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The University of Memphis Office of Institutional Research (OIR) has been honored for its revised Web site at the annual conference of the Southern Association of Institutional Research (SAIR). The U of M site was awarded third place; the two other top finishers were the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina.

The award was presented to Dr. Gary Donhardt, director of OIR, at the awards ceremony Oct. 20 in Dallas. SAIR officials reviewed Web sites and electronic fact books submitted by various member institutions prior to the conference.

OIR revamped its old Web site in order to accommodate the new Banner software data elements and enhanced information displays needed by the campus community. The staff revised the site’s query tools, such as the enrollment table generator, and added “dashboards” and quick facts to provide users with faster access to more data.

“The Web site of the Office of Institutional Research was recognized as one the nation’s best in presenting information that is crucial to the entire University in a way that is both convenient and transparent,” said Dr. Thomas Nenon, vice provost for assessment, institutional research and reporting. “This information is invaluable to faculty, staff, and administrators in assessing their programs and formulating plans for continued success. One strong advantage of our Web site is that it gives everyone involved in planning processes access to the same information using commonly developed and accepted measures.

“This recognition is especially noteworthy in light of the size of our office, which is smaller than those at many other comparable universities that were competing for this award.”

The updated, improved site may be viewed at http://oir.memphis.edu