The Office of Planning, Institutional Research & Assessment is dedicated to undertaking the following:

• Assuming responsibility for strategic planning, from inception through annual reporting on divisional and departmental efforts to meet stated goals and objectives.  The college currently has in place a 2009-12 Strategic Plan.
  
• Providing a broad range of institutional research (IR) services, including the generation of data and information to the college community as needed and appropriate.  IR facilitates the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data for decision-making purposes, and also for the fulfillment of requests for information by state, federal, and private entities.
• Developing and maintaining a culture of evidence-based assessment.
• Providing, together with Academic Affairs, information and expertise in support of the college’s various institutional and student outcomes assessment initiatives.
• Leading the college in development of an institutional assessment plan.  The college currently has in place a 2009-12 Institutional Assessment Plan.
• Providing feedback to the college community which will allow for the strengthening and improvement of the educational process.
• Generating data and information for programs currently preparing for their five-year reviews.
• Processing surveys of students, alumni, faculty and staff for informational and decision-making purposes.
• Benchmarking college data and practices with other New Jersey community colleges and other institutions that demographically reflect Essex County College.
• Generating standardized and customized data for groups and persons involved in accreditation self-studies (Middle States, professional associations, etc.).

Offices and divisions requesting information from Essex County College that are not included in the listed documents should contact Dr. J. Scott Drakulich, Associate Dean of Planning, Institutional Research & Assessment, at (973) 877-3370, or at Drakulich@essex.edu