Accessing SIRIS

User Categories

SIRIS offers three levels of access. Each role is designed to provide the appropriate level of access and functionality based on job responsibilities and data needs. You can review the specific requirements and access processes for each role by clicking the hyperlinks below or scrolling further down the page.

Aggregate Users: Primarily faculty and administrators requiring high-level, summarized data for strategic decision-making and overview purposes.

Dashboard Users: Student services professionals and academic operations staff who need detailed, interactive reports to support day-to-day operations and student support functions.

Ad hoc Users: Data analysts and advanced users who require the ability to construct custom queries for in-depth analysis and specialized reporting. 

1. Aggregate Users 

Aggregate users can view a wide range of departmental and school data on aggregated dashboards. The most commonly used dashboard for this group is the Annual Academic Summaries dashboard which provides a comprehensive 10-year snapshot of departmental data across students, faculty & instructors, and Class metrics.

Access for Faculty:

1. Complete the user agreement: AAS-0001 - AAS Annual Academic Summaries User Agreement
2. Access will be granted the day after completing the agreement.
    

Access for Staff:

1. Complete the Aggregate User Authority Request Form.
2. Complete the user agreement: AAS-0001 - AAS Annual Academic Summaries User Agreement
3. Access will be granted the day after completing both steps.
    

Viewing the Annual Academic Summaries Dashboard:

• Click here to access the Annual Academic Summaries Dashboard
• You may be prompted to re-enter your Stanford credentials on an Oracle sign-in page (this is part of the Stanford authorization process)
• For further information, users can review the AAS page on our website.
   

Important Notes:

• Faculty already have aggregate user authority; the request form is only needed for staff.
• All users must complete the user agreement in STARS
• Request forms are reviewed daily
• Please review the appropriate use guidelines (anchor link to bottom of page) before completing the user agreement.
   

Please reach out to siris-support@lists.stanford.edu if you have any questions.

2. Dashboard Users

Dashboard users can interact with a wide range of user-friendly reporting requiring minimal OBIEE (BI) expertise. As a Dashboard User, you can:

• Access aggregate and trend data on degrees conferred
• View student enrollment histories at individual and program, plan, and subplan levels
• Explore course and class information, including instructor details
• Access comprehensive academic advising data
• Break down data by gender/URM (subject to user access limits)
• Customize reports for basic reporting needs (e.g., student counts over time, popular majors)
• And more!
   

Access Instructions:

1. Contact the designated authority grantor for your specific area of the university.
2. Complete two SIRIS prerequisites in STARS:
   • AS-2000 - Appropriate Use and Protection of Student Data
   • AS-2001 - SIRIS Terms of Use Agreement
     (Search the STARS catalog in Axess for “AS-2000” and “AS-2001” if the links above do not work)
3. Once approved and the prerequisites are completed, you'll be able to access SIRIS reporting at bi.stanford.edu. 
    

The SIRIS team has created a list of Widely Used SIRIS Reports (link) to jump-start your SIRIS journey! You can also review our resources page for users.

For additional assistance, contact siris-support@lists.stanford.edu.

3. Ad hoc Users 

Ad hoc users can construct custom queries combining various data dimensions in SIRIS to answer specific and complex questions about student data. This access allows users to generate results ranging from high-level summaries to individual student records

Important Considerations and Key Requirements:

• Ad hoc users require a thorough understanding of appropriate student data use and expertise in student data terminology and university academic structure
• The ability to design and validate complex queries is a must. Poorly designed queries can lead to misinformation, despite appearing valid.
   

Experienced Dashboard Users who are interested in exploring becoming Ad hoc Users should contact the SIRIS team directly.

Already an ad hoc user? Check out our Ad Hoc Corner for an overview of SIRIS data, basic query templates, and FAQs.

Appropriate Use

Access to SIRIS reporting is available for employees of Stanford University who have a clear and compelling need to use student information in the service of a well-defined programmatic or institutional goal and are committed to following these guidelines:

Appropriate Use of Student Data

Copy of User Agreements (STARS AAS-0001 & AS-2001)

Users should understand that access to the data includes the responsibility to protect the data from misuse and does not imply permission to share the data with anyone else. Users must be in a position to understand the programmatic or institutional need for the information they provide to others, to decline or restructure requests as appropriate, and to clearly communicate limitations on any further data sharing.

Faculty or others requesting access to student data for research purposes should contact the Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support, as these requests require special approval (including IRB approval) to ensure compliance with federal law.