The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) is a national longitudinal study of the American higher education system that was started in 1966 by the American Council on Education, and is now conducted jointly with the University of California at Los Angeles. The items included within this survey include students' self-reported reasons for attending college and reasons students choose UM, as well as student hopes and expectations for the educational experience. The responses also provide family background, high school activities, and give insight into attitudes and viewpoints regarding selected social issues.

The University of Michigan participated in the first years of the study (1966-1976), and resumed participation in 1993 after identifying that the gap in our knowledge of student trends was a problem for the institution. Since that time, UM students have usually been included as part of the annual national portrait released widely through the media. Over 60,000 entering University of Michigan students have taken the CIRP over the recent 14 administrations of the survey.

How CIRP informs decision making across the institution

The CIRP survey serves the institution in two primary ways. One way in which it informs our campus is in the picture of our new undergraduate students we receive from this information, including:

• One year snapshots of entering student groups,
• Trend analyses of entering student experiences and attitudes over years,
• Comparison of UM entering students to the nation and peer institutions (both public and private highly selective institutions), in order to learn more about what different needs UM students present,
• Education of faculty, staff, and administrators about our student population through presentations (such as at the Academic Services Board, individual colleges and schools),
• Information to first year admitting colleges and schools about their specific students, allowing these areas to see how their students compare to the institution and the nation,
• Projection of future trends, needs, and traits of undergraduate (and graduate) students.

Planning learning opportunities within Student Affairs through use of CIRP information

Many programs, units, and staff actively seek out this information in order to plan in a responsive manner. Some examples include:

• The Career Center uses this information with other information about student destinations after graduation to learn more about the outcomes of their work.
• The Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning creates better offerings by understanding how many entering students have been previously involved in community service and learning experiences.
• The International Center has used data about student study abroad experiences before college to inform their work with undergraduate study abroad programs.
• Multi Ethnic Student Affairs has used data about targeted populations to inform their planning and programming for particular student needs.
• University Housing and University Health Service have used information about student smoking and alcohol use before college to target health education programs and living arrangements.
• Several areas with questions about first generation student needs and traits have been able to move forward with more targeted programs to provide a better university experience for these students (which translates into gains for all students).

Informing teaching and research across the institution

Furthermore, this information assists us in informing other key constituents (such as parents, legislators, and donors) about UM students and their needs. University researchers beyond the Division of Student Affairs also rely on CIRP information to provide baseline data for their studies. Collaborating with other units across the campus, CIRP data is linked to other studies allowing for longitudinal student outcome research and cross-sectional studies by cohort. These efforts inform the institution on such issues as:

• Student alcohol use and binge behavior (with the Substance Abuse Research Center),
• Comparison data for matching with other campus survey efforts, such as the occasionally administered National Survey of Student Engagement.
• The development of students in the Comprehensive Studies Program,
• Outcomes of participation in the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) program,
• The interaction of diverse campus experiences and development of citizenry skills (as a component of the Diverse Democracy Project in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education),
• The impact of the events of September 11, presidential election, and other historical events (both predictable and unpredictable).

These linkages would not be possible without a full population participation in the CIRP survey (the entire entering undergraduate class), which serves as baseline information (the "before" picture of UM undergraduate students) and informs knowledge about the impact of the array of educational opportunities across the institution. Through having a full baseline group, the institution has the ability to better study sub populations of our students and gain greater insight into their learning experiences. Additionally, the CIRP survey provides for the addition of questions tailored to the specific needs of the institution. We have been able to explore such issues as eating disorders, major selection prior to matriculation, and openness to diverse people and perspectives, in order to obtain baseline information on key student issues specific to the University of Michigan.

Research within the Division of Student Affairs

During the past several years, the Division of Student Affairs has been dedicated to a research effort in order to productively provide research, evaluation, and assessment support throughout the Division of Student Affairs and its various units. Through these endeavors, the research effort has focused on three strands:

• Knowledge about students: Creating and disseminating knowledge about University of Michigan students in order to better understand what students are learning and gaining as a result of their experiences at the University (including information about life and wellness habits, confidence change, and graduation rates).
• Improving Student Affairs offerings: Providing information to improve and focus the offerings of the Division of Student Affairs to best meet current and upcoming student needs (ranging from hours of service and other logistical matters to upcoming developmental issues such as academic confidence or spiritual development).
• Professional development: Educating Divisional and other interested staff in the use of existing research to better inform policy development, practice and decision-making (including producing documents, giving presentations, and referring staff members to related readings to build their knowledge of key topics).

How units may benefit from Student Affairs Research

Student Affairs Research works with partners across the university to learn more about the student experience, helping a number of university audiences apply it to our shared work with students. Student Affairs Research is ready to provide a number of presentations, including:

• Trend analysis of UM entering undergraduates, using CIRP information
• Analysis of CIRP information about first year students entering specific colleges
• First generation students: Entering characteristics and outcomes
• Political attitudes of entering undergraduate students
• Health and wellness traits in entering undergraduate students
• Or another presentation useful for your unit's work.

Student Affairs Research is always open to opportunities to partner in IRB-approved research projects with faculty and other UM researchers, knowing that these partnerships often help improve undergraduate education. To arrange for a presentation or discuss partnership opportunities, contact Dr. Malinda Matney at mmatney@umich.edu.