A new group has been convened to recommend reforms to the National Center for Education Statistics after repeated criticism of the agency’s capacity and methods; leaders say NCES needs modernization to support accurate, timely higher‑education data. The panel will assess governance, transparency and technical practices as legislators press for better information on outcomes and finances. At the same time, colleges are grappling with a separate federal push for admissions data: institutional researchers report a frantic effort to compile unprecedented volumes of information in response to federal demands, raising concerns about staff capacity, data privacy and how the government will use the records. The twin pressures are forcing institutions to re‑examine data governance and resource allocation for IR offices.