In January, we wrote about Missouri State’s stepped-up approach to building a data-informed culture. Recently, the university gained a great asset in this goal when it named the next leader for the office of institutional research (OIR).

Egon Heidendal is now leading institutional effectiveness. We sat down with Heidendal to learn about his background, his vision for the OIR and where you should look for him, once fall rolls around.

Q&A

Academic Expressions: Tell us about your new role and your background in this field.

Egon Heidendal: On April 22, I became Missouri State’s director of institutional research. I started in this field about 15 years ago at Northwest Missouri State University. My first role was as a data analyst in Northwest’s office of institutional research. I went on to have pretty much every role in that office, at some point. Eventually, I made my way up to assistant vice president of institutional research and effectiveness. I was in that role until April 19 — I gave myself one weekend off before I began here.

AE: After so much time at Northwest, why did you want to join us at Missouri State?

EH: It was a great opportunity. I’ve always wanted to work for a larger university. I was confident that I’d set my team at Northwest up for success, so I felt comfortable moving on. This is the type of exciting, new challenge that I was looking for.

AE: From your perspective, what role does the OIR play in an organization?

EH: Institutional research is there to help faculty, staff and administrators with the data they need to make the best decisions. We’re a service unit that’s here to support all employees and ensure we’re making decisions that are based on the best data. I envision a modern OIR as a service unit for the entire institution.

AE: What types of questions do you think the OIR should be engaged with?

EH: Any data questions — whether those are about head counts or student credit hours or anything else. Many faculty members will need data to conduct their research, and we should be assisting them with those requests. We really want to be the experts in getting good data into the hands of our users.

“We’re a service unit that’s here to support all employees and ensure we’re making decisions that are based on the best data.”

—Egon Heidendal

AE: How would you characterize the relationship between the OIR and academic units?

EH: It should be a natural relationship that’s focused on getting them what they need within the constraints that are set by compliance rules. For example, we have to be mindful of things like FERPA guidelines, and we’re aware of what is appropriate regarding these measures. But even if someone has a question that we can’t answer, we’ll try to figure out the context of their request and find a way to support them.

AE: How would you like people to reach out?

EH: I don’t think you should have to fill out a form to request data. Feel free to email or phone. If you email, don’t be surprised if I pick up the phone and call or come over to your office to better understand your request. I like to have a conversation — if we’re going to meet requests to the best of our ability, we need to understand what the request is trying to accomplish. You only do this through conversation and building relationships.

AE: What else would you like people to know about you?

EH: I’m originally from the Netherlands. I went to Northwest as an exchange student, and I stayed. I always joke that I did 20 years in Europe, and I’ve now done 20 years in Missouri. I love tailgating — mostly for the food — and I like to get creative with the menu. I’ve been known to make chicken shawarma or Korean tacos. I get pretty into it.

AE: So we should keep an eye out for you in BearFest Village during football season?

EH: Exactly. I like meeting new people. If you see me and want to chat, I’ll be up for it.

Around Campus…

We’re getting close to one of the biggest events of the year: Spring Commencement. It’s always a special day — happy tears and laughter are essentially guaranteed.

Commencement Ceremonies

All ceremonies will be held on May 10 in the Great Southern Bank Arena.

9 a.m.

• McQueary College of Health and Human Services
• College of Natural and Applied Sciences

1 p.m. 

• Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities
• College of Education

5 p.m. 

• Darr College of Agriculture
• College of Business
• Interdisciplinary Academic Programs

For more information, visit the Commencement website.