The Postsecondary Education Research Center aspires to be nationally known for generating transformative research on student access and completion, informing higher education policy at the local, state, and national levels, and serving postsecondary institutions and organizations through applied research.
This vision is realized through PERC’s strategic focus on Research, Policy, and Practice:
- Research
- PERC completes research on student access and completion with concentrations in 1) community colleges, technical schools, university transfer, 2) the student experience, and 3) financing education.
- Policy
- PERC uses research to inform national, state, and local policy.
- Practice
- PERC offers services to help higher-education institutions apply research in support of student access and completion goals.
The center’s work also supports and advances the six strategic priorities of the UT College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) strategic plan:
| CEHHS PRIORITY | PERC ACTIVITIES |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate Education | Provides support for UTK retention and graduation goals through applied scholarship |
| Graduate Education | Sponsors graduate students |
| Diversity & Inclusion | Pursues scholarship related to higher education access |
| Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity | Strives for national excellence and reputation in the higher education administration academic discipline |
| Outreach & Engagement | Applies scholarship in service to the State of Tennessee education policy and access goals |
| Faculty & Staff | Develops faculty expertise in higher education administration at UTK |