V3I3: Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) Accelerator Launches

NWCCU has been awarded a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation entitled, “Supporting Accrediting Bodies: Postsecondary Data Partnership Accelerator” (PDP Accelerator). The Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) is a nationwide effort from the National Student Clearinghouse to help colleges and universities more easily understand student educational progress and outcomes. The objective is to provide easier access to better data in order to enhance knowledge and facilitate more informed decisions to support student success. The PDP is supported by partners including Achieving the Dream (ATD), American Association of State Colleges and Universities (APLU), American Indian College Fund, Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU), Complete College America (CCA), Excelencia in Education, JFF, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), Frontier Set, and other high impact organizations. In our region, the state of Nevada has joined the PDP as a statewide system.

NWCCU has partnered with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) for the PDP Accelerator and both accreditors will facilitate onboarding selected member institutions to the PDP. We are excited to announce that more than 50 NWCCU member institutions have been selected to join our first cohort along with at least as many SACSCOC institutions. The first cohort launchedin January and will receive extensive support from the PDP Accelerator and its peer network and other resources through August 2023. A second cohort is planned for 2021/2022.

The PDP Accelerator is also launching the Data Equity Academy in February, where you will find tools, information, and resources online to demystify data for better use and understanding. In December 2020, NWCCU hosted the Foundations of Data Equity workshop with more than 400 attendees. We are offering the same foundational data equity workshop again in March 2021. Through the Data Equity Academy, we will continue to host webinars and other events related to data equity. Stay tuned!

For more information, click on the following link:

• The Postsecondary Data Partnership

If you have questions or want to get involved with the PDP (including joining future cohorts), please contact Dr. Jess Stahl (jstahl@nwccu.org), Vice President for Data Science & Analytics.

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