Student Research Assistant - IRDS
Position Title: Student Research Assistant
Organization: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Department/Office: Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support
Hourly Wage: $15.00
Number of openings: 1
Average Hours/Week: up to 20 hours per week
Reports to: Direct Supervision by the Assistant Director of Institutional Research with indirect supervision by the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
General Purpose: The Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support (IRDS) was established to provide accurate, timely, and actionable information in order to meet the enrollment management and assessment needs of faculty, staff, and administrators on the IUPUI campus. The Student Research Assistant will be responsible for assisting in the preparation, analysis, and reporting of data from university-wide assessment projects. These may include surveys, focus groups, or information obtained from the University’s Student Information System or other data sources. The Student Research Assistant will also be asked to carefully check reports for accuracy, which may include comparing data to original research, conducting separate analyses, assessing transcripts for accuracy, or proofreading. Because of the large number of research projects, the Student Research Assistant may be expected to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to collaborate with professional staff in IRDS as part of a comprehensive research team. The Student in this position will also have the ability to develop quantitative and qualitative research skills and gain proficiency with software for data analysis. Opportunities to present at the statewide institutional research conference may also be available.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Broken down by hours/week
· 5 -7 hours - Use quantitative analysis tools such as SPSS, SAS, R, or Excel to analyze data from various university-wide assessment projects, including surveys.
· 3 – 5 hours – Translating data and analyses into accurate, professional reports
· 3 – 5 hours – Conduct qualitative analysis of initiatives from the Division of Undergraduate Education and other academic units using the NVivo software package.
· 3-5 hours – Check quantitative reports developed by others for precision, including recreating numerical data and standard proofreading for grammar, punctuation, and formatting.
· 1-2 hours – Design online surveys using Qualtrics software.
· 1-2 hours – Other duties as assigned.
Desired Minimum Qualifications:
Availability:
· This position will begin in August at the beginning of the Fall semester.
· Requires availability during normal University business hours between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Student may be expected to work after 5:00 on some occasions. Specific schedule may be negotiated by supervisor.
Education and Experience:
· Enrollment as a student at IUPUI
· Junior or Senior by academic standing preferred
· Proficiency in Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
· Fall 2020/Spring 2021 work study eligibility
This position is limited to candidates with a Federal Work-Study award. To verify you have a Federal Work-Study award, please go to your OneIU Account, Student Center, Financial Aid Summary. If you have an award, it will be listed with the rest of your financial aid (loans, grants, scholarships, etc.). You may also email the Office of Student Financial Services at finaid@iupui.edu to inquire about eligibility
Preferred Technical Qualifications:
· Experience with SPSS, SAS, R, Python or similar statistical software
· Experience with conducting or assisting in social science research
· Ability to learn new software programs and analysis techniques
· Knowledge of basic statistics (t-test, chi-square, effect sizes, etc.)
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
· Strong attention to detail
· Effective written and oral communication skills
· Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
· Ability to work effectively with diverse populations
· Ability to positively represent IUPUI and IRDS in face-to-face interactions with students
In accordance with the IUPUI Profiles of Learning for Undergraduate Success, experience in this position will help students become acquainted with the following profiles:
• Communicator – The Student Research Assistant will be able to effectively communicate the results of research and analysis through accurate, professional report with a sufficient level of detail to effect improvement in the student experience at IUPUI.
• Innovator –The Student Research Assistant will also be able to review research studies conducted by others and provide thoughtful, valid criticism when problems are identified.
• Problem Solver – The Student Research Assistant will be able to understand the results of both qualitative and qualitative research studies and identify implications arising from those results. The Student Research Assistant will also be able to identify and carry-out alternative solutions when obstacles arise during the course of a research project.
• Community contributor – The Student Research Assistant will be able to demonstrate a sensitivity and awareness to other people and cultures, including students and professional colleagues.