2009 AIR Annual Forum

Dear AIR Colleagues,

It is almost time for our 49th Annual Forum!

This year has been a particularly challenging one for higher education IR professionals in the U.S. and elsewhere. Our institutions and states face the consequences of global economic challenges, and stronger than ever, national focus on accountability and assessment pushes us into new areas of activity. We did not know when selecting the theme “World Class Institutional Research,” just how timely it would be.

As Forum Chair and Co-Chair, we look forward to sharing with you a very strong program consisting of workshops, panels, discussions, exhibitors, and general sessions. These are formats aimed at assisting you in honing your professional skills and knowledge; helping you to develop, maintain and strengthen your professional networks; participate in data policy discussions and share your expertise with others.

We urge those of you who have not yet done so to visit www.airweb.org/forum09 to check out the program and register. There is nothing like the AIR Forum for solving puzzles, getting new ideas for handling new challenges and being able to use those higher education acronyms without fear!

We thank those of you who have already registered for the 49th Annual AIR Forum in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Sandi Bramblett, Local Arrangements Chair, Julie and I look forward to welcoming all of you.

Jennifer Brown
Forum Chair
jennifer.brown@umb.edu

Julie Carpenter-Hubin
Associate Forum Chair
carpenter-hubin.16@osu.edu