The Southern African Association for Institutional Research (SAAIR) is a dynamic association with the vision of promoting institutional research, training and development and the exchange of information in the context of an effective institutional research unit in each institution of higher education. SAAIR was founded in 1994, and is affiliated to AIR (USA).

Institutional research (IR) has been defined in various ways, but typically refers to the cluster of activities that supports decision-making, policy analysis, quality management, effective management, projections and planning. Southern African institutions are increasingly recognising the need for IR in order to address the variety of policies regulating higher education, and many institutions are creating IR offices and employing IR officers, albeit using a variety of titles.

Our membership includes persons involved in IR, Management Information, Institutional Planning, Quality Assurance, HEMIS, Student Administration as well as academics.

International development opportunities:

• Australasian Association for Institutional Research (AAIR) Forum

SAAIR holds an annual forum, at which members can disseminate research, share best practice, and discuss issues relevant to the IR profession.

The 2008 Forum will be hosted 13-15 October at the Polytechnic of Namibia in Windhoek. The theme for this years forum is "IR responding to the changing Higher Education Environment" For more infomation on this event and functions, please read the information page. Call for papers Deadline: 15 August 2008 Take note that all visitors to Namibia must be in possession of a valid Passport. Please visit the Namibian Tourism Board website Visa section to determine whether a visa is required for visitors from your country to Namibia. Negotiations are currently underway with the national carrier Air Namibia for a corporate rate to delegates of this Forum. Polytechnic of Namibia

Other activities include IR and HEMIS institutes, first offered in 2004, as well as a research project aimed at standardising the way in which student retention is analysed and reported.

The following professional development opportunities are planned for 2008:

• Quality Audit Institute (UNISA).
• HEMIS Institute (University of Johannesburg 12-14 May 2008)
• IR Institute (Monash University SA August 2008)
• Forum 2008 (Polytechnic of Namibia Windhoek October 2008)

Notice:
There is now an extensive help page  on the website. All users experiencing problems with the processes involved in registration, event bookings and abstract submissions should view  this page.