Data and Research Requests

The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) supports informed decision-making by providing accurate, reliable institutional data and overseeing requests for data collection and research involving Navarro College. Whether you are requesting institutional data, planning to conduct a survey, or seeking approval for a research project, the procedures below help ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), while protecting the privacy of students and employees and maintaining the integrity of institutional data.

Page Contents

 

Data Requests

Request institutional data or approval for data collection activities in support of planning, assessment, accreditation, reporting, and other College business. All requests are reviewed to ensure compliance with FERPA, institutional policies, and data governance standards.

Internal Data Requests

Employees needing additional institutional data should complete the data request form. Prior to approval of data requests, Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IRE) will determine the validity of all data requests in relation to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other college policies. When appropriate, the Leadership Team will be informed of the request prior to approval.

The IRE Office will make every attempt to fulfill requests as quickly as possible, however please allow a minimum of 10 working days for completion of most requests. Completion time for data requests varies based on the nature of the data request, how critical the request is to the success of the College’s mission, access to data requested, and other factors.

IRE Data Request Form 

Internal Data Collection

To ensure data quality, compliance, and appropriate use of institutional information, any survey or data collection activity conducted for institutional decision-making purposes and involving students, employees, or external stakeholders must be:

  • Approved in advance by the Executive Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness or

  • Conducted under the direction of a member of the Navarro College District and Campus Leadership Team, with notification provided to the Executive Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness prior to administration of data collection.

All data collection activities are subject to institutional data governance, compliance, and records retention requirements. Any activity involving the sharing of student-level data, or the use of third-party vendors to collect or analyze this data, must be reviewed by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness prior to participation. When applicable, a formal Data Sharing Agreement or Data Use Agreement will be required to ensure compliance with FERPA and institutional policies.

External Data Requests

All external requests for data must follow Navarro College's Open Records procedure as outlined in Section GA.2 of the Navarro College Board Policy and Administrative Procedures Manual.

Board Policy & Administrative Procedures Manual Section GA.2

Research Requests

Any individual or organization wishing to conduct research involving Navarro College, its students, or employees, whether conducted at the College, or on behalf of the institution, must receive prior approval from the Research Review Committee before initiating any aspect of the research. This process applies to requests to conduct research using Navarro College resources, data, students, or employees, including external requestors and employees conducting independent academic research, and does not apply to institutionally initiated research activities or approved collaborative efforts led by the College. This process does not apply to research or data analysis conducted as part of an employee’s official job responsibilities or institutional research activities performed by Navarro College offices.

Submitting a Research Request

To initiate this process, the requestor must submit an email request to the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness indicating the intent to conduct research and provide all required documentation and an outreach plan. Documentation may include approval letter from a university Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the IRB document. Any recruitment communications or materials that will be used to invite participants, as well as any data collection instruments such as survey questionnaires, interview guides, or focus group questions, must be submitted for review as part of the research request.

The requestor must also include an outreach plan describing the intended participant population, the proposed date(s) or timeframe during which the study will be conducted, the type of research activity (e.g., survey, focus group), and how participants would be invited to participate. The outreach plan should describe the proposed method of invitation as if conducted through the College, recognizing that the requestor will not have direct access to contact information or distribution channels.

Navarro College does not release student or employee contact information for research purposes, and requestors will not be provided with direct access to email addresses, distribution lists, or other contact mechanisms. Requestors should not assume access to institutional communication channels or attempt to initiate outreach independently. If outreach is approved as part of the research request, it will be conducted through institution-controlled channels.

Submit all initial requests and supporting documentation to: research@navarrocollege.edu

Site Approval

In some instances, a requestor’s institution or Institution Review Board (IRB) may require documentation of site approval prior to beginning or finalizing research approval, even when all study details are not yet available. In such cases, the Research Review Committee may issue conditional site approval acknowledging the College’s willingness to consider participation in the proposed research.

Conditional site approval does not authorize recruitment, data collection, or interaction with students or employees. Requestors seeking conditional site approval must follow the same submission and review steps required for all research requests, providing the information available at the time of submission and clearly indicating that conditional site approval is being requested. Once the requestor has all the details and is ready to request permission to conduct their study, the requestor must follow the research request steps to seek approval by the Research Review Committee.

Review Process and Timeline

The Executive Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness serves as the liaison between the requestor and the Research Review Committee. The committee will review the research request and issue a decision. The committee may request additional documentation or clarification from the requestor.

A decision from the committee may take up to six weeks following receipt of all required documentation and information. Depending on the scope and complexity of the project, the overall process may take several months from time of request to final decision.