This year, the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) substantially revised the Strategic Information Report (SIR), one of the reports that it provides to the presidents of theological schools. Presidents are welcome to share the SIR with their boards, faculty, and other administrators, just as they may share other reports generated by ATS.
Because the SIR has been completely revamped, ATS has provided an overview article that explains how presidents and board members can use it. “Why the Strategic Information Report is an essential tool in every school’s toolbox,” by Chris Meinzer, explores ways to use the SIR as a tool in assessing their institution's overall health.
What is the SIR?
The SIR contains key data about an individual ATS member school and is a compilation of the information that the school itself provides. It includes reports on admissions, enrollment, finance, and faculty that can be shared not only with the board but with other constituents on campus, such as the admissions and development office. In some cases, the reported information is benchmarked against peers or industry standards.
Meinzer also recommends ways that board members and administrators can use the report. Some questions that he suggests:
- What are the trend lines in the data, and are they positive or negative?
- What are the main institutional factors that have contributed to this positive/negative trend line?
- What are one or two institutional activities that will further the positive or reverse the negative?
The full text of the article is available here.
