Really useful data
Some great examples of using data to improve institutional management in this The Chronicle of Higher Education story:
William D. Law Jr. was talking about “big data” before it was a buzzword. Mr. Law, president of St. Petersburg College, has long argued that colleges can improve student performance with a little number crunching, just as many businesses increase efficiency by looking for trends in all the contacts they have with their customers.
The key, he says, is to make sure that everyone on campus is clear about what the numbers mean, and that everyone can see the same information at the same time, so no-one feels blindsided.
But providing the data is one thing; people also have to use it. So Mr. Law has worked to keep numbers in campus conversations as the institution attempts to add new services, such as a system of alerts that flag students who might be at risk of dropping out. Every Wednesday morning, the president and other officials gather—some in person and others via Webcast—for a 30-minute briefing, at which administrators report on the progress of five key projects, including the alert system.
It’s not unique but is a really positive set of developments and the commitment to transparency is particularly laudable. What is most perhaps most impressive is that this seems to have been achieved without a huge investment in IT.
