Module 6: Introduction

Data to Decisions

Perhaps one of the trickiest parts of the student affairs assessment process is the practice of using data to inform decisions. How do we know what good data look like? How do we make sure we are getting the data we need for our programs? And how do we appropriately interpret the data to make an educated decision in our context?

 

This module is dedicated to walking through the process of using data—sometimes data that we collect, other times data that someone else collected—to help us understand how to make decisions related to student affairs practice. The following objectives will give you an idea of the goals of this module.

 

Learning Objectives

  1. Participants will communicate the importance of “closing the loop.”
  2. Participants will explore strategies for accessing existing internal data and collaborating with cross-functional areas for data collection, dissemination, and utilization.
  3. Participants will identify external data sources and benchmarks available to their institution.
  4. Participants will gain an understanding of objective data analysis and interpretation.
  5. Participants will develop consulting skills that build assessment capacity and engage stakeholders in the data analysis process.

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