The South Carolina Association for Institutional Research has been holding an annual conference for more than 20 years.

The purpose of the annual SCAIR conference is to provide an opportunity for the membership to share best practices, demonstrate software or technological tools, and create networking opportunities.

Presentations from previous conferences can be found below, as well as information about when and where the conferences have taken place throughout our history.

Photo of Executive Board

2025 - Columbia, SC

The 2025 conference took place March 13-14 at the Hilton Columbia Center in Columbia, SC.

2025 IR Professional of the Year  (    )

Concurrent Sessions

  • Carolyn Mata, SC Independent Colleges and Universities
    Preparing for Updates to Federal Standards on Race and Ethnicity Data Collection
  • Maria Linn and Kelly Scott, Winthrop University
    Building a Data Literate Campus Culture from the Ground Up: Winthrop’s Efforts to Create an Institution-Wide Platform for Data Sharing
  • Rick Loveday and Jennifer Fox, Clemson University
    Request Revolution: Reinventing Request Management for the Digital Age
  • Carolyn Mata, SC Independent Colleges and Universities
    IPEDS Data for Accreditation Reporting
  • Dr. Lara Anderson, Dr. Donna Arnett and Dr. Faxian Yang, University of South Carolina
    The Impact of the Virtual Peer Led Learning App on Students’ Academic Performance in a STEM Course at a Research University
  • Juan Xu and Joe McLaughlin, Clemson University
    Course Demand Analysis — What     We Have Done?
  • Kevin McMindes, Greenville Technical College 
    Leveraging     Business Intelligence to Streamline IPEDS Reporting
  • Jennifer Fox, Clemson University 
    Python for Beginners: Automating Clearinghouse Data and More
  • Katlyn Bagley-Sepsey, Furman University 
    Empowering Campus Decision-Making: Building a Centralized Data Warehouse for Institutional Research
  • Wilson Bright, BlockSurvey (Sponsor)  
    Future of Surveys: Integrating AI Companions into Research
  • Rick Loveday, Clemson University 
    (Power) Automate Your Life

2024 - Columbia, SC

The 2024 conference took place February 28-March 1 at the Springhill Marriot in Columbia, SC.

2024 IR Professional of the Year  (not awarded)

Presentations

  • Smith, Michelle & Watt, Catherine – College of Charleston and Penn State University
    The Power of Collective Intelligence in Institutional Research: Insights from Experts
  • Small, LaTrice & Baker, LaQuanda – University of South Carolina
    Making Assessment Meaningful with Data Visualization
  • Simer, Lauren – Greenville Technical College
    A Human Workfrod in an Era of AI
  • Rennick, Elizabeth – Trident Technical College
    Technical Skills for the Modern IR Office
  • Loveday, Richard – Clemson University
    Using ChatGPT to Enhance Reporting Practices
  • Poon, Jonathan – University of South Carolina
    More Bang for Your Buck: Utilizing the Free IPEDS Data Center for Strategic Planning and Benchmarking
  • Smith, Michelle & Anderson, Kate & Nelson, Susanne – College of Charleston
    Brain Drain or Brain Gain? Leveraging PSEO Data and Tableau to Compare Employment Outcomes of SC Post-Secondary Graduates
  • Smouse, Carey – HelioCampus
    Assessing the Whole Student: Co-Curricular Assessment and Credentialing Tools for Deeper Learning
  • Fox, Jennifer – Clemson University
    Post-Baccalaureate Enrollment Rates
  • Collins, Josh & Clark, Dorian – Lightcast Higher Education Data Solutions
    From Data to Design: Optimizing Programs with Lightcast Intelligence
  • McMindes, Kevin – Greenville Technical College
    So, They Want You to Build a Dashboad
  • Xu, Juan & McLaughlin, Joe – Clemson University
    Tracking Graduate Student Success – A University’s Journey
  • Taylor, Howard – Xitracs
    Xitracs: Flexible and Focused on YOUR Evidence-Informed Future
  • Robinson, Christopher & Charbonneau, Stephanie – SC CHE
    Connect and Collaborate with the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, Office of Data Management and IT

2023 - North Charleston, SC

The 2023 conference took place March 9-10, 2023 at the South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center (SCATC) at Trident Technical College in North Charleston, SC.

IR Professional of the Year

  • Melissa Welborn of Clemson University

Presentations

2022 - North Charleston, SC

The 2022 conference took place February 24-25, 2022 at Trident Technical College in North Charleston, SC.

IR Professional of the Year

Presentations

2021 - Virtual

The 2021 conference was our first-ever joint virtual conference with NCAIR.

IR Professional of the Year

  • Ron Chrestman of Clemson University

 

2019 - Greenville, SC

The 2019 conference took place January 28-29, 2019 at the Embassy Suites RiverPlace in Greenville, SC.

IR Professional of the Year

  • Dr. Mary Beth Schwartz of York Technical College

Presentations

2018 - Columbia, SC

The 2018 conference took place January 29-30 at the Springhill Marriot in Columbia, SC.

2018 IR Professional of the Year

  • Darryl Iverson of Anderson University

Presentations

2017 - Charleston, SC

The 2017 conference took place January 30-31 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, SC.

Presentations

  • 2016: March 7-8 at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of SC, Columbia, SC
  • 2015: March 2-4 at the Westin Poinsett in Greenville, SC
  • 2014: March 3-5 at the Westin Poinsett in Greenville, SC
  • 2013: March 3-5 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, SC
  • 2012: March 5 – March 6 at the Moore School of Business, USC, Columbia, SC
  • 2011: February 28 – March 1 at the Moore School of Business, USC, Columbia, SC
  • 2008: Joint conference with NCAIR held April 7 – 9 in Asheville, NC
  • 2007: February 20 – 21 in Columbia, SC; “Building A Collaborative Culture”
  • 2006: March 30 – 31 in Columbia, SC; “Improving Higher Education Through Collaboration”
  • 2004: Sea Trail Plantation, Sunset Beach, NC – with NCAIR & CCPRO
  • 2003: Wyndham Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC
  • 2002: Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms, SC
  • 2001: Hyatt Regency, Greenville, SC
  • 2000: Ocean Dunes Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC