21 Nov Spotlight on Strategy with Dr. Braden Hosch
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.
Dr. Braden Hosch serves as Associate Vice President for Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness for Stony Brook University. He wrote Chapter 2: Key Elements of a Data Strategy discusses the components of a data strategy so that institutions can utilize one or more common models when creating their own.
In the process of research for the chapter, Braden learned that financial markets are beginning 
to value companies beyond what they make or do, to include the data they possess. And colleges and universities are repositories of a lot of data, and are only beginning to understand its value. The world is becoming increasingly data-centric, as more of our lives becomes digitized. As a result, individuals and institutions need to rethink how we organize and process data.
Key Chapter Takeaways
If you can only remember one thing from the Chapter, Braden says, remember this:
If data strategy isn’t written down and communicated broadly, it’s not a strategy. It’s a secret.
Dr. Braden Hosch On the Process of Writing
Braden cautions other writers not to feel you have to write a perfect first draft. Just take the plunge. The process of writing itself helps clarify your thinking. And it allows you to distill disparate concepts down to the most important issues.
An Excerpt from Data Strategy in Colleges and Universities:
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.
Once you have a data strategy for your institution, whom should you share it with? Who needs to know so that your strategy isn’t a secret, it’s an approach embraced by stakeholders? Tell us about it in the comments below.