Leveraging Data for Student Success and Departmental Accountability

2. Using Data to PromoteStudent Success andDepartmental Accountability Jim Moran, Provost, University of South Dakota Matt Heard, Sr. Budget Specialist, University of South Dakota Enterprise IT Summit, March 6, 2018

3. Key Issues to Address Student Success Student success depends on data informed decisions which lead to quality improvement

4. Impetus • Started in Tennessee a decade ago • Disconnected reports that end up sitting on a shelf • “Bad news” never sees the light of day • Data was often not disaggregated • Department activities often not connected to the university strategic plan

5. Next Step • Pennsylvania had original model of Nuventive’sTracDat • Not web-based and focused on student learning outcomes (basic assessment tool) • Needed a tool that integrates the quantitative with the qualitative • Product evolution to include department goals • Conversation with Microsoft

6. A Decade Later at USD • Programs were not regularly provided performance data (done on an ad hoc basis) • Much of the planning (i.e. budgeting) within departments wasn’t linked to data or strategic plans • Needed an integrated methodology to provide information to chairs and deans

7. USD Strategic Plan • University strategic plan was lacking in information derived from data and metrics • Needed to tie resource allocation and budgeting to the strategic plan • Need to be a “living document” of the institution and all needed to gain ownership of success

8. USD Budgeting Process • RCM Budget Model • More transparency • Deans, Chairs, and Faculty are now provided with more data • Section numbers and sizes • Program analysis • Enrollment analysis

9. USD Action Plan • Concentrate on achieving excellence and aligning priorities to strategic initiatives • Requires data-informed decision-making • To implement this strategy, faculty need a tool giving them data to plan appropriately

10. What Did We Do? • Integrated software platform (Nuventive) • Displayed data via Tableau on the site • Linked goals and action plans of Departments to university and college strategic plan • Transparency - visible to all faculty

11. Enrollment Data • Tableau data are the one true data set at USD • Provided faculty access to: • Degree conferrals • Current enrollment by major data • Credits at Graduation • Research grants • Student Credit Hours

12. Data Tools • Graduate Profile • Student Profile • Credit Hour Profile • Persistence Profile • Research Profile

13. Departmental Goals

14. Departmental Action Plans

15. Student Success Stories • Credits at Graduation • Discovered hidden pre-requisites • Built four-year plans • Justification for new positions • Re-structured selected programs

16. High Touch Approach • Individual meetings with Department Chairs • Training, training, and more training • Review again – iterative process • Patience—It’s a marathon, not a sprint!

17. What Have We Learned • Just because you provide data tools, doesn’t mean they will know how to use data tools • Discuss the opportunities—some will rise to the challenge • Use the software as an opportunity to drive improvement