1. Who will have access to our data?
The NSLLP Research Team and the Center for Student Studies will work with your data in preparation for your final report. Data will also be aggregated into a national dataset for the purposes of analysis. At no point, however, will institutional data be shared with anyone outside the research team in a way that identifies a particular school.

2. When is the data-collection period?
The data-collection period extends from January through the end of April. Each institution will select a three-week window that best fits its academic calendar, campus events, and the fielding of other surveys.

3. Should schools participate every year?
Each school should determine how they intend to use the data and allow that to shape how they participate in the NSLLP. For those interesting in monitoring trends over time, yearly participation may be of use. For others, collecting data once every three to four years may be a better fit with their overarching assessment agenda.

4. Do all schools need to obtain IRB approval? What if our school doesn’t have an IRB?
In order to comply with increasingly complex and stringent regulations regarding research using human subjects, every school is required to obtain IRB approval. A national IRB governs the larger study and its protocols. This is shared with schools, along with template forms for submitting materials at your campus. Typically, campus IRBs will grant approval without many problems given the use of a national IRB for the project. If your school does not have an IRB, you will be asked to submit written approval for participation in the NSLLP from your senior student affairs officer, senior academic officer, or person designated by institutional policy to approve such studies.