You Are a Data Person: Strategies for Using Analytics on Campus

Internal and external pressure continues to mount for college professionals to provide evidence of successful activities, programs, and services, which means that, going forward, nearly every campus professional will need to approach their work with a data-informed perspective.

But you find yourself thinking “I am not a data person”.

Yes, you are. Or can be with the help of Amelia Parnell.

You Are a Data Person provides context for the levels at which you are currently comfortable using data, helps you identify both the areas where you should strengthen your knowledge and where you can use this knowledge in your particular university role.

For example, the rising cost to deliver high-quality programs and services to students has pushed many institutions to reallocate resources to find efficiencies. Also, more institutions are intentionally connecting classroom and cocurricular learning experiences which, in some instances, requires an increased gathering of evidence that students have acquired certain skills and competencies. In addition to programs, services, and pedagogy, professionals are constantly monitoring the rates at which students are entering, remaining enrolled in, and leaving the institution, as those movements impact the institution’s financial position.

From teaching professors to student affairs personnel and beyond, Parnell offers tangible examples of how professionals can make data contributions at their current and future knowledge level, and will even inspire readers to take the initiative to engage in data projects.

The book includes a set of self-assessment questions and a companion set of action steps and available resources to help readers accept their identity as a data person. It also includes an annotated list of at least 20 indicators that any higher education professional can examine without sophisticated data analyses.

Amelia Parnell has over 15 years of higher education experience in national, state, and campus-level roles including association management, legislative policy, internal audit, TRIO programs, and graduate-level teaching. She is currently the vice president for research and policy at NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, where she leads many of the association’s scholarly and advocacy-focused activities. Parnell writes and speaks frequently about topics related to student affairs, college affordability, student learning outcomes, higher education leadership, and institutions’ use of data and analytics. Prior to the release of this book, Parnell coedited The Analytics Revolution in Higher Education: Big Data, Organizational Learning, and Student Success.

Parnell understands the importance of making data-informed decisions, and she enjoys explaining how professionals can use data to address complex issues. Her ongoing service to the field of higher education includes contributing to several national advisory boards; mentoring students; and hosting her podcast, Speaking of College. Parnell holds a doctorate in higher education from Florida State University and a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida A&M University.