Back to School Highlights: What We’ve Achieved and What’s Next for You

As the Lead Data and Analytics Consultant/Sr. Strategic Project Manager at Unicon, I’m passionate about leveraging my expertise in Student Success Analytics to provide higher education institutions with the tools and resources they need to support their students effectively.

The ecosystem around data and analytics for student success is constantly evolving. This past school year, we’ve observed significant national shifts in how institutions approach student success analytics. There’s been a heightened focus on AI, equity and inclusion, integration of holistic data, real-time analytics, data literacy initiatives, and student-centered design. Throughout my work over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with practitioners who are pioneering innovative ways to implement analytics, all aimed at better serving students and enhancing their educational journeys. 

E-Book on Data Literacy to Enhance Advising

I partnered with Dr. Pam Bowers (University of South Carolina), and wrote an e-book on Improving Data Literacy to Enhance Academic Advising. We describe how democratizing data in academic advising empowers advisors to utilize institutional data effectively, enhancing their confidence and decision-making abilities. The work in Academic Advising at UofSC around holistic student support is highlighted, as well as insights on how advancing data literacy among advisors supports holistic student support practices and fosters a collaborative environment focused on student success. 

Faculty - University of South Dakota

I am an adjunct faculty member at my alma mater (USD) partnering with Dr. Erin Lehmann to serve students in the School of Education, and recently had the opportunity to serve as the methodologist for Dr. Chris Schmit, in a study on Teacher Retention in High Needs Schools. His work was accepted in the Journal of Leadership In Action, and provides insights on how principals can support and retain their teachers through Leadership Strategies from Leader Member Exchange (LMX) Theory. Looking at the relationship between leaders and their team can help promote retention among teachers in high-needs schools. 

Partnering with UC Irvine

I had the opportunity to travel out to UC Irvine for a few days where I partnered with Tom Andriola and the UCI Compass team to host a Student Success Analytics Rubric workshop. One goal of the work we did together was to write a case study, providing a model to be followed by other institutions wishing to use the rubric. This is the continuation of the progress that our Student Success Analytics community group has made in providing research and tools to our community around best practices in the field. It started with the Framework for Student Success Analytics, from which we developed the Rubric for Student Success Analytics. 

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) launched the Student Success Analytics Rubric aiming to assess the current state and maturity of the UCI Compass initiative.

The rubric evaluates preparedness, outcomes, analysis, and decisions, fostering continuous improvement. UCI Compass integrates diverse data and interdisciplinary collaboration to support educational equity. The initiative includes student voices and emphasizes data governance, creating a robust ecosystem for informed decision-making. This model serves as a benchmark for other institutions seeking to improve student outcomes through analytics. The article came out July 15 in EDUCAUSE review. 

I went back to Irvine for the Waypoints Symposium where I presented with Astrud Reed on Equity in Student Success Analytics. This is one subcategory of the SSA Rubric. We led participants through the exercise of using a Q-Sort exercise to guide critical thought about data elements that are part of a Student Success Analytics Initiative. We even developed a few tools that can be useful to drive these conversations, including the Q-Sort and a data equity documentation template. 

A Student Success Analytics Rubric Workshop at AIR… 

Next, I had the incredible opportunity to present a workshop on how to use the Rubric with Eric Atchison (Arkansas State University System) and Dr. Eric Godin (University of St. Thomas, Florida) at the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) annual conference. During this workshop we taught attendees about the rubric, after which they had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience using the scoring tool that was created to accompany the rubric, applying this to the work they are doing at their own institution/system. 

What’s Next?   

I am presenting at the EDUCAUSE annual conference in the following sessions:

• ‘Maturing Your Student Success Initiative with Higher Education's First Framework' - With Tom Andriola and Astrud Reed, we are presenting on the work UCI has continued to do in the Compass Initiative using findings from the rubric. 
• ‘Who are the people in your neighborhood? Engaging with the SSA-CG’ - Presenting with Melissa Irvin, The University of Tennessee Knoxville,  and our community group members on a podcast our CG is planning for the upcoming year. 
• 'AI & Data: Student Success Analytics Community Group Meeting' -  Our annual face to face community group meeting featuring the other co-chair of the SSA CG - Szymon Machajewski (UIC), will present on AI strategies in student success analytics. During this meeting we will also be discussing the work our CG has completed this year, and our upcoming priorities for the year. We had a packed house last year with standing room only, and are looking forward to an exciting year where we plan to work to provide more engagement opportunities with the larger group, and ensure that our CG has resources around AI in student success analytics. Stay tuned for our podcast!  
• ‘Emerging Tech Community Group Business Meeting - Featuring an Expert Panel and Professional Networking'  Emerging Tech Experience - I am moderating a panel discussion with experts in the field of EdTech, featuring a conversation around best practices starting an EdTech company in higher education. 
  
  

Conclusion

As we enter back-to-school season, I’m looking forward to sharing insights and strategies at the upcoming EDUCAUSE annual conference, aiming to further engage the Student Success Analytics Community Group. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with both existing and new partners, showcasing how Unicon supports Higher Ed Institutions, K-12 Schools, and EdTech Communities. In our ever-evolving educational landscape, Unicon is at the forefront, providing leadership and guidance to help our partners navigate the complexities of student success. Amidst the daily influx of new ideas and development in analytics, one thing remains clear: we must stay agile and approach our work with intentionality. This new academic year promises exciting advancements and collaborations that will drive student success forward.