Office of Institutional Effectiveness

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The mission of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness is to support the University by ensuring timely access to accurate information, assisting with interpretation and analysis, and documenting and reporting on institutional achievements.

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness will:

  • Collaborate with academic departments in processes to support, document, and improve student learning.
  • Promote best practices in assessment at the institutional, program, and course level.
  • Deliver and analyze data for institutional decision making regarding success measures, strategic planning achievements, and other institutional goals.
  • Ensure compliance with reporting requirements to federal and state agencies, accreditation organizations, and other surveys as requested.
  • Coordinate, along with the Data Governance Team, the effective stewardship of data to ensure data integrity and reporting accuracy.
  • Support the institution in regional and program-specific accreditation efforts.
  • Support the division of Academic Affairs in projects and initiatives as requested.

For more information on reports, contact oie@park.edu.

Park employees can access additional reports through the Canvas OIE Data site.

Please submit data requests to support@parkuniversity.freshdesk.com. The system is monitored by staff in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Financial Aid, and Information Technology Services to ensure the tickets can be managed and addressed by the correct office.

The federal standard IPEDS retention rate is the “percentage of first-time bachelors (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the current fall.”

Park’s published retention rates are as follows:

  • Fall 2015 cohort: 54%
  • Fall 2016 cohort: 44%
  • Fall 2017 cohort: 55%
  • Fall 2018 cohort: 66%
  • Fall 2019 cohort: 63%

The federal standard IPEDS retention rate is “calculated as the total number of completers within 150% of normal time divided by the revised adjusted cohort.”

Park’s published graduation rates are as follows:

Fall 2010 cohort

  • Overall: 38%
  • Bachelor’s: 23%

Fall 2011 cohort

  • Overall: 23%
  • Bachelor’s: 24%

Fall 2012 cohort

  • Overall: 33%
  • Bachelor’s: 31%

Fall 2013 cohort

  • Overall: 62%
  • Bachelor’s: 34%

Fall 2014 cohort

  • Overall: 28%
  • Bachelor’s: 27%

Information about recent Park graduates comes from the following sources: Park’s First-Destination Survey (based on the National Association for Career Education (NACE) standards), the National Student Clearinghouse, applicant and alumni files, and online career databases. Most information is self-reported.

2017-2018 graduates (42% with available information):

  • Employed or in the military: 59% (unduplicated)
  • Continuing with education: 40% (unduplicated)

2018-2019 graduates (65% with available information):

  • Employed or in the military: 84% (unduplicated)
  • Continuing with education: 12% (unduplicated)

2019-2020 graduates (70% with available information):

  • Employed or in the military: 85%
  • Continuing with education: 35%
  • Employed, in the military, or continuing with education (unduplicated): 98%

For more information on assessment, contact assessment@park.edu 

Park employees can access additional reports on the My Park site.

Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Park University
oie@park.edu

Jennifer Heller, Ph.D.
Director
Hawley 207 | PMB 111
(816) 584-6755 (Office)
jennifer.heller@park.edu

Megan Holder
Associate Director, Assessment Services
Hawley 208 | PMB 111
(816) 584-6776 (Office)
megan.holder@park.edu

John Gernon
Senior Institutional Research Analyst
Hawley 210 | PMB 111
(816) 584-6426 (Office)
john.gernon@park.edu

Projwal Pathak
Institutional Research Analyst
Hawley 210 | PMB 111
(816) 584-7402 (Office)
ppathak@park.edu

        Fast Facts

        Official reporting days for Fall 2021 were August 31 (Fall/Fall 1) and November 2 (Fall 2).

        As of Fall 2021, Park University offered 15 undergraduate certificates, 8 associate’s-degree majors, 55 bachelor’s-degree majors, 16 graduate certificates, 14 master’s-degree majors, and 1 educational specialist degree.

        FALL 2021

        • HEADCOUNT and STUDENT CREDIT HOURS: 8,782 students, carrying 74,957 credit hours
        • LEVEL: Undergraduate: 7,387 (7,131 degree-seeking, 256 non-degree-seeking). Graduate: 1,395
        • DEMOGRAPHICS:
          • Undergraduate:
            • Our reported undergraduate gender distribution is 54% male and 46% female.
            • Fifty-six percent (57%) of undergraduate students fall into a race/ethnicity category other than white. This includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African-American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; as well as students who report two or more races, whose race/ethnicity are unknown, or who are international students on an F-1 Visa.
            • The average age for undergraduate students is 30.
          • Graduate:
            • Our reported graduate gender distribution is 43% male and 57% female.
            • Sixty percent (60%) of graduate students fall into a race/ethnicity category other than white. This includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African-American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; as well as students who report two or more races, whose race/ethnicity are unknown, or who are international students on an F-1 Visa.
            • The average age for graduate students is 36.
          • INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ON F-1 VISA:
            • We have 271 international students on an F-1 Visa. They represent 58 countries. The twelve countries with the highest population represented are: Kenya, Brazil, Nepal, Azerbaijan, India, Uzbekistan, China, Mongolia, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Pakistan.
          • CLASS LOCATION: Locations for the 74,957 student credit hours:
            • Parkville: 11,836 hrs – 15.8%
            • Gilbert: 2,223 hrs – 3.0%
            • Campus Centers: 5,160 hrs – 4.4%
            • Online: 55,738 hrs – 74.4%
          • MILITARY AFFILIATION:
            • 5036 (57%) of our students have some kind of military affiliation – on active duty (including reserves, national guard, and ROTC), veteran, and/or military spouse or dependent. (NOTE: This is a duplicated total as some have multiple affiliations.)
              • 3092 are on active duty (including reserves, national guard, and ROTC)
              • 1502 are veterans
              • 327 are spouses or dependents of active-duty service members
              • 1741 pay the tuition rate for veterans and/or Veteran Dependents using the GI Bill, Reservist Dependents, National Guard Dependents (1502 veterans, 239 others)
            • Reported branches for active-duty students and veterans::
              • Air Force: 45%
              • Army: 15%
              • Coast Guard: <1%
              • Marine Corps: 17%
              • Navy: 3%
              • Space Force: <1%
              • Branch unknown: 19%

        FINANCIAL AID:

        • First-time full-time undergraduates who receive grants or scholarships from the federal government, state/local government, or the institution: 88%
        • Undergraduates who receive grants or scholarships from the federal government, state/local government, or the institution: 47%

        GRADUATION, 2020-2021

        • During the year 2020-2021, Park had 2,555 graduates. They earned 2,677 degrees or certificates.
        • Bachelor’s Degrees: 1,687 students earned 1,693 bachelor’s degrees and completed 1,708 major programs. The most popular major areas for bachelor’s degrees were:
          • Business/Management (all areas) – 45%
          • Psychology and Social Psychology – 16%
          • Information Systems and Computer Science (all areas) – 10%
          • Criminal Justice Administration – 9%
          • Health Professions and related areas – 4%
        • Master’s Degrees: 595 students earned 595 master’s degrees. The most popular was the Master of Business Administration (MBA) – 50%

        Park University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

        Park University is a private, non-profit, institution of higher learning since 1875.