence and academic outcomes over two years. This study demonstrates the potential for scalable, context-specific interventions to enhance educational equity in diverse institutional settings.
How to read a scientific paper:
- Start with the abstract to get a high-level overview of the study's purpose, methods, key findings, and implications. This is a good time to check-in with guiding questions (see below) to frame your thoughts while reading.
- Skim the discussion and conclusion sections for interpretation of the findings and their implications. Readers with limited time are encouraged to read the abstract and conclusion sections at minimum to be able to engage meaningfully in discussion.
- Review key figures and tables by skimming through visuals and captions to understand the main data points.
- Readers with the time and space for deeper investigation of the paper should now visit the methods section to understand the study design and analytic approaches.
Guiding questions:
For all readers
- What is the main research question?
- What are the key findings?
- Why does this matter in the context of higher education?
- How does this study relate to our institution’s goals or challenges?
For deeper thinking
- What insights stood out to you, and why?
- Which figures or tables, if any, best supported the paper's objective(s)?
- Did anything in the paper surprise you or challenge your assumptions?
- What would you like to see explored in future research on this topic?
For deepest thinking
- How (through what methods) did the authors answer their research questions?
- Are the methods robust and ethical?
- What patterns or significant trends emerge in the results besides the main finding?
- What questions does this paper leave unanswered?