Benchmarking, both formal and informal, is pretty common in higher education. We take a look at what other colleges and universities are doing and compare our efforts and outcomes. Analyze whether or not our performance is on par. Look for opportunities for improvement. Dig deep...
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)'s annual Academic Resource Conference (2019) kicks off today. I'm heading there tomorrow and am looking forward to a packed schedule! On Thursday, I'll be presenting an exciting conversation on benchmarking strategies and...
Data skills are a must for IR professionals at every level. Today’s institutions use increasingly complex data tools, including advanced predictive analytics, big data, and business intelligence systems. Certainly, that calls for hiring individuals with advanced data skills. However, data skills alone do not necessarily...
We all love a good story. It hooks us from the very beginning. The scene and characters come alive in our minds. Before we know it, we’re hanging on every word. We get so wrapped up in the story, we lose track of time. We’re...
Long gone are the days where one department is the “data office”. Nearly every office and department uses data. Many even generate and store their own data. Data people are everywhere, bringing them together can make your job easier. Why Aren’t Data Creators Talking More? If there are many...
With the IPEDS Winter data collection cycle nearly complete (don’t forget to hit lock by February 13!), we will soon shift our focus to preparing Spring data. While it may seem like there’s little time to take a deep breath in between the cycles, finding...
At the start of the new year, many of us take a good long look at ourselves and identify somethings we'd like to do better or differently in the new year. Have you thought about doing the same with your data, though? To get started,...
So often, one of the biggest hurdles to using data effectively lies in the conversations we have about the data. What are we trying to study? What data do we need? How should we collect it? What type of analyses will we do? With so...
As you probably know, the metrics for measuring student success in higher education are dynamic. Institutions and stakeholders have long been on the hunt to know more about how college impacts students’ lives. Therefore, we have tirelessly studied student satisfaction. And grades. And graduation and...
It’s hard to believe 2019 is here already. If the new year can sneak up this quickly, so too can deadlines. It happens to all of us. So, let’s do better at planning to succeed this year. Whenever I think about the concept of planning to...
