The Division of Instructional Services (later known as Student Testing and Research) was created to research and disseminate information about university research to the administration and faculty of the State University of New York at Buffalo. It was hoped that the Division of Instructional Service's research would provide information to help administration make decisions and would therefore lead to improved admissions, advisement, counseling, instructional practices and assessment practices.

The Biography of a Class study was the first major research initiative of the Division of Instructional Services. The major subject of the study was the students of the University at Buffalo. It endeavored to discover who the students were, what they believed in and what their attitudes toward the University at Buffalo were in order to direct attention to the characteristics, qualities and educational needs of members of present classes.

It was anticipated that this research would provide UB faculty and administration with detailed information about students, contribute to advances in statistical methodology, and provide other institutions of higher learning with models for research.