Data Request Help Page

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the good things people are saying about IR

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of information can Institutional Research provide?

Our office provides many different kinds of information to parties interested in information about the University of Texas at San Antonio. Enrollment information, historical data, and retention and graduation information are just some of the things we provide. If you ask for it we can find it and provide it in an understandable format. Note that all of UTSA's departments including the Office of Institutional Research are governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), for more on FERPA please see the following website: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html. For a more detailed discussion of ad hoc requests please see AdhocRequestInfo.pdf this document provides a description of what information OIR provides and what information the Registrar's office provides. Note that for any request the same form will be used to submit the request.

How long does a request take to complete?

It typically takes between two and four weeks to complete a request. This can be adjusted for special circumstances, but in order to provide accurate information this is a good estimation of the time it will take to complete the request.

Who can Institutional Research provide information to?

Institutional Research can provide information to anyone who is interested. Faculty, staff, students, and outside agencies can request information from us about UTSA, and we will be happy to provide it.

I have an emergency request due sooner than two to four weeks can you fill it?

Under most circumstances the answer is yes, however we ask that when possible the request is sent two to four weeks ahead of time.

What is provided with the information that is requested?

When we fill your request we give more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. We send a detailed memo(Word, Rich Text)explaining how the information was obtained, the results of the data, and any definitions that need to be further explained. This is to help you understand exactly what the data means in regards to your request.

How do I submit a request?

We ask that the Data Request page is used for submitting all data requests. This is helpful on our end because it assigns your request a number which is used to track the request throughout the request process. It is also beneficial to our clients because it allows us to better manage all of the incoming requests when they come from this system. After the request is submitted we will contact you within two days to verify the request and get more information if needed.

What information goes into each field on the Data Request form?

Name: Your name or the requestor's name

Title: Your job title or the requestor's job title

Organization: The organization, or if it is at UTSA, department the request is for.

Phone: The phone number where the requestor can be reached in case of any questions or concerns.

Fax: The phone number if you would like the data faxed to you.

E-Mail: The email address where the requestor can be reached. Typically when requests are completed they are sent out by email unless otherwise requested.

URL: If there is a URL to the data or data format you would like please put it here. This will help us to get you the information in the format needed.

Recurring Request: Is this request one which will be required on a regular basis? If so please mark YES in this field This helps us know what to expect for next year/semester. Note that you will still have to submit the request again next year/semester, but using our system we can anticipate what is coming in the future. We are also working on a way of automating the recurring request, however for the time being you should submit this request each semester.

Type Of Request: Is the request for public records, an external agency, or internal use by a UTSA office? This helps us to track where our requests are coming from.

Deadline: The date when you would like requested information to be returned. Keep in mind that all Data Requests take between two and four weeks to complete.

Description of information requested and format desired: Describe exactly what you need for the data request. Make the description as detailed as possible. Describe how the data will be used, number of semesters and what semesters to include, and any thing else that will help us to work on the request. The more information you provide us, the easier it is for us to complete the request. Also, this is where you will specify the format you need the request to be returned in. Typically what we provide is a Word document describing the methodology, results, and any definitions along with an Excel file which contains the data requested, however we can usually provide this information in other formats as requested.

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Here are some of the good things people are saying about IR:

• "This is perfect! Just what I needed. Thanks so much for your help." - Betty T.
• "This is awesome! Thanks so much for all the help. " - Leigh G.
• "I learned more about UTSA in a few short minutes reading your document than I could spending a lot more time trying to compile the information from other sources. I appreciate your support of the Governor’s initiative and am glad to see it bearing such useful and informative fruit" - M. M. Stephenson
• "Excellent work on short notice – with a highly credible response!" - S. Wilson
• "We are very grateful to you for preparing this report. You put a lot of work into it and we appreciate it." - Paul W.
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