W.P.A. Research Project File, 1939-1942 | University of Illinois Archives

The Bureau of Institutional Research was established in 1933 to serve as a fact finding agency for studying academic loads and their budgetary implications.¹ The Bureau, under the guidance of an advisory committee, with the Provost as chairman, evaluates the teaching, research, budgetary and other aspects of University operations in their relation to one another and to educational objects. The results of the appraisals are made available to the President.² Since Dec. 18, 1968, the Bureau has had the responsibility for coordinating campus offices and providing information and analysis for general university purposes. The directors of the Bureau are appointed by the Board of Trustees on nomination by the President and on the recommendation of the Vice-President and Provost.³ Since 1972, the Bureau has been responsible to the Office of Planning and Allocation. Redistributing the functions of the Bureau of Institutional Research, the Board of Trustees on December 18, 1968, established the following administrative units: University Bureau of Institutional Research Office of Administrative Studies at Chicago Circle Office of Administrative Studies at the Medical Center Office of Administrative Studies at Urbana-Champaign The Director of the University Bureau of Institutional Research reports to the Executive Vice President and Provost and is responsible "both for administrative supervision over the activities of the University Bureau and for coordination of the activities of the several campus offices as regards the information and analyses needed for general University purposes." Each campus Office of Administrative Studies is headed by a Director, who reports to the Chancellor. Functionally, the campus Officer of Administrative Studies collects and analyzes data relative to faculty and staff activities, departmental teaching loads, program costs, and other campus operations as the Chancellor specifies. The University Bureau of Institutional Research is concerned with University-wide aspects of staff utilization and work-load standards, policies and procedures regarding institutional data, preparation reports, and representation of the University in this field to governmental and professional bodies, as approved by the Executive Vice President and Provost.⁴

1. Statutes and General Rules Concerning University Organization and Procedures, 1958, p. 45.

2. Catalogs and Registers, 1936-37, p. 367.

3. Statutes and General Rules Concerning University Organization and Procedure, 1958, p. 45.

4. Faculty Letter, 174, April 7, 1969, pp. 7-8.