Welcome to Institutional Research
Our Mission
The office of Planning, Research and Effectiveness supports data driven insights to help faculty and staff better understand our students by uncovering patterns, relationships, and trends. We facilitate RRCC’s move toward decentralized access to and use of data by its Operational Units for more robust systems, better informed decisions, and more comprehensive understanding. We also support The College’s planning, assessment, accreditation, compliance, IRB, and operational reporting.
The Office of Planning and Effectiveness assists the President in planning, decision-making, accreditation, and assessment. Our work builds the college capacity to serve students and the community. OPE assists RRCC to set strategic directions, evaluate effectiveness, and to improve. OPE has the following core processes.
- Building the college knowledge base
- Planning and institutional accreditation
- Organizational development
- Analytics and evaluation
- Assessment of institutional effectiveness
The Office facilitates systemic, institution-wide processes that align priorities, decisions, and resources. This includes strategic planning to fulfill the values, mission, and vision of the college. The Office supports the AQIP accreditation process, AQIP Action Projects, and supports the College Collaboration Council – a cross-functional, shared governance group that assesses institutional performance and sets strategic directions and annual priorities for the college. We serve as a catalyst to organizational development through design and evaluation of proposals and programs, and through expertise and guidance in assessment.
Contact Planning and Effectiveness Team Members
Charles Duell
Institutional Research Associate
charles.duell@rrcc.edu
AQIP
What is college accreditation and why is it important?
College accreditation is a guarantee that a college or program meets certain principles and provides quality education.
- It gives the assurance that, you will be able to attain definite educational outcomes.
- It pledges that you'll get qualified instructors and high quality up to date curriculum.
- Without accreditation by a nationally recognized accredited organization, a school and its students are not
- eligible to participate in government student assistance programs like federal grants and loans.
- Most employers who offer tuition assistance will not reimburse your tuition if you attend a school that is not accredited.
- Most employers will look at a degree from an institution with accreditation as a credential demonstrating motivation and quality education.
- If you intend to transfer credits to another college, you are required to attend an accredited school.
What is AQIP and why should I care?
Accreditation through AQIP ensures continued quality improvement of RRCC’s programs.
Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) gives us the opportunity to work together to:
- Build new programs
- Improve existing programs
- Create new career opportunities
- Meet and exceed the requirements for a 4 year degree
As a member of AQIP, RRCC is dedicated to:
- Helping students learn
- Valuing people
- Accomplishing other distinctive objectives
- Understanding students' and others stakeholders’ needs
- Leading and communicating
- Supporting organizational operations
- Measuring effectiveness
- Planning continuous improvement
- Building collaborative relationships
Want to be a part of our continuous improvement? Watch your email for a letter asking you to share your thoughts about how we get the future we want! Please link to the following:
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Red Rocks Community College exists to protect the welfare of human subjects used in research. It is a federally-mandated, made up of College faculty and staff, and exists to ensure that research practices are in keeping with federal guidelines as well as in conformity with best ethical practices. The RRCC IRB also exists to promote scholarly work and research and to assist researchers in carrying out their obligations to respect and protect participants. The RRCC IRB is registered with the Federal Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and derives its institutional authority from the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). Note that studies involving animals as part of a community college curriculum are not reviewed by the RRCC IRB and should be referred to the CCCS Animal Care and Use Committe.
The RRCC IRB reviews human subjects research proposals to ensure that the rights and welfare of human subjects used in research studies by any RRCC personnel are protected; that risks have been considered and minimized; that the potential for benefit has been identified and maximized; that all human subjects only volunteer to participate in research after being provided with legally effective informed consent; that any research is conducted in an ethical manner and in compliance with established standards. Those individuals seeking to conduct such research may not solicit subject participation or begin data collection until they have obtained clearance by the Red Rocks Community College Institutional Review Board.
The RRCC also exists to protect the students, faculty, and staff of the College as potential human subjects in research studies conducted from within and from outside the College. Any member of the Red Rocks Community College planning to conduct research using human participants must have that research reviewed and approved by the Red Rocks Community College Institutional Review Board. Any research project involving RRCC faculty, staff, or students as participants must be reviewed by the RRCC IRB. Projects involving RRCC faculty, staff, or students that have received approval by an IRB at another institution should still undergo a review from the RRCC IRB before the project begins. IRB requests from individuals who are graduate students and not affiliated with Red Rocks Community College should first go through the Institutional Review Board at the graduate student’s home institution.
To get approval from the RRCC IRB for a research project involving human subjects, read the Red Rocks Community College IRB Handbook. The Handbook discusses the three types of application protocols used in RRCC IRB review. Using the information from the Handbook, review your research proposal, determine the appropriate application protocol, and complete the application and send it, along with relevant supporting materials to Dr. Tim Griffin, RRCC IRB Chair at Tim.Griffin@RRCC.edu.
- RRCC IRB Handbook
- Full Review Forms
- Expedited Review Forms
- Exempt Review Forms
- Continuing Review Questionnaire
We also strongly encourage you to complete the training program on protecting human subjects that is offered by the National Institute of Health. (Link to https://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php). The NIH estimates three hours to complete this training. NIH certifies those who complete the training.
5-Year Student Demographics by Semester
Red Rocks Community College Diversity Ledger
NCES College Navigator - Red Rocks Community College
Student Right to Know – Retention, Graduation, and Transfer Rates - seen in section below.
Follow-up Information for Career and Technical Programs
(Includes 5 year Completion and Placement Trend Data)
Accreditation Results from National and State Level Associations - Accreditation info on specific RRCC programs
RRCC Systems Portfolio for the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) – Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, see the section above.
IPEDS Feedback Reports (Peer Institution Comparisons)
- IPEDS Feedback Report 2017
- IPEDS Feedback Report 2016
- IPEDS Feedback Report 2015
- IPEDS Feedback Report 2014
- IPEDS Feedback Report 2013
- IPEDS Feedback Report 2012
Red Rocks Community College Institutional Effectiveness Report
The Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers as represented by the College Board, Peterson's, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student's transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers. Common Data Set Initiative Website.
Common Data Set 2012-2013 (xls)
Common Data Set 2011-2012 (xls)
Common Data Set 2010-2011 (xls)
Common Data Set 2009-2010 (xls)
Common Data Set 2008-2009 (xls)
The Student Right-to-Know Act, passed by Congress in 1990, requires institutions eligible for Title IV funding, under the Higher Education Act of 1965, to calculate completion or graduation rates of certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time students entering that institution, and to disclose these rates to current and prospective students. Every institution that participates in any Title IV program is required to disclose graduation rates of all students. To read more about the Student Right-to-Know Act, please visit the National Center for Education Statistics website at http://nces.ed.gov.
Red Rocks Community College, acting in compliance with the Student Right to Know Act, is happy to post the following information on the graduation rates of our cohorts of full-time, first-time, degree or certificate-seeking undergraduates. The graduation rates show the graduation/completion status of students who enrolled for whom 150% of the normal time-to-completion of a two-year, undergraduate degree has elapsed.
There are several things to keep in mind when viewing this information.
Retention, Graduation, and Transfer Out rates are for a select group of students – Summer and Fall First-time, Full-time degree or certificate-seeking students. While this is an important group to track, it does not represent all of our students, including students who start in the Spring, transfer students, part-time students, graduate students, or non-degree seeking students.
All graduation rates are based on 3 years of attendance which is equal to 150% of the normal completion time of RRCC’s longest two-year academic program. The Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies, and the Baccalaureate in Water Quality Management Technology, are relatively new degrees, have smaller enrollments, and are not tracked in these statistics. Rates for students who “transfer out” to a four year or another two-year institution are tracked separately based on IPEDS definitions and data.
Graduation and Transfer Out rates do not include students who left school:
- To serve in the armed forces;
- To take part in official church missions;
- To help with a foreign aid service of the federal government;
- Because they have died or become totally disabled.
Students who withdrew for personal or medical reasons are included in the original headcount.
The retention and graduation rates give information to current and prospective students about student body diversity, including the percentage of enrolled, full-time students in the following categories: male, female, self-identified members of a major racial or ethnic group, and Federal Pell Grant recipients. Graduation rates are disaggregated by gender, major racial and ethnic subgroup (as defined in IPEDS), recipients of a Federal Pell Grant, and students who did not receive a Pell Grant.
Red Rocks Community College Retention Rates
- 2018 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2017 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2016 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2015 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2014 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2013 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2012 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2011 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
Red Rocks Community College Graduation Rates
- 2017 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2016 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2015 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2014 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2013 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2012 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
- 2011 Retention Rates for CO 2-YR Colleges by College, Gender, Ethnicity, and Pell
Red Rocks Community College Transfer Out Rates