Dive Brief:
- While many colleges are beginning to use data to inform student success initiatives and operational decision-making, almost a quarter say they have the data but still don’t use it.
- EdTech Magazine reports “Embracing Innovation,” the KPMG 2015-16 Higher Education Industry Outlook Survey, found just 41% of colleges use data forecasting and predictive analytics, and even fewer — 29% — use data for strategic and operating decisions.
- Slightly more than one-third of responding colleges outsource analytics because they don’t have the internal capacity to do it, and 29% gather and analyze data in-house, joining the growing number of institutions employing statisticians and other analytics professionals.
Dive Insight:
Colleges and universities have historically had trouble filling IT roles because the pay offered in the nonprofit world of academia falls far below that of the corporate sector. Some IT professionals choose higher education because of the mission, and the benefits often help attract others. Workforce hiring and retention remained a top issue for 2016 in Educause’s annual report, released earlier this year. As data becomes increasingly important to campus operations, many institutions will have to figure out how to invest in an IT workforce that performs critical functions.
Beyond IT, top institutional leaders cite the importance of making data analysis a university-wide function. It can not be restricted to institutional research or IT departments. Campuses need to foster a culture that relies on data for all levels of decision-making.