Ivan Harrell head shot

10 Oct Spotlight on Strategy with Dr. Ivan Harrell

Posted at 09:04h in Data Coaching by

At the IEHE, we are always excited to have the opportunity to highlight the incredible work being done by our colleagues. As part of the launch of Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities: From Understanding to Implementation, edited by our own Kristina Powers, we’re bringing you a series of profiles of the higher education professionals who share their knowledge and expertise in the book.

Head shot of Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities author Dr. Ivan Harrell.

Dr. Ivan Harrell serves as President of Tacoma Community College, and wrote Chapter 8: Presidents’ and Provosts’ Perspectives, which details the need for campus leaders to have access to accurate and timely data to make sound internal decisions and meet external audience demands.

Key Chapter Takeaways

The most important advice Ivan hopes readers will glean from his chapter is the need for IR teams to understand their audience whenever they prepare or present data.

Dr. Ivan Harrell On the Process of Writing

Ivan’s tip for writers in collaborative projects is to schedule time for writing, and stick to it.

An Excerpt from Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities:

Excerpt from Chapter 8 of Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities: Presidents and provosts have some of the most rewarding and challenging roles in colleges and universities. At a time when higher education institutions must not only provide an excellent education but do so with greater accountability, decreased funding, and an eye to providing students with more than academic resources to succeed, good leadership becomes even more difficult (Gagliardi & Turk, 2017). In addition, there is growing scrutiny of the value of higher education, particularly as it relates to preparing students to secure jobs that pay living wages. To ensure that their institutions remain successful and relevant in this climate, it is critical that presidents and provosts engage in data-informed decision making. This chapter focuses on meeting these competing challenges while creating a data strategy that advances the institutional mission.

Want to read more? Order your copy of Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities: From Understanding to Implementation now! You can also read more about the chapter authors and an extended excerpt from the book.

Do you tailor your data presentations for specific audiences? Describe a time where you presented your information in a unique way in order to appeal to a specific target group. Tell us about it in the comments below.

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