The primary function of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning is to inform and guide planning and evaluation. IRP conducts empirical research and statistical and qualitative analyses for purposes of institutional decision-making and planning. The Director of Institutional Research and Planning has responsibility for the development, maintenance, and analysis of institutionally relevant information in support of the College's planning, assessment, and decision- making activity.

Much of IRP’s work is directed toward planning and evaluation within a department or program, both administrative and academic, but these projects generally are undertaken because the program- or department-specific questions are important within a College-wide perspective. Many of the statistics and analyses produced by IRP are also relevant for the public; governmental legislative and regulatory entities; and prospective and current donors, grantors, and students. These very important public information functions, although they consume a significant amount of time, are generally secondary or derivative.

IRP serves the entire College, and the IRP "agenda," developed in consultation with the Dean of Faculty, other senior officers of the College, and the IRP Advisory Panel, should reflect the planning and evaluation needs of the College as a whole. Many of the most important planning and evaluation concerns of the College lie at the nexus of the academic, non- academic, and financial sectors; for example, admissions and financial aid issues should be examined within the context of the later success of students in academic programs and the financial resources and income projections of the College.