The Measurement section of each STARS credit specifies a timeframe from which reported information may be drawn (see the STARS Technical Manual). For some credits, particularly those that are based on the presence of a policy or program, institutions are asked to report on current practices (i.e., status at the time of reporting). Other credits, particularly those based on quantitative performance, require historical performance data, typically drawn from a one- or three-year period. Some credits also ask for the most recent annual data available, which is referred to as “performance year” data. This may be data from a continuous 12-month period, or, in some cases, may also be an average of several years worth of data.
The Technical Manual provides specifics for each credit, for example:
Report the most recent data available from the three years prior to the anticipated date of submission. Institutions may use the most recent single year for which data is available or an average from throughout the period. Institutions may choose the annual start and end dates that work best with the data they have (e.g. fiscal or calendar year), as long as data are reported from a consecutive 12-month (or 3-year) period.
It is not required that the same performance year be used for every credit.
Tags: getting started, timeframes
