N E W S L E T T E R
January, 2002
INSIDE

I hope that the Holiday season was a great one! May your 2002 be filled with peace, productivity and happiness!

ALAIR's Annual Regional Workshop was held at Snead State with Kelly D'Eath coordinating the event. Thanks to Kelly D'Eath for her hard work and to Tammie Richey and Janis Lowther the workshop presenters. AIR and IPEDS supported the workshop with material and the presenters.

It is with great pleasure that I announce the Best Paper Award for the 2001 ALAIR Annual Conference. Dr. Anna Waggener's paper "Principles of Graphical Excellence " will be presented at AIR in Toronto, Canada in June.

The 2002 ALAIR Conference time and place have been set. Please join us at Samford University in Birmingham on April 11 and 12 for information sharing and rejuvenation. Now is the time to be thinking of a paper, panel or a Tools and Technique session. Don't forget to enter the Factbook competition both published and electronic. You will receive entry forms with registration packets in March.

The 2001 SAIR meeting in Panama City Beach was a great success. Of course ALAIR members kept a high profile with Sam Lowther as the program chair and Harriot Calhoun as the president. ALAIR members made presentations, served on/and chaired committees, worked registration, served as facilitators.

One of the goals for the coming year is to increase the membership by recruiting new members and convincing old ones to return to the fold. We are also encouraging all members to recruit graduate students that may be interested in the field of institutional research. Full time students can join ALAIR at a reduced fee. Please notify appropriated departments within your graduate schools.

One of ALAIR's Executive Committee's goals is to meet the needs of all members. In this we welcome any suggestions as to ways to be more responsive to each of you.

Check out the ALAIR website www.alair.org for current information and pictures from SAIR in Panama City and the Regional Workshop at Snead State (coming up soon)!

Looking forward to seeing each of you at the ALAIR Conference in April!

Priscilla Holland

Welcome New and Returning Members:

  • From Wallace Community College in Dothan, Mike Babb , Dean of Instructional Support Services;
  • Tim Smith, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, from Jacksonville State University;
  • Steve Spratlin, Director of Institutional Research, Southern Union Community College;
  • Shirley Kargleder Registrar, from Spring Hill College;
  • from Enterprise State Community College, Sue Baum, Director of Computer Service;
  • Marylyn Reece, Director of Institutional Research and Dean of Extended Day from Northeast Alabama Community College;
  • and from University of Mobile, Kaye Brown, Director of Institutional Research.

Congratulations to:

  • Mimi McDaniel who recently took a new position as an Institutional Research and Planning Analyst in the Division of Development with Trenholm State Technical college ( Her new office will be at the Trenholm Campus on Air Base Blvd., in Montgomery);
  • Jim and Wendy Eck upon the birth of Rachel Brianne Eck on November 20th, 2001 "8 pounds, 4 ounces, 21 3/4 inches long";
  • Cara Mia Braswell, who is engaged to be married; and
  • Jon C. Acker, who is the newly appointed Coordinator of Student Assessment at the University of Alabama. Dr. Acker, along with Bill Fendley and Billy Hughes recently won the Best Paper Award for presenting "Implementing a Recursive Retention Assessment System for Engineering Programs" at SAIR in Panama City and will be presenting this paper at AIR in Toronto.

ALAIR Regional Workshop Held December 7th, 2001

The 2001 ALAIR Regional Workshop was held December 7 on the Snead State Community College campus in Boaz, Alabama. Twenty-three participants attended the one-day workshop. Following the welcome by Snead President Dr. Johnny McAlpine, Tammie Richey (Assistant Director of Institutional Research at Jefferson State Community College) and Janis Lowther (Institutional Research Associate at the Alabama Commission on Higher Education) provided an overview of IPEDS changes and the winter collection. Following lunch, the training convened in a computer lab to allow participates hands-on training in with both the winter collection and peer analysis.

The following evaluation comments highlighted the positive aspects of the presentations:

- Hands on computer exercises were helpful and raised issues and questions that were immediately answered
- Ability to see actual screens and get explanation first hand
- Import file information was helpful
- The "hands-on" training; the training manual is great to have!
- Advice from other users at schools like mine
- Peer Analysis - migration to spreadsheets!!

-Kelly D'Eath.

 

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SAIR Success - ALAIR Presence Significant Again

SAIR ‘01 is history and ALAIR members played a significant part. Many of us enjoyed the program and activities at the Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, FL. A good many of us were more actively involved with organizing and putting on the conference. In my role as conference program chair, I received valuable assistance from Jim Eck, chair of the panels committee, Carol Chenault, chair of the facilitators committee, Hanne Delbridge, SAIR treasurer and chair of the registration committee, and Teresa Hall, SAIR board member at large and chair of the workshops committee. Robert Gottesman provided invaluable assistance with technical support, Cathy Tanner served as a reviewer of paper proposals, and Cara Mia Braswell performed yeoman service with conference publications and door prizes, and fought through illness to chair the document competition judging. Many others assisted Hanne with registration and, particularly vital, several ALAIR colleagues came through when I begged for computer projectors. Most importantly, several of our members were on the program, presenting papers, teaching workshops, serving on panels, convening roundtables and facilitating sessions. Many thanks to everyone who contributed.

I've just returned from Baton Rouge, LA, site of the 2002 SAIR conference, and I think you'll be very pleased with what program chair Joseph Hoey is putting together for you. I want to encourage all of you to make plans to attend, and especially to answer his calls for proposals and assistance when they go out. SAIR officers have learned that they can depend on ALAIR people. Keep up the exceptional work. –Sam Lowther

DON'T FORGET TO MARK YOUR CALENDAR:

April 11-12, 2002, ALAIR Annual 16th Annual conference, Samford University, Birmingham, AL. Overnight lodging will be available at the Courtyard by Marriott (at an ALAIR rate of $75/night) located about one mile from the Samford University campus. Dinner on Thursday night will be at Sarris Seafood and Steak Restaurant. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Eck, Samford University, jceck@samford.edu.

June 2 - 5, 2002, the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), 42nd Annual Forum, Sheraton Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Contact the AIR Executive Office, 114 Stone Building, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4462; Phone: (850) 644-4470; Fax: (850) 644-8824; or at: http://www.airweb.org/forum02/

GUIDELINES FOR THE ALAIR TRAVEL GRANT TO AIR ($300)Introduction
In order to promote the three major purposes of ALAIR:
• the advancement of institutional research leading to improved understanding, planning, and operation of Alabama institutions of higher education

• The dissemination of information and interchange of ideas on problems of common interest

• the continued professional development of ALAIR members;

The Executive Committee of ALAIR, based upon the recommendation of the Awards Committee, will select a travel grant recipient from among applications received.
Guidelines for application:

• Applicant must be a member of ALAIR.

• Executive Committee members are not eligible to receive any travel grant

• Applicant must have attended at least one ALAIR conference

• Application must be received by published due date

• Applicant must provide a brief statement describing financial need for Travel Grant

• Applicant must describe the ways in which conference attendance will contribute to professional development in general and recipient's participation in ALAIR

The amount of the Travel Grant for AIR will be $300.00. The announcement of the recipient will be made by the Immediate Past President at the annual ALAIR conference each year. Payment will be issued by the ALAIR Treasurer to the recipient upon attendance and return from AIR.

ALAIR Grants Awarded To AIR

1994   Vicki Hawsey   Reid State Technical College
1995   Teresa Hall   Auburn University
1996   Anna Waggener   University of South Alabama
1997   Dan Tennimon   Troy State University-Montg.
1998   Mimi Johnson   Alabama State University
1999   Frank Hurley   University of South Alabama
2000   Priscilla Holland   University of North Alabama
2001   Harriot Calhoun   Jefferson State Com. College


ALABAMA ASSOCIATION FOR INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH
JOSEPH T. SUTTON LEADERSHIP AWARD
Criteria: All eligible award recipients must at some time have been involved in institutional research or a related field in Alabama. Beyond that, at least one of the following criteria must be met:

A. Service to ALAIR, SAIR or AIR in the form of serving as an officer, committee member, or conference host; making presentations; and other forms of volunteer activity.

B. A career in institutional research or a related field exemplifying leadership accomplishment, and innovation.

C. Contribution to the field of institutional research through specific accomplishments and innovative endeavors which enhance the field, institution, or community (local, state, nation).

D. Retirement will not be a criterion.

E. Former members of ALAIR and individuals who are not members of ALAIR will be eligible, as will former Alabamians who have been involved in institutional research in Alabama.

Selection Process:

A. Annually, the Immediate Past President will chair the awards committee and develop a list of not more than three candidates for recommendation to the Executive Committee. The recommendation of the committee should be ranked. The President will appoint a chairperson who will then appoint the other members of the committee.

B. An affirmative vote by the majority of the Executive Committee members present during voting is required for approval of a Joseph T. Sutton Award.

C. Only one award should be presented. However, there could be co-recipients, for example, in the case of two or more people working together on a significant body of research.

D. Criteria and procedures for selecting The Joseph T. Sutton Award recipient are distributed annually to all ALAIR members.

E. The award should be presented at the ALAIR Annual Conference by the President and the Immediate Past-President (or his/her designee).

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Enclosures
ALAIR Call for Proposals
Nominations for 2002-03 ALAIR Officers
Nominations for the ALAIR Joseph T. Sutton Award
ALAIR Travel Grant to AIR Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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ALAIR Annual Conference
April 11-12, 2002
Call for Proposals Due March 15th