Data, Research, and Assessment Requests

The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA) frequently receives requests for raw or aggregate data, electronic or printed reports of various institutional data, etc. The Assistant Vice President of IRA is charged with approving or denying these requests, to ensure compliance with applicable policy and law, and to ensure good custody and stewardship of educational records.

This policy applies to all individuals and groups – including alumni, faculty, staff, students, and those working on behalf of the college – who wish to obtain information about any former, current, or future member of our college. This includes requests pertaining to obtaining data, analyzing data, research projects, and assessment initiatives.

Due to the increasing number of requests the IRA Office manages, as well as the increased demand for our services, the office will need to develop a declaration of collaboration, which will establish clear expectations and a suggested timeline for your specific request. Depending on the scope of your project, competing institutional priorities, and currently-scheduled tasks, your requested timeline may need to be adjusted, accordingly.

Step 1: Those requesting data, research, or assessment support at Carleton College must submit IRA’s Intake Form.

Step 2: Request Form reviewed by IRA.

Step 3: Decision is rendered or request is routed to the appropriate office, if not IRA.

Step 4: The requestor will be notified of the decision and, depending on that decision, will be asked to comply with the appropriate step below: 

Step 5: Once the Declaration of Collaboration is signed by both parties, the request will be fulfilled¹ according to the project details in the Declaration of Collaboration.

¹If, after the project commences, your request deviates from the details you provided in your initial Request Form, the project may require additional review.

Step 1: The requestor may appeal IRA’s decision to deny a request. Appeals should be submitted in writing to ira@carleton.edu and must be supported by new information that was not included in the original request. All appeals should address the following: 

• Rationale for the appeal
• Remedies for IRA’s concerns that led to the denial
• Updated project timeline 

Step 2: The appeal will be reviewed by the Institutional Research and Assessment Advisory Committee (IRAAC).

Step 3: Decision is rendered or request is routed to the appropriate office, if not IRA.

Step 4: The requestor will be notified of the decision and, depending on that decision, will be asked to comply with the appropriate step below: 

If Approved: the requestor will complete Steps 4 and 5 in the Request Process section, above. 

If Denied: refrain from moving forward with the proposed project. Neither IRA nor IRAAC will accept a second appeal.

While we prefer to work collaboratively and supportively, please be aware that failure to adhere to this request policy may lead to a reconsideration of project partnership or other actions, as determined by the College.

This request policy will be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure it remains current and aligned with our College’s evolving goals and values.