Tim Schuldt

Institutions collect all sorts of data... some because they have to (IPEDS reporting, for example), some because they want to (say, for institutional research). They look at financial aid expenditures, socio-economic trends, enrollment behavior… you’ve seen the reports. But not everyone fully appreciates the value of their own data. With the rapid onset of data warehouses, CRM’s, etc., most institutions aren’t suffering from a shortage of data. But many are having trouble matching the increasing volume of data with the capability to put the data to use in improving institutional policies, decision making, and resource allocation. With the highly competitive marketplace that exists in higher education, institutions can’t afford not…Read more

A couple of weeks ago, my colleague Don Gray discussed how to get the most value out of your data. He stressed the importance of preserving both enrolled and non-enrolled data to facilitate future data analysis. But there is more to it than just storing your data to perform meaningful analysis. Data needs to be captured, transferred, and recorded accurately; otherwise you will quickly be looking at a "garbage in, garbage out" situation. In order to avoid putting yourself in this "trashy" state, I have listed several common data errors that I have found in my experiences as a researcher: Deleting non-enrolled aid: The only way to do proper analysis on how financial aid impacts enrollment is to look at the money offered to all admitted students,…Read more

There’s no group of people that wants to give back to their alma mater more than young alumni. They are looking for a way to help. They want to do something for the place that gave them so much. But too often, young alums are made to feel that the only way they can help is financially. They receive phone calls throughout the year asking if they want to give money, and that’s always the subtle (or not so subtle) message in the alumni magazine. However, they are looking for something more. They want to be given an opportunity to donate their time, because they feel that in giving their time, they can give back something much more valuable to their institution than money. Recently, a friend of mine was given this very opportunity. He was contacted…Read more