Very basic questions - Due and upload?

[Kathleen Novak]

My apologies, but this is my first year in the IR role.

Is there a specific due date for the CDS? 

I have downloaded the template and am working on it, but I cannot find any information on what I do with the completed form? I know that it can be used for other surveys and sites, but is there a central place that I will be submitting to?

If you can point me to any full instructions or guidance. 

Kathleen Novak

Utica University

kno...@utica.edu

[Virginia Estes]

Kathleen, welcome to your new position. There are lots of questions that new folks have, and this is one of the first. Once you have filled out the CDS, you can keep it handy because many of the survey companies will allow you to send the CDS to them rather than you having to fill out a survey form. An example is College Board's BigFuture. While their survey won't open until January, they have indicated you can send them your completed CDS as soon as you have it ready. 

In addition, many schools will post the CDS on their website. 

Other than that, you can use it for questions you receive, e.g., how many students or faculty your institution has. 

Virginia Estes

Lee University

Cleveland TN

[H Cochran Humphries]

I am in a similar position as Kathleen Novak.  

When is the CDS due?  I am working on it for our university but am concerned about what the due date is as I am finding nothing on the website or in this group giving a specific deadline.  

Where do I upload or send the completed CDS survey?

Thanks for answering the specific questions and helping to make my life easier as I learn this new role as Director of Institutional Effectiveness.

Heather Cochran Humphries

Belhaven University

hcochran...@belhaven.edu

[John Dennis]

Welcome to you both.

This process will no doubt continue to be confusing despite everyone's best efforts as there are a lot of actors in the use of the data. The CDS templates will generally be "due" late March or early April based on prior years. Peterson's and USNews will solicit our completed CDS templates, but note they will both ask supplemental questions in their own surveys which unfortunately will have you going back to the data sources you used for the CDS to get additional information.

We will get emails as the CDS coordinators closer to the due dates letting us know how they would like to collect them, and based on prior years they will offer to enter the data for us if we send them the completed template. That data will be recorded in the CollegeBoard BigFuture College Profile (links to which will also be distributed in the coming months). Frustratingly, in my experience even CollegeBoard's survey entry will contain a few items that were not on the template, but they are not significant if I recall correctly. Peterson's and USNews will contact coordinators via email as those dates approach, they always trail the initial CollegeBoard due dates.

In my experience section H will be the most challenging. I've written a couple posts in the past year on the topic if you're interested in seeking them out here in the google group. These links may work? "H1 on Financial Aid" and "H2D - Students who were awarded any financial aid"

Best of Luck!

John Dennis

Assistant Director of Institutional Effectiveness

Columbia College Chicago