The University of Minnesota Duluth has been selected to participate in a Data Literacy Institute aimed at increasing the use of data to boost student success, including the number of graduates. A team of participants from UMD will take part in the institute alongside teams from 11 other public universities in a “transformation cluster” working collaboratively as part of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Powered by Publics initiative. The Data Literacy Institute is a joint APLU-Association for Institutional Research (AIR) effort and supported by funding from Ascendium Education Group.
“We’re honored to have been invited to take part in this project. It’s important to further enhance our use of data as we work to advance student success. I’m especially excited that a number of faculty and staff from across campus will be able to participate. That will certainly expand our lens as we plan for the future,” said Lendley C. Black, chancellor at UMD.
Over the next two years, approximately 20 participants from each campus, representing a variety of departments, will complete coursework through the Data Literacy Institute, which will be developed by AIR.
Coursework will be tailored to the needs of each participating institution. The first term will provide data literacy training to each cross-campus cohort of participants. The second term will focus on supporting participants in applying new data literacy skills to a unique student success challenge at their institution.
Participant criteria is currently being established. Once that is completed, UMD faculty and staff will be invited to apply to take part in the Institute.
The Data Literacy Institute will use a peer learning community model to provide in-person and virtual training on effective practices and tools to improve data literacy skills. The work ultimately aims to develop a data literacy program model that could be continued at participating institutions and available for adoption by other colleges and universities across the country.
“One of the central aims of Powered by Publics is to better leverage data to boost equity and student success,” said APLU President Peter McPherson. “Public universities have long recognized the immense value of using data to track and improve student success, especially for students from underserved populations. The Data Literacy Institute will work to bolster data literacy not just in Institutional Research offices, but across campus and especially among key decision-makers. A greater and improved use of data can make a real difference in a university’s ability to help more students succeed.”
“Unlocking the tremendous potential of data to inform better decisions and increase the success of all students requires universities to invest in the knowledge and skills of faculty and staff,” said Christine Keller, executive director & CEO of the Association for Institutional Research. “The Data Literacy Institute is an important step in recognizing the importance of institutional-wide data literacy and its role in building stronger connections among data providers and data users to close equity gaps for the benefit of students.”
The 11 other institutions participating in the Data Literacy Institute are: Bowling Green State University; Central State University; Illinois State University; Kent State University; Miami University; Montclair State University; Oakland University; Towson University; University of Maine; Western Michigan University; and Wright State University.
UMD joins 11 other public universities in advancing data capacity and student success on campus.