The AIR Publications Committee has selected Dr. Paul Umbach as the next Editor-in-Chief of New Directions for Institutional Research (NDIR). NDIR is a quarterly sourcebook published by Jossey-Bass under the sponsorship and policies of AIR. Paul is an Associate Professor in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Adult and Higher Education at North Carolina State University. He served as Associate Editor of NDIR for two years, during the term of the previous Editor-in-Chief, Rob Toutkoushian. E-AIR caught up with Paul at the Forum to ask him a few questions about NDIR.

E-AIR: Congratulations on your appointment! For the benefit of readers who may not be familiar with NDIR, how would you describe the focus of this publication?

Paul: The aim of NDIR is to combine scholarship and practice on issues of interest to institutional research and planning professionals. We publish four regular volumes per year. Each focuses on a specific topic with separate chapters within the volume addressing different aspects of that topic. We cover a wide range of topics. Recent volumes have examined topics such as using data for decision making in intercollegiate athletics and conducting research on Asian Americans in higher education; while upcoming volumes will consider institutional research and homeland security, IR at the community college system level, and merit aid, among other topics. In addition to our regular quarterly volumes, we publish an annual assessment supplement. NDIR chapters are written and edited by IR practitioners and faculty members. The goal is to provide an in-depth examination of the literature and current research on the topic at hand, and how these concepts can be applied in practice – at the institutional level, state level, etc.

E-AIR: Who is the intended audience for NDIR?

Paul: Our audience is the AIR membership – that includes administrators and scholars in higher education. I n particular, NDIR is meant to be a helpful “how to” resource for institutional researchers. NDIR is a good place to start when the Provost asks for IR assistance on something new. For any given topic, an NDIR volume is meant to offer a very readable combination of li terature and empirical evidence, suggestions for translating research into practice , and additional resources to pursue.

E-AIR: How can people contribute ideas for future volumes?

Paul: They can contact me by email (paul_umbach@ncsu.edu) to suggest a volume topic. To start, we would need to consider how the topic fits with recent and upcoming volumes. If the topic seems relevant and doable, and someone is interested in being the volume editor, I can describe the responsibilities that entails and the process involved in writing a proposal. We welcome suggestions!

E-AIR: Paul, once again, congratulations and thank you for taking on this responsibility for AIR.