Research & Policy Institute at NASPA

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Research & Policy Institute

NASPA's Research and Policy Institute (RPI) intentionally links research, policy, and effective student affairs practice in support of student success and the strategic priorities of the Association.

We generate scholarship and conduct policy analysis to articulate student affairs contributions to student success, learning, and development; interpret information to advance practice and policy conversations; and connect the many research and policy activities of NASPA members to increase reach and impact.

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Institutions’ Use of Data and Analytics for Student Success: Results From a Landscape Analysis

NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), and EDUCAUSE have conducted a national landscape analysis to examine how institutional research (IR), student affairs, and information technology (IT) professionals are working together to support students. The three higher education associations jointly developed and launched a national survey of their memberships to identify trends in the types of student success data projects that institutions conduct, the structures in place for sharing data among multiple users, the level of coordination across functions, and how institutions are using data to inform interventions and program delivery. This report reflects responses from nearly 1,000 IR, student affairs, and IT professionals across public, private, two- and four-year institutions across the United States and concludes with four recommendations for improving and executing an institution-wide, data-informed strategy for student success.

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NASPA Policy and Practice Series: A Framework for Divisionwide Assessments of Student Learning

Evidence of student learning and resource stewardship are integral components to higher education’s internal planning and
external accountability fabric. Assessment offers educational leaders a powerful tool to address needs for detailed evidence
that demonstrates areas of strength while pointing to areas that can enhance the educational environment delivered to
students. Although a litany of resources exist to guide program- and department-level assessment, few resources are designed
to help leaders in student affairs organize an integrated and cohesive approach to showcase the contributions of student
affairs for planning and accountability. The purpose of this issue of Policy and Practice is to support the efforts of student
affairs educators who want to build divisionwide assessment structures that are sustainable; enable practitioners to guide
and document change; and support the division’s ability to showcase the contributions of the cocurriculum toward resource
stewardship, student learning, and university mission.
Posted on August 28, 2019 at 08:15 AM by Research & Policy Institute
NASPA Policy and Practice Series: Strategies for Addressing Mental Health Support on Campus

This issue of Policy and Practice offers counselors and student affairs professionals strategies to effectively support the mental health needs of today’s students. In response to the increase in student demand for mental health services in a time of fixed or declining resources, institutions have explored a variety of approaches. To achieve the transparent, connected, and flexible systems that students need, institutions must have a robust infrastructure in place that includes a clearly defined scope of service that best fits the campus context; well-documented policies and procedures centered on equity and in alignment with applicable legal and ethical standards; and mechanisms for cross campus communication, assessment, and ongoing improvement. This brief overviews relevant federal legislation and liability concerns, highlights trends in counseling center practices, and offers recommendations for campus mental health policies and practices.
Posted on May 1, 2019 at 12:25 PM by Research & Policy Institute
We’ve moved! Find the latest Research and Policy Institute updates on the NASPA blog!

Starting in late April, 2019, the NASPA Research and Policy Institute blog has been merged into the NASPA blog! Check us out there: http://www.naspa.org/about/blog
Posted on April 23, 2019 at 07:04 AM by Research & Policy Institute
Is In-State Tuition Enough? 2019 State Legislation for Undocumented Students

This week, the Trump administration resurfaced its targeting of sanctuary cities through a proposal to place detained immigrants and asylum seekers solely in the responsibility of sanctuary municipalities. The proposal is rooted in the notion that safeguarding undocumented immigrants perpetuates criminal activity. The correlation between these two actions, however, is largely unfounded. While difficult to assess crime rates among undocumented immigrants specifically, a number of research studies analyzed by the Cato Institute in March 2019 have concluded that overall immigrant crime rates are actually much lower than crime rates among native born populations. From a policy perspective, aligning undocumented immigrants with criminal activity is also counterproductive as establishing a diverse and inclusive American workforce proves beneficial for global competitiveness and a more robust national economy. The question that arises here, then, is: what do undocumented immigrants need in order to succeed as a part of the American workforce? One option may be through increasing college affordability. In this post Diana Ali, Assistant Director of Policy Research and Advocacy, will provide an analysis of in-state tuition and financial aid state legislation for undocumented immigrants in 2019.
Posted on April 18, 2019 at 10:47 AM by Research & Policy Institute
April 15 NASPA Policy Update

Have you heard about the reintroduction of the College Equity Act or the introduction of the Protect Student Borrowers Act of 2019? Did you know that last Friday the New York Dream Act was officially signed into law? Find all this and more, including the most recent updates in state-based legislation regarding in-state tuition for undocumented students and sexual assault prevention and response in this week's edition of the weekly update!
Posted on April 15, 2019 at 02:54 PM by Research & Policy Institute

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