How Advanced Analytics Can Transform Institutions of Higher Learning

Private sector companies across industries have adopted analytics to improve investments, operational
efficiencies, and customer experiences with notable success. Advanced analytics has worthwhile
applications at institutions of higher learning as well; but few of these universities and similar
establishments have adopted advanced analytics in meaningful ways today.

 

“Many leaders of colleges and universities remain unsure of how to incorporate analytics into their
operations and achieve intended outcomes and improvements,” McKinsey reports. But there are
“several practical steps education leaders can take to avoid [common pitfalls.” This article explores
opportunities for advanced analytics at institutions of higher learning, and how faculty and university
leadership can begin their journey towards successful advanced analytics adoption.

 

The Introduction of Analytics in Higher Learning

 

It wasn’t until the late 1990s that analytics began to be used in education for purposes other than
research and instruction. While the use of analytics has gradually increased at post-secondary
institutions in recent years, a lack of understanding or awareness of analytics remains an obstacle to
widespread adoption. According to the Educause Center for Applied Research, most institutions
consider analytics only a major priority for some departments, but not the entire institution (41%); an
interest, but not a priority (26%); or not a priority or interest due to either a lack of awareness (2%) or
intention (4%).

 

Even so, there are worthwhile applications of analytics at universities that can improve budgeting, the
use of resources, faculty productivity, and more. Just a few of the use cases for analytics in higher
education include:

 

Student Recruitment

 

Student recruitment is a common area of application among those institutions that use analytics.
Institutions want to identify potential students who have the best chance of succeeding in their
programs and eventually graduating. Predictive analytics can help identify students who are likely to
enroll and complete their education.

 

Student Retention

 

Institutions can use analytics to understand which students are at risk for leaving school and why they
might consider leaving. analytics can help identify patterns in student behavior that may lead to them
dropping out so interventions can be put into place to help keep those students on track.

 

Student Experiences

 

Employing analytics can help educators and administrators improve the educational experience for
students as well. For example, analytics can be used to understand how students are using technology in
the classroom so that educators can adjust teaching methods based on that data.

 

Faculty Experience & Management

 

Faculty productivity is another important area where analytics can help. Analytics can help identify
professors who are teaching more classes than they should, or who have a high number of students
dropping out of their classes. Analytics can also help identify which professors are receiving the best
ratings from their students, and why.

 

Budget Management

 

In terms of budget management, analytics can help institutions understand how much revenue they are
bringing in and where that money is being spent. Institutions can use analytics to optimize budgeting by
identifying areas where resources can be allocated more efficiently. They can identify areas where costs
could be reduced without negatively impacting the quality of education or student experience as well.

 

Facility &Resource Management

 

Resources and facilities are among the costliest budget items at universities. Analytics can help identify
which buildings are being used the most and which departments have the highest or lowest occupancy
rates. Institutions can monitor energy usage on campus and make projections along with appropriate
recommendations for adjustments, improving their use of these resources.

 

Getting Started with Advanced Analytics in Higher Education

 

 

The use of analytics at universities and similar institutions is still in its early stages, but there are more
opportunities today for institutions to adopt and implement analytics successfully. Faculty and university
leadership should work together to identify these areas and then develop a plan for how analytics can
be successfully adopted in those areas.

 

1.Identifying Applications and Use Cases

 

In beginning their analytics journey, institutions must identify the areas where analytics can have the
most impact. The applications listed above are a good starting point, but they should not be seen as an
exhaustive list. Professional partners and advisors can advise institutions, optimize costs, and ensure
implementations are successfully for institutions and their staff as well.

 

2. Preparing IT Staff for Analytics Implementation

 

An institution’s IT staff must be prepared to support their analytics initiatives. This means they need to
be familiar with the analytics tools and software that will be used as well as the data that will be
analyzed. They also need to understand how analytics can be integrated into the existing systems and
infrastructure.

 

3. Secure the Right Technical and Strategic Support

 

Institutions of higher learning often lack the IT staff resources to apply and manage advanced analytics
alone. Fortunately, and much like many private sector organizations, institutions can turn to third-party
specialists to help with data entry, data cleaning, and other data-related tasks. Internal IT teams can
work with third-party analytics teams to develop reports and dashboards that can be used easily by
faculty and staff as result.

 

No matter the case, IT staff must be prepared for a change in how they operate. analytics requires
access to data from a variety of sources, and this data must be cleansed and prepared for analysis. The
IT staff will need to be able to work with the analytics team to get the data they need in a format that is
ready for analysis.

 

Analytics Transformation in Higher Learning Begins

 

The use of analytics at universities and similar institutions is still in its early stages. Even so, advanced
analytics offer a wealth of opportunities for post-secondary institutions looking for support in achieving
their core goals—in finance, student and faculty outcomes, and the optimized use of campus resources.

 

Partner with Uvation as You Consider Analytics for Your Institution

 

The consultants at Uvation can help you identify analytics use cases and adopt analytics successfully at
your institution. Start a conversation with an analytics expert and discover the possibilities today.