There is a growing body of literature about assessment in higher education. Much of it is devoted to advocating the benefits of assessment, describing how assessment initiatives and programs might be organized within an institution, identifying key attributes of successful assessment projects (leadership, resources, faculty engagement), and explaining numerous assessment approaches and measures. This article has another purpose: identifying key ways in which institutional research offices furnish leadership or assistance in assessment. The author limits her focus to assessment of student learning, an imperative that has been on the national agenda for more than a decade, especially in institutions accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).