Section GA.4

Community and Governmental Relations
Public Relations
Institutional Research

Procedure

Institutional Research

The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) provides information, research, and data analysis to support decision making that results in empowerment and success for all members of the Navarro College community. IRE responds to requests for data or information from various internal stakeholders including Navarro College committees, administrators, faculty, staff, and student organizations. IRE also responds to requests from state reporting agencies, federal reporting agencies, educational organizations, and other external bodies as resources permit.

Prior to requesting historical enrollment or success data, please review the Quick Facts, Fact Book, and Student Achievement data provided on the Office of Institutional Research’s website under “NC Profile.” All requests for information should be directed to the Office of Institutional Research (IRE). Requests are accepted via the Institutional Research/Technology Data Request form.

Prior to approval of data requests, IRE will determine the validity of all data requests in relation to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other college policies.

When appropriate, the Leadership Team will be informed of the request prior to approval by IRE/IT.

While we make every attempt to fulfill requests as quickly as possible, please allow a minimum of 10 working days for completion of requests. Completion time for data requests varies based on nature of the data request, how critical the request is to success of the college’s mission, access to data requested, and other factors.

Priority will be assigned to requests from college leadership and any committee/Task Force dedicated to institutional assessment such as the Enrollment Management Committee.

For requests involving data not handled by IRE, the request will be directed to the appropriate department.

Navarro College Employee Data Requests

Navarro College employees who require additional data to perform their official job responsibilities may submit a Data Request Form. The link to this form can be found on the IRE website.

All requests will be reviewed by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness to ensure compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), applicable laws, and college policies. Approval of requests is based on demonstrated business need and alignment with institutional priorities.

The IRE Office will make every attempt to fulfill requests as quickly as possible, please allow a minimum of 10 business days for completion of requests. Completion time for data requests varies based on the nature of the data request, how critical the request is to success of the college’s mission, access to data requested, and other factors.

For requests involving data not handled by the IRE Office, the request will be directed to the appropriate department.

External Data Requests

All external requests for data must follow Navarro College’s open records procedure as outlined in Section GA.2 of the Navarro College Board Policy Manual.

Data Collection

To ensure data quality, compliance, and appropriate use of institutional information, any survey or data collection activity conducted for institutional decision-making purposes and involving students, employees, or external stakeholders must be:

  • approved in advance by the Executive Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness or

  • conducted under the direction of a member of the Navarro College District and Campus Leadership Team, with notification provided to the Executive Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness prior to administration of data collection.

All data collection activities are subject to institutional data governance, compliance, and records retention requirements. Any activity involving the sharing of student-level data, or the use of third-party vendors to collect or analyze this data, must be reviewed by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness prior to participation. When applicable, a formal Data Sharing Agreement or Data Use Agreement will be required to ensure compliance with FERPA and institutional policies.

Research Requests

Any individual or organization wishing to conduct research involving Navarro College, its students, or employees, whether conducted at the College, or on behalf of the institution, must receive prior approval from the Research Review Committee before initiating any aspect of the research.

This process applies to requests to conduct research using Navarro College resources, data, students, or employees, including external requestors and employees conducting independent academic research, and does not apply to institutionally initiated research activities or approved collaborative efforts led by the College. This process does not apply to research or data analysis conducted as part of an employee’s official job responsibilities or institutional research activities performed by Navarro College offices.

Submitting a Research Request

To initiate this process, the requestor must submit an email request to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) indicating the intent to conduct research and provide all required documentation and an outreach plan. Documentation may include approval letter from a university Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the IRB document. Any recruitment communications or materials that will be used to invite participants, as well as any data collection instruments such as survey questionnaires, interview guides, or focus group questions, must be submitted for review as part of the research request.

The requestor must also include an outreach plan describing the intended participant population, the proposed date(s) or timeframe during which the study will be conducted, the type of research activity (e.g., survey, focus group), and how participants would be invited to participate. The outreach plan should describe the proposed method of invitation as if conducted through the College, recognizing that the requestor will not have direct access to contact information or distribution channels.

Navarro College does not release student or employee contact information for research purposes, and requestors will not be provided with direct access to email addresses, distribution lists, or other contact mechanisms. Requestors should not assume access to institutional communication channels or attempt to initiate outreach independently. If outreach is approved as part of the research request, it will be conducted through institution-controlled channels.

Initial requests and supporting documentation should be submitted to: research@navarrocollege.edu

Site Approval

In some instances, a requestor’s institution or Institution Review Board (IRB) may require documentation of site approval prior to beginning or finalizing research approval, even when all study details are not yet available. In such cases, the Research Review Committee may issue conditional site approval acknowledging the College’s willingness to consider participation in the proposed research.

Conditional site approval does not authorize recruitment, data collection, or interaction with students or employees. Requestors seeking conditional site approval must follow the same submission and review steps required for all research requests, providing the information available at the time of submission and clearly indicating that conditional site approval is being requested. Once the requestor has all the details and is ready to request permission to conduct their study, the requestor must follow the research request steps to seek approval by the Research Review Committee.

Review Process and Timeline

The Executive Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness serves as the liaison between the requestor and the Research Review Committee. The committee will review the research request and issue a decision. The committee may request additional documentation or clarification from the requestor.

A decision from the committee may take up to six weeks following receipt of all required documentation and information. Depending on the scope and complexity of the project, the overall process may take several months from time of request to final decision.

Approved: 2016
Updated: 2020, 2021, 2026
Reviewed: 2022