Introduction
On the free plan, the fastest way to see what Clema does is to ask it the same questions your IR team fields every week. These five cover the spectrum: one federal-data definition, one peer comparison, one IPEDS peer-group build, one internal FTE calculation, and one financial-aid cut. Each one shows a different side of how Clema returns sourced answers.
What is our fall-to-fall retention rate for first-time, full-time students?
Tests domain knowledge and your data. Clema should apply the IPEDS GRS definition, return the cohort size and the re-enrolled share, and show the calculation method. This is the question an IR director fields most often, and it confirms Clema knows the difference between a cohort and a population.
For example, a question like this might return something like: "87.3% of the fall 2024 first-time, full-time cohort re-enrolled in fall 2025 (612 of 701 students). Source: IPEDS GRS, fall 2025 collection, Riverbend State University, Unit ID 999999." That is an illustrative example of the format, not an actual output; your answer will carry your institution's own cohort and source.
How does our 4-year graduation rate compare to last year?
Tests longitudinal comparison. Clema should pull the four-year graduation rate for the latest two cohorts, calculate the year-over-year delta, and show both numbers with the source. Look for the cohort definitions to be identical across both years.
A plausible answer reads something like: "Your 4-year graduation rate rose from 46.2% (2023 cohort) to 48.9% (2024 cohort), a 2.7 percentage point increase. Source: IPEDS GRS 200, Riverbend State University, Unit ID 999999." Again, this is only an illustrative example of the format; the actual figures come from your institution's data.
Which institutions are our closest IPEDS peers by Carnegie class?
Tests peer-group construction. Clema should build a peer group from your Carnegie class and control, optionally filtered by region or size, and return the list with the criteria shown. This is the building block for every peer benchmarking question downstream.
What is our undergraduate FTE this term versus last fall?
Tests internal-data calculation. Clema should compute FTE from your credit-hour data, not just pull a headcount, and show the conversion formula. This is the question deans ask and analysts spend too long on, because FTE definitions vary across the institution.
Which programs have the highest Pell recipient share?
Tests financial-aid cuts against program data. Clema should join Pell recipient counts to program or CIP codes, sort by share, and show the source. This is a typical cabinet question that crosses financial aid and academic affairs and usually takes a multi-source pull to answer.
An illustrative answer might look like: "Nursing has the highest Pell recipient share at 61.4% (183 of 298 students), followed by Elementary Education at 58.2%. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid component and internal program enrollment file, Riverbend State University, Unit ID 999999." This example is for format only; the actual programs and shares will reflect your institution.
What to look for in each answer
- The source. Every figure should carry the table, field, and year. If the source is missing, ask Clema where the number came from.
- The cohort definition. Retention and graduation questions should specify first-time, full-time, and cohort year so the numbers are comparable across asks.
- The audit trail. Every query should produce a record you can review later, which is what makes the answer defensible to an accreditor.
Ask Clema your first five questions
Start free, connect a sample source, and run these five questions in your first session.
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