The Promise and Peril of Analytics

Nuclear power. Cloning. Social media. Space mining. Unchartered waters of  social-scientific innovation often come heralded with great promise, just as the unknown depths often hide potential peril. It seems the evolutionary heart of our species is to learn, to grow, and to explore - to accept the risk of peril in order to gain the opportunity of promise. Some ships sink, others land on new shores. So it goes.

And so it goes with analytics in higher education (see Analytics 101). There is great promise and great peril in these waters. As captains of these high seas, we must hew true to our internal compass while balancing boldness with humility.

“My concern about using data in higher education has to do with the loss of intellectual curiosity. As we meet budgets and metrics for four-year graduation rates, I’m afraid we’ll optimize and track students and become training programs rather than fertile grounds of investigation and exploration," cautions Marc Hoit, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology at North Carolina State University.

If an analytics tool makes it very clear that a student has a very low probability of succeeding in higher level math courses yet it is that student's unwavering dream to become an Engineer, what is the responsible action of faculty and staff at an open access community college?

The promise of analytics: proactive data-based needs assessments that are timely and granular; a focus on data variables of greatest impact within complicated multivariable reality; expanding reach of faculty and staff through increased efficiencies in needs assessment; organizational decisions attuned to the needs of students; assessment of student deficits for intervention as well as student strengths for development; greater persistence and completion rates of students; and personalized learning experiences.

The peril of analytics: limiting access in the name of success; treating students as data points to optimize within organizational objectives; self-fulfilling prophesy of statistical prediction; losing touch with the art of teaching and advising students; compounding errors within complicated data sets/algorithms; and limiting the freedom and self-discovery of higher education.

The Persistence and Completion Committee at CCD will be facilitating conversations around the campus in order to draw out the values and principles to guide implementation of analytics tools at the college. One positive starting point to these conversations is The Asilomar Convention for Learning Research in Higher Education. 

 How can we leverage the promise of analytics in higher education while remaining clear-eyed about the perils?

Student Leadership Conferences

In today's competitive job market, a college degree will get your foot in the door but actually entering the room may well require something more. Employers are often looking for people that not only have knowledge but also know how to use that knowledge to effectively accomplish something. Productivity involves a wide variety of skills, from leadership to multicultural competency to the ability to stay focused.

In addition to skills development in the classroom, another fantastic way to build your repertoire is through student development activities. These may include international study abroad, service learning projects, internships, student organizations and student leadership conferences.

A group of TRIO SSS participants recently attended the student leadership track of the annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Conference. Over the course of three days, these students listened to nationally-renowned speakers on the topics of leadership, networking and career development. They also made connections with peers and prospective employers from around the country.

One TRIO SSS participant noted, "Around every corner was a new eye-opening experience for me, from meeting people from all around the United States and Puerto Rico to opening a whole new chapter in my life as a leader to my community."

National conferences often offer scholarships for students to attend. There are also many local student leadership conferences, including a number of one-day events specifically for students of the Auraria Campus.

TRIO SSS students networking with the Lt. Governor of Colorado at the HACU Conference.