Predictive analytics are now widely used in higher ed, but which administrators and departments oversee their use can vary quite a bit from one institution to the next.
University Innovation Alliance Executive Director Bridget Burns tells University Business that the number of traditional administrators, like vice president of undergraduate affairs, taking ownership of these efforts is particularly interesting.
Providing further context to University Business' question of who is overseeing analytics and what that job entails are Excelsior College Assistant Vice President for Analytics Lisa Daniels; University of Kentucky Senior Vice President of Analytics and Technologies Vince Kellen; Sarah Lawrene College Vice President for Administration Thomas Blum and Washburn University Director of Success, Evaluation and Retention Elaine Lewis.
Many colleges and universities are still grappling with the organizational structure of who oversees what when it comes to new tech products and solutions driving innovation on their campuses. But the need for a solid strategy is growing, as is the importance of defining the positions that oversee those efforts. With institutions facing pressure to more accurately predict needs on a range of issues, as well as demands to meet state- or federally-mandated retention levels, analytics especially aren't going to diminish anytime soon.