The Office of Decision Support (ODS) conducts research and scholarly activities that inform institutional decision-making, advance evidence-based practice, and promote student success. By bridging the gap between raw information and strategic action, we contribute to UNLV's research intelligence and broader institutional mission.
Using advanced statistical methods (such as propensity score matching, competing risk model, synthetic control methods, forward-looking model, and regression discontinuity design), our team conducts rigorous empirical investigations across a wide spectrum of higher education topics, including:
- Student Success & Momentum: Academic momentum, financial aid dynamics, and STEM degree success.
- High-Impact Practices (HIPs): Evaluation of first-year seminars (FYS), undergraduate research (UGR), participation of registered student organizations (RSO) and student engagement.
- Instructional Insight: Co-requisite mathematics education, course evaluation, and faculty grading leniency and reliability.
In addition to our independent research and grant activity, we serve as a resource for campus units by providing:
- Statistical & Pedagogical Consultation: Expert guidance on research design and instructional improvement.
- Institutional Data Support: Helping units navigate and utilize complex data sets for grant applications.
ODS members regularly present findings across applied analytics, predictive modeling, instructional insight, and national surveys (including IPEDS and NSSE). You can browse our conference papers, posters, and peer-reviewed articles from venues such as Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Forum, Rocky Mountain Association for Institutional Research (RMAIR), and American Educational Research Association (AERA) on our Presentations and Publications pages (each opens with full listings; search is available beside the titles when you need filters). Ongoing work is summarized on our Current Projects page.
Browse our work
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Conference papers, posters, and invited talks from AIR Forum, RMAIR, AERA, and other venues.
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Peer-reviewed manuscripts and articles authored or co-authored by ODS researchers and partners.
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Active and ongoing institutional research initiatives across student success, HIPs, and instructional insight.