Proposed 2026 Calendar
Upcoming events designed to welcome, support and connect members at every stage
| Month | Event | Purpose | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 February | New Year Kick-off 2026 | Introduce Executive Committee, SIG chairs, introduce new Data Governance SIG, and Social Media Coordinator introductions, 2026 AAIR objectives and plan, share association updates, introduce draft calendar | Webinar |
| 24 February | Surveys and Evaluation SIG | The Surveys and Evaluation Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| 13 March | Emerging Technology Webinar | The use of AI in higher education and institutional research, including the safe use of AI | Webinar |
| March | Business Intelligence & Analytics SIG | The Business Intelligence & Analytics Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| March | Newbie Onboarding Session | New to AAIR? A friendly introduction to institutional research in higher education | Virtual discussion |
| March | QILT | What's coming up in 2026 with QILT? | Presentation |
| March | Wicked Problems Workshop | Select a significant sector-wide issue each year to focus advocacy and collaborative efforts Problem 1: government reporting challenges, TCSI definitions, TCSI data quality and governance | Virtual discussion |
| April | Forum Follow-up | Institutional Research: Making Data Available to Drive Strategic Decision Making | Presentation |
| April | Best Presenter Follow-Up | Best presenter from the annual forum to deliver a follow-up session From Whiting to Groper: A Scalable AI Framework for Growing Team Capacity? | Presentation |
| April | Member Virtual Networking | Build member connections through catch ups and discussions Topic suggestion: What’s working and what’s not working in cross-collaboration for institutional research (members to bring their own examples of what’s working and what’s not working in their institutions) | Virtual discussion |
| April | Load Management & Planning SIG | The Load Management & Planning Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| April | ‘Day in the Life’ Interview | Interview a member to understand what their typical day looks like in institutional research | Presentation |
| May | Institutional Research Showcase | Members present current projects or case studies (4 topics) | Lightning talks (10 mins each + Q&A) |
| May | Member Discussion | Global University Rankings and Ratings | Virtual discussion |
| May | Institutional Reporting SIG | The Institutional Reporting Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| May | Vendor Demonstration | Explorance, AAIR platinum sponsor, to present their session from the forum | Webinar |
| June | Newbie Onboarding Session | New to AAIR? A friendly introduction to institutional research in higher education | Virtual discussion |
| 26 June | Data Governance SIG | The Data Governance Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| June | Panel Discussion | Explore higher education current issues and their impact on institutional research | Presentation |
| July | Life Member Interview | Interview an AAIR life member on their institutional research journey | Presentation |
| July | Surveys and Evaluation SIG | The Surveys and Evaluation Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| July | Member Virtual Networking | A workshop to share approaches to analytics with the view to developing a working group | Virtual discussion |
| August | Virtual Roundtable | Discuss current challenges in institutional research | Facilitated dialogue |
| August | Newbie Onboarding Session | New to AAIR? A friendly introduction to institutional research in higher education | Virtual discussion |
| August | Load Management & Planning SIG | The Load Management & Planning Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| 14 September | Data Governance SIG | The Data Governance Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| September | Institutional Research Showcase | Members present current projects or case studies (4 topics) | Lightning talks (10 mins each + Q&A) |
| September | Institutional Reporting SIG | The Institutional Reporting Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| October | Member Virtual Networking | Build member connections through catch ups and discussions | Virtual discussion |
| October | Business Intelligence & Analytics SIG | The Business Intelligence & Analytics Special Interest Group networking, discussion and sharing ideas | Virtual discussion |
| October/ November | Annual Forum | Flagship event with keynotes, papers, networking | Multi day conference |
| November | Institutional Research Showcase | Members present current projects or case studies (4 topics) | Lightning talks (10 mins each + Q&A) |
| December | Open AAIR | Ideas for 2027 virtual event calendar | Virtual discussion |