Unpopular ideas are just that . . . unpopular. So, when you have a new idea or way of looking at the data, you often wonder if you should go out on a limb to share it. Wouldn’t it be great if there were others who think like...
College and university foundation and advancement offices do important work. So do their supporting professional associations, such as CASE. Their work is critical to institutional success. But many people on campus still aren't aware that the gifts donors make to the institution often fund things...
As an institutional researcher, I have never gotten a 2:00 a.m. phone call notifying me of a data emergency. I’ve never been asked to come to campus immediately to assist the data crisis response team or make pivot tables. Never. However – my colleagues in...
We all have a favorite holiday or event that occurs annually. Though it comes the same time every year, it always seems to sneak up. But every year, you'll tell yourself the same story. “Next year, I’ll start my shopping early.” And, just like the...
Sometimes it feels like reports detailing college and university data might as well be written in a foreign language. Lots of numbers, tons of bar graphs, size 5 font. Footnotes aplenty. And data questions galore. Reports are jam-packed with so much information that it's hard to identify key takeaways. And it’s often a challenge to even...
The IPEDS - Outcome Measures (IPEDS-OM) data. It still feels new. And it may feel particularly new if you haven’t had time to explore it yet. But actually – it isn’t THAT new. IPEDS-OM has been around since 2015-16. So, if this "seems new-but...
Every college or university has a Board. They go by slightly different names, Board of Trustees, Board of Regents, Board of Governors. We use the generic term “Board” to refer to all these groups. Boards are primarily comprised of people who are NOT experts in...
In an earlier blog, Tackling Tough Problems: Part I, we discussed the value of tackling the problems no one else wants. Being the one to solve a difficult puzzle can be a real professional boost for any higher education staff member. But where to start? Finding the...
If you’ve been in higher education for even a little while, you’ve heard of the acronym IPEDS. You probably know generally what it is … but few know what all the letters stand for. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Yes – the ‘s’ stands for System...
In The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost celebrates the value in going where others have not. In higher education, you can have that experience by taking on the problems no one else wants to address. Tackling these tough problems is good advice – we share...
