This article is designed to give the reader a conceptual, nontechnical overview of estimation and model fit issues in multilevel modeling (MLM). The process of MLM generally involves fitting a series of multilevel models that increase in complexity. When conducting multilevel analyses, it is important to balance the need for complexity and the…

Multilevel modeling provides several advantages over traditional ordinary least squares regression analysis; however, reporting results to stakeholders can be challenging. This article suggests some strategies for presenting complex, multilevel data and statistical results to institutional and higher education decision makers. The article is…

In 2008-2009, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) generated television and marketing revenues of approximately $591 million, college sports apparel sales topped $4 billion, and several schools signed multimedia-rights deals for more than $100 million (Berkowitz, 2009; National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2009). At the Division…

As the pressure to win in select collegiate sports escalates, financial pressures mount, and the need to comply with Title IX regulations and gender equity policies continues, athletics administrators are faced with having to make difficult decisions regarding their sport programs. To assist in the decision-making process regarding sport programs,…

Putting data-driven decision making into practice requires the use of consistent and reliable data that are easily accessible. The systematic collection and maintenance of accurate information is an important component in developing policy and evaluating outcomes. Since 1982, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has been collecting…

Although the concern for fostering opportunities for women and people of color in college athletics expanded under the leadership of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) president Myles Brand, significant challenges in hiring decisions remain. Brand said, "Though there has been some modest recent progress, there is an intolerable lack…

In 1989, John S. and James L. Knight established the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. Although it has no regulatory authority or oversight responsibilities, the Knight Commission's periodic reports are widely read and taken into account by decision-making bodies. Beginning in 1991, the Knight Commission called for greater faculty…

There is a peculiar omission of Asian Americans from higher education research, and the seemingly inexorable model minority myth contributes to erecting and perpetuating barriers that continue to obstruct scholarship on this population. This chapter examines four interrelated barriers to generating scholarship on Asian Americans and makes a case…

There is almost nothing more frustrating to an institutional researcher than seeing university leaders ignore data. The case study in this article examines how an institutional research office was able to put data to work in enrollment services and produce record-setting numbers of applications, admissions, and confirmations within a nine-month…

Because high school graduates are many colleges' primary target population, information on high school students' performance and sociodemographic characteristics becomes important for the recruitment process. This article introduces an HTML application (referred to here as the High School Profile) that arranges high school information and makes…

Producing analyses that are accurate, timely, and simple is a constant challenge for institutional researchers. The stakes are high: when the analysis is incomplete, arrives too late, does not adequately address the question, or is simply too much to comprehend, decision makers fall back on anecdotal thinking or gut-level reactions that can lead…

This article familiarizes readers with how to analyze personnel selection decisions in employment discrimination litigation. First, the authors outline some of the basic legal principles that serve as the basis for analyses related to claims of discriminatory employment practices. Second, they describe how to conduct a scientific investigation of…

This chapter serves as a beginner's guide to some essentials of human resource faculty data and cost data and their integration into products to facilitate institutional decision making. It begins with a brief overview of general higher education cost data concepts, followed by a similar synopsis of relevant higher education human resource data.…

The purpose of this chapter is to examine possible uses for facilities data as they relate to three academic issues: classroom management, personnel management, and research activity. The number of institutions actively using space information to improve decision making is unknown. Most articles available in professional publications such as…

Over the past thirty years, considerable research has been conducted to understand the issues that affect a student's choice of a higher education institution. Past research has focused on understanding the phases of the decision process and the personal, financial, and environmental factors that influence institutional choice. Many of these…