Melinda Roy
In higher education, leadership and management steer their institutions toward success. However, there are data literacy skills that can get overlooked by those in leadership, strategic planning, operations, and finance roles. By addressing these gaps, higher education leaders can make more informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, and better align their strategies and budget plans with institutional goals.
Developing an Organizational Data Language
Leadership in higher education may be unfamiliar with the language and jargon used to talk about data by different offices in the institution. Without a common data language or institutional data glossary, this gap can lead to miscommunication and inefficiencies. Leaders should collaborate, as part of a data governance program, to develop and promote a common data language within their institution, ensuring that everyone—from data entry personnel to senior executives—understands key terms, metrics, and concepts in the same way. This common understanding is vital to build truly collaborative strategies, institutional goal-setting, and the successful implementation of data governance initiatives.
Executive Leadership & Strategic Planners: Steering with Data-Driven Precision
Leadership and strategic planners are responsible for guiding the institution's direction, yet they can easily overlook these data literacy skills:
1. Identifying and Evaluating Data Sources
Leaders often rely on reports and metrics without critically assessing the reliability and validity of the data sources. It’s essential for them to understand how to select the best data sources and evaluate the quality of the data to ensure that the insights they base their decisions on are sound. This includes recognizing biases in data collection, understanding the context in which data was gathered, and questioning whether the data truly represents the metrics they aim to measure.
2. Understanding Data Quality
Investing in data quality is often seen as a ground-level task, but leadership needs to appreciate why these investments are crucial. High-quality data enables accurate reporting and reliable decision-making. Leaders should recognize the importance of data quality throughout the data lifecycle, from entry to analysis, without overvaluing perfection. The goal should be accuracy and relevance, not flawless data that is impractical to achieve.
3. Data Integration Awareness
Strategic planners need to understand that data integration is a complex process requiring time, effort, and investment. When leaders are aware of the challenges associated with integrating data from multiple sources, they are better equipped to make informed decisions about resource allocation and project timelines. This understanding also fosters realistic expectations and supports the development of effective, data-driven strategies.
Operations and Finance Managers: Balancing Day-to-Day and Long-Term Strategy
Operations and finance managers play a critical role in managing the institution’s resources, yet there are key areas where they may miss out on leveraging data to its full potential:
1. Applying Predictive Analytics
In the day-to-day demands of managing operations and finances, long-term planning can often take a backseat, resulting in suboptimal and infrequently updated predictive models. However, predictive analytics can provide valuable insights into future trends and potential challenges. By integrating predictive models into their planning processes, managers can anticipate changes, optimize budgets, and make more informed decisions that balance immediate needs with long-term goals. It’s important to focus on creating models that are accurate enough for planning purposes, rather than striving for perfection that may not be necessary.
2. Embracing Data Integration
Operations and finance managers often segment data by department, which can lead to silos and missed opportunities for collaboration. Understanding data integration principles can help break down these silos and create a more holistic view of the institution’s operations. By connecting data from different sources, managers can gain deeper insights and make decisions that are better aligned with the institution’s overall strategy. Further, this enables them to participate in student enrolment management and collaborative planning with other departments.
This is the fifth post in the series on Data Governance and Data Literacy Skills in higher education by role. See the rest of the series: Information Technology Professionals, Admissions and Financial Aid Officers, roles in Registration and Records offices, and the introductory post which looks at Institutional Research Analysts.
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