Data-Informed Planning and Decision-Making
Stephanie D. Kraft-Terry, Jennifer Brown · 2023
Advising administrators must consider all data available beyond the immediate functions of advising to understand where advising can support students. The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education Standards for Academic Advising acknowledges the role that data plays in the decision-making process, highlighting that Academic Advising Programs must “incorporate data and information in decision making”. Defining the focus will appropriately guide data collection and the creation of an action plan. Depending on the type of evidence, this can include data security training, approvals from supervisors or upper administrators, or permissions from approving bodies to commence with data collection or access. The source of data and intended use will govern the data collection timeline. Depending on an institution’s resources, administrators may access a plethora of data from their institution’s transaction systems. Gaining access to predictive analytics tools will depend on what is available at the institution.