How I Spent My Summer Vacation

We are in the middle of the CIRP Summer Institute, and as usual have a great group of diverse people united by their common bond of wanting to be able to use CIRP data to the fullest.

The CIRP Summer Institute has a twenty-year history. The original idea for its creation still is paramount today: deepen the understanding of what CIRP data can do for you and your institution and how to make that happen.

We start with the conceptual framework of the CIRP surveys, then move into breaking down sections of the individual instruments and how they are tied together. Add in recent research findings using CIRP data. Then the group splits into two sections. Group 1 is for those with little to no experience with data analysis in SPSS. Group 2 is for experienced users who understand regression, but are not necessarily experts. In those groups we go over key concepts of analysis using examples from a longitudinal data base that ties CIRP Freshman Survey data with matched data from the College Senior Survey.

Then, with a good understanding of the CIRP conceptual framework, how the data are structured, and suggested methods of analysis, we turn participants loose on the data. Their goal, in 24 hours, is to present back out to institute participants what their research question was, how they went about testing it, and what they found. Then, how might this be used back home to impact institutional change?

I always come away amazed with what people do with CIRP, and how they come up with such innovate questions and strategies when getting into the data. It’s a very busy three days, but participants are so enthusiastic and excited about what they can now do that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sounds good? We’ll be back next year…