Teaching & Learning

More Than 150 Attend USU Summer Analytics Academy

By Mitch Hawk |

For the first time, Utah State University’s Center for Student Analytics opened enrollment to outside institutions for the Summer Analytics Academy. Faculty, staff and administration attended the two-day event from 19 different organizations nationwide, including the University of Colorado, Boulder, the University of Michigan, the University of Utah and the University of Texas at Arlington.

“Opening up the conference to institutions outside of USU created a collaborative environment full of fresh perspective,” said John Louviere, executive director and assistant vice president of Academic & Instructional Services. “It was a great opportunity for attendees to network and learn new, innovative ideas about how to use analytics effectively in higher education to improve the student experience.”

The conference consisted of general sessions for all attendees, then split into breakout sessions for four learning tracks. Each track offered in-depth solutions and change management approaches for using analytics in specific higher education environments, such as teaching and learning, analytics-supported accountability, and intentional decision making.

Taylor Adams, assistant vice president of USU Regional Campuses, gleaned insights into how analytics positively impact both high-level and day-to-day decision making. “It can be easy to fall into the trap of making decisions based on personal experience or bias. Using analytics in a collaborative way, you are able to take an objective approach and discover more effective options using multiple resources.”

The conference attendees were made up of faculty, executive-level administrators, student affairs personnel and more. The four learning tracks were tailored to each type of attendee in order to make analytics applicable to their needs. 

“Attending USU’s data analytics academy is the best decision I have made for our team this year,” said Adam Binkerd, director of Student Success and Engagement at Indiana Wesleyan University. “We left the academy with a renewed passion for student support and a transformed perspective on how data informs those efforts.”

The Center for Student Analytics will offer free webinars in June, July and August to further explain specific ways USU has used analytics to empower students, staff and faculty. More information about the webinar series is available on the center’s website at ais.usu.edu/webinars
 

WRITER

Mitch Hawk
Copywriter
Student Marketing and Communications
435-797-8906
mitch.hawk@usu.edu

CONTACT

Mitchell Colver
Manager and Senior Data Analyst
Center for Student Analytics
435-797-0623
mitchell.colver@usu.edu


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