Policies

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is:

• to ensure that statistical representations of West Virginia University to the public and any external agencies/entities are consistent, factually correct, and reflect as positively as possible on the institution;
• to avoid any unnecessary duplication of effort and minimize the departmental and
  college/school human resource requirements in responding to such requests; and
• to maintain a clearinghouse of statistical reports and responses to requests from external agencies/entities submitted by University personnel on behalf of the institution, college/school, or department/unit

SCOPE

This policy applies to all official publications as well as all requests for statistical information (excluding financial/financial aid information) on West Virginia University or its regional campuses, including but not limited to reports, surveys, and questionnaires, required/received by University personnel/units and responded to on behalf of the institution, college/school, or department /unit.

POLICY

Institutional Research, and its designated corresponding Regional Campus representatives, are responsible for providing official, statistical information on West Virginia University (excluding financial/financial aid information) for the respective campuses. All official responses to external entities (e.g., reports, surveys, questionnaires) on behalf of the institution, college/school, or department/unit will be based on the most currently available official statistical information/data set provided by Institutional Research/Regional Campus representatives.
Requests for statistical information (excluding financial/financial aid information) on West Virginia University should be handled in one of the two following ways:

1. Contact Institutional Research (or appropriate Regional Campus representatives) or its Web site for assistance in fulfilling the request, or
2. Draft a response and forward it to Institutional Research (or appropriate Regional campus representatives) for review to ensure consistency and accuracy.

Whichever method is used to respond to any given external request for statistical information, a copy of all completed reports, surveys, questionnaires, and other external requests for statistical information submitted on behalf of the institution, college/school, or department/unit will be sent to Institutional Research (or appropriate Regional Campus representatives) for inclusion in the central archive.

PROCEDURE

Procedure development rests with Institutional Research.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

The responsibility for implementation of this policy rests with each unit administrator (e.g., Chairpersons, Directors, Deans, and other major administrators with supervisory responsibilities). Institutional Analysis, at 293-4245 or P.O. Box 6209, is available to answer questions or provide additional information regarding this policy.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR INTERPRETATION

The responsibility for interpretation of this policy rests with the Director of Institutional Research, West Virginia University or his/her designee.

Effective Date: February 22, 2008
Approved By: Narvel G. Weese, Jr., Vice President for Administration and Finance