By: Dr. Jess Stahl, Vice-President Data Science & Analytics (NWCCU)
[Part I: Institutional Profiles and Technical Resources appeared in Issue V3I4 of the Beacon]
In May 2020, NWCCU member institutions responded to a survey from the NWCCU entitled “Institutional Data Capacity Survey” (IDCS), which was designed to provide insight into the capacity (e.g., data, technology, and resources) of institutions throughout our region to improve equitable outcomes through evidence-based approaches to meet the NWCCU 2020 Standards for Accreditation. Specifically, the standards (Standard One- Student Success, and Institutional Mission and Effectiveness: 1.D.2, I.D.3, and 1.D.4) require institutions to report disaggregated indicators of student achievement and engage in regional and national benchmarking using transparent methods for data collection and analysis to mitigate gaps in achievement and equity.
Thus, the IDCS covered a wide range of domains including technical resources, data staffing, data governance, and data reporting to inform our strategic planning about how best to support our member institutions. This article is the second in a three-part series discussing the key highlights of the survey results and our relevant initiatives. This article presents a summary of data staffing, governance, and ethics at NWCCU institutions as reported in the IDCS survey.Â
Data Staffing
The most prevalent data role is “Data Analyst” by a large margin. It is notable that 23% of institutions reported having “None” of the data roles presented within the survey whereas 21% reported having three or more data roles, which suggests an institutional data capacity disparity among our institutions. Similar findings across multiple sections of the IDCS inspired our “PDP Accelerator” initiative to actively facilitate increased data capacity for NWCCU institutions through access to high-quality data dashboards to explore intersectional, disaggregated data in support of data-informed approaches to improving outcomes and eliminating equity gaps.
* Totals sum to more than 100% because many institutions reported having more than one role.
The majority (75%) of institutions reported that they would benefit from having greater FTE dedicated to working with data.
When asked what additional resources would be ideal, the most widely cited resource was additional Data Analysts. Several institutions indicated that they currently lack a single, full-time Institutional Research professional. Institutions also expressed a need for additional staff with specific expertise such as qualitative research analysts, statisticians, data scientists, SQL programmers, predictive modeling experts, application developers, data visualization experts, database administrators, data coaches, assessment specialists, big data experts, data engineers, and data literacy advocates. Responses indicated that data staffing would ideally increase by at least 1 additional FTE to meet their institution’s stated goal to be data-informed.
The majority of institutions (66%) indicated that their institution would benefit from additional expertise in working with data. The most desired expertise (by a wide margin) was predictive modeling. Other technical skills mentioned were data science, data engineering, data visualization, and SQL programming. However, institutions also mentioned non-technical skills like promoting the meaningful use of data and effective communication skills. Many noted that it is challenging to remain current with technical skills given a lack of resources and busy workload that leaves little time for professional development.
Institutional Research is the role with the most responsibility (90%) for interpreting data and results of analyses. Information Technology staff are also involved in interpreting data and results of analyses at 25% of institutions in collaboration with Institutional Research or Other staff. Among nearly 40% of institutions, a wide variety of other roles were associated with interpreting data such as Institutional Effectiveness, Provost, Human Resources, Finance, Enrollment Services, Assessment, Data Science, Student Services, Accreditation Liaison Officers, Deans, Registrar, President, Vice President, academic centers and units, and Faculty, which suggests dedication and progress towards building a culture of meaningful data use and promoting data literacy. However, it is important to note that 47% of institutions reported having 2 or more roles associated with interpreting data and results of analyses while 44% reported that Institutional Research alone bears this responsibility. Furthermore, 3% of institutions reported having no roles associated with interpreting data and results of analyses.
* Totals sum to more than 100% because many institutions reported having more than one role.
Information Technology (IT) staff control access (permissions) to databases and data warehouse(s) for most (91%) institutions. At about 30% of institutions this it the only role IT plays related to institutional research and assessment. However, more than half of IT staff also provide Excel files for reports or design custom SQL queries to generate reports. At nearly 20% of institutions, IT staff create data dashboards, analyze data, and generate reports for data stakeholders. At about 40% of institutions IT staff fulfill three or more of these roles. Many responses emphasized a close working relationship between IT staff and Institutional Research.
Data Governance and Ethics
There are data governance structures in place at 63% of our institutions. Very few (14%) have implemented data ethics structures. While 14% of institutions have both, 34% reported having neither. Only 32% of institutions reported having a data catalog, which suggests varying levels of data maturity between our institutions.
Data governance is most often directed by a committee (52%) or a department/office (6%) or working group (3%). Data governance is most often managed by IT, Institutional Research, or both (co-managed). At 2 institutions, data governance is directed by an individual.
Data ethics is most often directed by a committee or a department/office (both 3%). Other structures include university policies or data stewards (i.e., individuals that direct data ethics).
In our next issue, we will discuss IDCS results regarding investment in data analytics, data tools and methods (e.g., data visualization, predictive modeling, big data, and artificial intelligence).
Bonus Section:
In Your Own Words (What additional resources would be ideal?)…
“We would benefit from extra personnel with knowledge/skill in increasing data literacy, programming, data engineering, and data visualization and analytics.”
“More people is just part of the solution. We also need training and improvements to internal processes and structures at the University (not one particular unit).“
“Data analyst dedicated to data governance. An application developer in IT to refine applications and improve data collection.”
“At a minimum, one full-time staff member with a highly flexible skill set. Perhaps an analyst with the ability to parse data and validate theories for how best to improve our business processes; a data manager who can design queries and perform other data extraction and transformation; or an assistant who reports results to format tables, make plots, and perform basic tasks of uploading and downloading files. In addition, we would benefit from having additional FTE dedicated to creating and maintaining tools that allow college personnel to perform a number of queries that could be pre-set in order to save IR time for genuinely complicated problems. Additional FTE could also be dedicated to the overhaul, storage, and cleaning of data at all levels. As stated previously, the data submission process would benefit from software that takes [SIS] data and converts it for external reports.
The current model is that IR will provide for the analysis needs of a diverse group of clients, internal and external, and across all programs and college units. The challenge is that clients must be more informed users of data because it is not enough to rely on the knowledge of IR staff. To create a working culture of evidence and data-informed decisions, the client side must have sufficient understanding to actively participate in the research/analysis process because this allows them to learn from the data in their program or area and have more ability to engage and interpret it deeply. The client role should not be viewed one-dimensionally as a question-forming process, with the expectation that IR provide answers that conform to client expectations. While IR works within that client-centered framework to create accessible reports, that approach is insufficient in many research contexts where questions are not well-suited to automated, self-service dashboards, and often the results are more complex and require a more active analytical process. This suggests the need for more training in research for people outside of IR, if not FTE/capacity across the college.”
“Yes. IR is understaffed, needing to replace one worker who has moved to part-time in preparation for retirement, and in need of a senior analyst. Marketing and our unit responsible for international education need at least one analyst each.”
“2-3 Personnel; An IT person to build and strengthen the technology infrastructure, an additional IR person to do predictive modeling, and a data coach.”
“Another analyst would enhance the IR office’s capacity to not only provide routine data but to expand data literacy and advance data analytics and modeling.”
“Staff with background/degrees in statistical analyses, management of Big Data. Broader circle of staff with access to the data warehouse resources we currently have.”
“At least one (and preferably two) additional IR/IT staff focused on data automation and professional development/staff support on effective data use.”
“There is a desire to move from descriptive to prescriptive analyses. In addition, there is a need to address data literacy challenges at our college.”
“Ideally, a part to full-time database analyst would be useful query data and build reports and/or files for export to tools such as Tableau. This would allow the Director of Institutional Effectiveness more time for teaching data literacy, developing data governance and building data visualizations for use across campus and for the public. Alternatively, a single IR position with more technical background than the incumbent might allow for a leaner approach to fulfilling these roles.”
“One qualified person, with the sole purpose of working with departments to collect and analyze data as well as ensuring that the data is used for decision-making across the institution.”
“Data integrity auditing to ensure data is updated over time.”
“There are a variety of ways to build additional capacity: add a data manager; add someone who can focus on assessment alone; add someone who can focus on qualitative data; add a data coach to ‘market’ the use of data and present the data across the institution; add an analyst to allow the other person to be a data scientist. Or, possibly, build the staff to develop and maintain a data warehouse and/or data lake that would make data analytics more accessible.”
“A more robust team in IR; someone whose job description focuses on streamlining data, including a clear plan, and a cross-departmental process for working with data.”
“While more FTE devoted to working with data would be potentially beneficial, additional training and increased data literacy of current staff would also be beneficial.“
“”We need more data analysts looking for data quality issues; more IT staff to build and maintain tools used for reporting and analysis. Data scientist to build predictive models and incorporate artificial intelligence. Current office has two people serving the entire institution.”
In Your Own Words (What additional expertise would be ideal?)…
“Predictive analytics, programming, data engineering.”
“Use of data for planning and budgeting.”
“Learning from a partner or having a department at a similar institution would be beneficial. If there are no other [similar] colleges that have the expertise, then being matched with an institution that has experienced building data collection and analysis from the bottom up.”
“The best use of data to improve student success and efficiencies across the college.”
“Training in review, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.”
“Data analysis capability. Report generation facilitation. Outside experts to teach new or updated methods.”
“Technical assistance for college leaders regarding interpretation of data. Data coaching for leaders who are seeking to use data to inform decision making.”
“Additional 1.0 FTE with 10+ years’ experience in Higher Education analytics at an R1 institution.”
“We have insufficient capacity for analysis and interpretation of data.”
“We need a data architect to help us design a comprehensive system overhaul and aid in the creation of more effective data architecture, including stable datasets, definitions, data modeling, and predictive analytics. Tableau requires some coding and data analytics, so an additional analyst for program review, which requires individual data analytics, a trainer to help staff to become more literate data users, and the skills mentioned in the previous questions.”
“People who understand ingestion, storage, and reporting of data within the IT department so that algorithms and other efficiencies can be built to support IR and assessment work.”
“Statistical analysis, predictive modeling, survey design, unit level or program level assessment.”
“HTML coding and web authoring, Python, Powershell.”
“Guidance in how to set up, integrate, and effectively manage a data warehouse. Also, how to set up a centralized repository for data and create effective institutional dashboards and data visualizations.”
“Information on how other small colleges manage data and data requests. Expertise on using data (we collect a lot of information but fall down when it comes to connecting it to actions/decisions).”
“More training in data analytics and visualization software. The learning curve for these is steep, which can lead to lost time in producing valuable analytics.”
“Use of a data warehouse and hands-on opportunities to experience the potential with data technology tools.”
“Dedicated professional and staff development time each month to stay current with the rapidly changing AI environment and other reporting requirements. Time to “document” processes and procedures including updates as these tasks take a lot of time given the constantly changing nature of data and reporting.”
“The concepts surrounding the use of data to inform decision-making are new to many on our campus. There has been remarkable progress in learning about these concepts over the last year, and additional training would improve our ability to create measurable goals/outcomes for all of our mission fulfillment tasks.”
“Data governance expertise.”
“High-level statistics and modeling would enhance our ability to produce insights and inform decision-making. In general, staff have uneven fluency with data and levels of expertise in analysis.”
“Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics.”
“Actually well trained individuals in data issues, collection, analysis and reporting are a premium.”
Navigate the articles below, or go to the current Beacon directory.
Taking the approaches used yesterday to budget reduction in today’s volatile environment no longer works. Institutions need new strategies that are dynamic, comprehensive, and practical. This session will introduce participants to The Budget Reduction Tool designed to help budget decision-makers take a student-centered approach to implementing a consistent and effective budget reduction strategy that considers streamlining processes in addition to allocating resources effectively. The Budget Reduction Tool helps budget decision-makers assess and make decisions to invest in initiatives and programs that align with strategic initiatives, have the greatest positive impact on student success and creates the least amount of disruption to realizing operational efficiencies.
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 10, 10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. PST
Link to Budget Reduction Tool.
Institutional Speakers:
Dr. Ana Karaman is an accomplished higher education administrator with broad, deep, and diverse experience and expertise in institutional planning, finance, and operations at both public and private non-for-profit universities. Ana’s expertise and experience include developing multi-year financial plans to support implementation of strategic plans, overseeing annual operating budgets in access of $400M and endowments in access of $300M, working with various budgeting models including RCM, financing institutional needs via various vehicles including bond issuances, PPPs, and other financial facilities. Ana led successful legislative requests, developed and implemented master plans and oversaw delivering diverse major capital projects. In addition, Ana has overseen offices of human resources, public safety, procurement, enterprise risk management, facilities management, and others.
Ana serves as Vice President for Finance & Administration and CFO at Western Oregon University.
Tressa is passionate about helping institutions of higher education become more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and efficient deliverers of education. In addition to being a higher education strategist, Tressa is also a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) thought partner and influencer. Tressa helps organizations create long lasting systems and policies that identify and remove barriers that impede student success and institutional effectiveness. Tressa currently serves as a Project Director with Sova helping build capacity for large-scale change in higher education and workforce development.
Tressa has more than 20 years of middle and senior level leadership experience at various types of higher education, private industry, and non-profit institutions. Prior to joining Sova, Tressa served in various capacities including, Senior Consultant at Anderson Blake Consulting; Vice Provost at Strayer University; Vice President for Administration and Director of Institutional Research at Arkansas Baptist College; Campus College Chair for Graduate Business Programs at the University of Phoenix, Vice President of CFA International, and President of Detroit BAEO.
Tressa earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy and a Master of Arts (MA) in Higher Educational Administration from Michigan State University. She also earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Doctor of Management (DM) in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.
In 2020, Washington State University’s general education program launched Core to Career, a faculty development program that helps faculty recognize how a focus on career readiness can increase student engagement and equips faculty with the language and facilitation strategies to deliver a classroom and curricular experience that students see as intentionally focused on their career and self-development. However, with its focus on faculty, the program has often been less-than-intentional about its relationship with student-facing career professionals. Audience members will learn about and discuss the challenges to and steps for growing career readiness campus-wide in intentional, equitable, sustainable, and meaningful ways.
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 10, 10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Thabiti Lewis is Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at WSU Vancouver and Professor of English whose books include Ballers of the New School: Race and Sports in America and Conversations with Toni Cade Bambara. Dr. Lewis earned his Ph.D. from Saint Louis University, in St. Louis, Missouri, where he is also from, and joined the faculty at WSU in 2007. At WSU Vancouver, Dr. Lewis leads campus-wide efforts to foster cultures of inclusion and equity for students, staff, and faculty alike. Dr. Lewis teaches courses in multi-cultural and Black American literature.
Amanda Morgan is Associate Director of the Academic Success and Career Center at Washington State University, where she leads the Career Services and Employer Relations team. Morgan is a first-generation college student who earned a master’s in education administration and has over fifteen years of student services experience.
Clif Stratton is Vice Chancellor for Academic Engagement at WSU Pullman and Associate Professor of History, whose books include Education for Empire: American Schools, Race, and the Paths of Good Citizenship and Power Politics: Carbon Energy in Historical Perspective. Dr. Stratton earned his Ph.D. from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he is also from, and joined the faculty at WSU in 2010. The former director of WSU’s University Common Requirements program, Dr. Stratton led efforts to design and implement Core to Career at WSU Pullman. Dr. Stratton teaches courses on modern American and global history with emphases on histories of race and empire.
Our project, the Course Learning Outcomes Worksheet tool, brings evidence together regarding student achievement of program and course learning outcomes. In addition, the worksheet asks the user to look at the student DFWI rates along with disaggregated class data all in the same class. The user looks for achievement gaps and is asked to make improvement decisions based on this data. Those improvement strategies are documented and implemented prior to the class being offered again.
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 10, 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Dr. Afjeh’s research successes include increasing departmental external research funding to over $4 million annually; building an on-site research program with more than 20 researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center; recruiting faculty and providing resources to enhance strength in advanced materials and biomedical engineering; and developing a master’s degree program in engineering with an energy engineering focus, with participation of faculty and industry partners; and developing professional master’s degree programs for industry, as well as a multi-disciplinary, collaborative energy engineering program in partnership with the colleges of Business and Law.
Dr. Afjeh’s research projects have been sponsored by industry as well as leading federal agencies such as NASA, Department of Energy and National Institutes of Health. His research focus areas include computational fluid dynamics in turbomachinery, propulsion systems, experimental investigation of bearings and rotating components, wind turbine design and analysis, and aerodynamics of phonation, a research project sponsored by the NIH.
Dr. Afjeh earned his Ph.D. and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo; and his B.S in Mechanical Engineering from Arya Mehr University of Technology (now Sharif University of Technology) in Iran. He is also a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Dr. Janette Isaacson is a graduate of Seattle University, where she earned a doctorate in educational leadership plus a Masters in Counseling (2001), a graduate of the University of Phoenix, where she earned a Master’s in Education teaching diverse learners (1986), and a graduate of the University of Washington where she earned a Masters in Health Informatics and Health Information Management (2023).
20+ years Medical Imaging / Health Sciences, Online Program Director, OIT Teacher Excellence Nominee (2021-2023), Past Institutional Assessment Chair, Accreditation Committee Member, DEI Data Scorecard Committee, NWCCU Mission Fulfillment Fellow, NWCCU Data Equity Fellow, NWCCU Accreditation Site Visitor, spearheaded the development of on-campus faculty data dashboards to present disaggregated underrepresented student data for all programs to aid in the identification of institutional equity gaps in student retention, graduation, DFWI, and post-graduation success.
The Idaho State Board of Education recently adopted major amendments to its policy on academic freedom – the first substantive updates since the 1980s. The revised policy now defines the academic freedom and responsibility of students. Clear policy language provides a framework to institutional leaders for navigating the complex intersection of academic freedom and learning environments in politically fraught times. Students can boost their understanding of academic freedom to become successful in their endeavors, and to participate as engaged citizens in today’s world. How can we, as administrators, leaders, and instructors, facilitate student empowerment by increasing their literacy of academic freedom?
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 9, 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
TJ Bliss is a higher education administrator and educational researcher. He is the Chief Academic Officer for the Idaho State Board of Education and a member of the alumni board for Brigham Young University. Bliss was formerly the Chief Advancement Officer at the Wiki Education Foundation, an Education Program Officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Director of Assessment and Accountability at the Idaho State Department of Education. Bliss’ writing, research, and advocacy for Open Educational Resources has been reported on in various outlets, including the Washington Post, EdSurge, and Inside Higher Ed.
Torrey Lawrence is the Provost and Executive Vice President of the University of Idaho. In this role he serves as the university’s chief academic officer, directly responsible for the general direction of all academic programs, endeavors, and instructional services on the Moscow campus as well as the university’s statewide academic, outreach, and research initiatives. He has served in this role since 2020 but has been a faculty member at UI since 1998. He earned music degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Oregon.
Amy Vecchione is the Assistant Director of Research and Innovation at eCampus Center, Boise State University. As an educational leader, Amy works to improve student success through emering and high-impact practices. She recently co-authored the book From At-Risk to At-Promise: Academic Libraries Supporting Student Success.
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 9, 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Kate is an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of South Carolina and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory before joining the faculty at WSU. Dr. McAteer attended the HERS Leadership Institute in 2019 and in 2021 completed the first AASCU Student Success Institute for Provosts, a program designed for provosts ‘to lead and implement the type of transformational change necessary to meet the evolving needs of today’s increasingly diverse student body.
Rilie supports rpk’s clients in fulfilling mission and student success under a sustainable financial model. Her work with clients focuses particularly on optimizing academic portfolios and developing best practice academic and administrative business processes, along with applying a deep understanding of change management and support for capacity building.
The Oregon Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts grant has been exploring innovative ways to facilitate transfer from community colleges to private liberal arts institutions. As we talk with students and review data, we have come to understand that many community college students believe a private college education is out of their reach. This is particularly true for culturally diverse students who often rely on trusted friends and family members for information. Reaching the right audience with the right message at the right time is challenging. Doing this well is a goal of our grant. We will share our progress.
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 9, 10:55 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Linda Samek is a former faculty member, dean, and provost at George Fox University. She is currently the project director for the Oregon Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts project. Samek has experience in PreK-12, community college, and public and private four-year post secondary education.
Gerardo Ochoa is vice president for enrollment management and student success at Linfield University. He has served Linfield in multiple capacities since 2004. Ochoa holds a formal appointment as an officer of the board and has served in various university-wide committees, including the President’s Diversity Advisory Committee (chair) and the university strategic planning and budget council.
In addition to being a college administrator, Ochoa is a co-author and independent consultant of Path to Scholarships®, a college readiness curriculum. Since 2006, he has worked with thousands of diverse students from urban and rural high schools, community colleges, private colleges and state universities on college access and affordability. He consults with higher education institutions on the inclusion of Latinx students, best practices to engage and serve undocumented students, and teaching strategies that draw on talents and address the needs of first-generation students. He believes in the power of personal stories to build empathy, create opportunities and influence change. As keynote speaker, his story of perseverance has reached audiences convened by organizations such as the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Public Employees Diversity Conference, the Ford Family Foundation, Portland State University, including a TEDx Talk.
Ochoa holds an Education Master from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and minor in Latin American history from the University of Oregon. He is an American Leadership Forum Fellow and an alumnus of the Senior Leadership Academy sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges and the American Academic Leadership Institute. He is a contributing author for Latinx/a/os in Higher Education and a guest education writer for the Somos Timbers Magazine.
Erika Masaki is an instructor of political science at Lane Community College . Her teaching and research interests are political theory, international relations, and environmental politics.
Teamwork and collaboration are among employers’ highest-rated skills. However, the act of teaching and assessing these skills is often limited to courses explicitly addressing them. We envisioned creating a toolkit from a multifaceted team of faculty that can help ANY instructor understand some of the fundamentals of teaching and assessing student teamwork and collaboration in their courses. This toolkit has built-in ready-to-go components that can be deployed by any instructor that wants to more effectively teach and assess student teamwork and collaboration skills. Our group will share the toolkit we made as well as the process of creating it.
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 10, 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Elaine is a full-time instructor in the Basic and Transitional Studies Department and Co-Chair of Ensure Learning, Seattle Central’s program review and assessment committee.
Who defines “success” for students at any institution? Shouldn’t it be the students? Following Board-approved guidelines and well-defined outcomes, this session will discuss what can happen when students are allowed and expected to take charge of their educational experience. Results and evidence will be presented describing the significant learning and transformation that took place in a General Education College Success Course. Participants will be engaged in imagining the “what ifs” at their own institutions when control shifts from faculty to learners. Could that be what success in college is really all about?
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 9, 2:35 p.m. – 3:35 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Alynda Kusch currently serves as the First Lady of Ensign College. At Ensign College since 2016, Alynda has led a variety of studies focused on improving the student experience. In addition she has taught courses in Culinary Arts, Religious Education, and Student Success. Alynda holds a bachelor’s degree from BYU-Idaho and served there as an adjunct faculty member in the Culinary Arts program.
Bruce C. Kusch, Ensign CollegeThis presentation discusses the challenges small, non-profit colleges and universities face in developing processes aimed at closing student achievement gaps and systematic inequities in learning outcomes. Overworked faculty, weak assessment data, lack of technological infrastructure, conflicting priorities, and strategic confusion all conspire to keep institutions entrenched and student achievement inequitable. Yet despite this landscape, Bastyr University devised and embarked on an ambitious one year plan to identify and begin closing equity gaps for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) students in recruitment, retention, completion and learning related to information literacy, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and professional behavior.
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 10, 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Erika Del Villar, Bastyr University Dr. Erika Lorenzana Del Villar (she/her/siya) is the Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Bastyr University. She is a DEI practitioner, educator, and sociologist specializing in human rights, international relations, social movements, and building inclusive climates in higher education. Erika earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology with a Certificate in Human Rights from the University of Connecticut, her M.A. in International Relations from New York University, and her B.A. in Political Science, minor in French Studies from the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. She is a proud Filipino-American, wife, and mother of two beautiful daughters.
Wendy Gordon is an associate professor and Chair of the Department of Midwifery at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. Dr. Gordon’s teaching and research interests include the provision of midwifery care in home and birth center settings; the role of racism in perinatal health disparities; and the ability to translate and evaluate research. Dr. Gordon holds a BS in Chemical Engineering, an MPH from Oregon Health & Sciences University with a focus in health disparities, and a Doctorate in Midwifery from Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Based in Kenmore, WA, Ann Kenady is Senior Instructional Designer for Bastyr University. Ann holds a certificate in instructional design and a certificate in online teaching and is an active member of Quality Matters. Ann works collaboratively across divisions to establish metrics and mileposts for creating equitable, accessible, and inclusive online learning experiences, while assisting faculty with online and hybrid course design and instructional best practices.
Susan Seymour is the Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Bastyr University. Her entire career has been focused on learning assessment and she is particularly interested in measuring learning that is “difficult”. Her dissertation investigated learning related to social consciousness and her current interests are in ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are tied to observable and measurable outcomes rather than performative activities and aspirational statements that lack accountability and impact. She earned her B.S. in Construction Management and M.S. in Technology Education from Colorado State University and her Ph.D. in Education – Curriculum and Instruction from Utah State University.
As a way to combat the college completion crisis, particularly among the most underserved student populations, BYU-Idaho and Ensign College have taken a certificate-first approach to help students stay on track and complete their degrees. Learn how placing the focus on skills first has yielded increased retention & persistence rates.
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 9, 10:55 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Boyd Baggett serves as the Accreditation Liason Officer. He came to BYU-Idaho in 2008 to teach Religious Education and received the Exemplary Faculty Award in 2017. Boyd earned a Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctorate degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School, graduating Cum Laude.
Previous to Brigham Young University-Idaho, Boyd practiced law in Idaho and Utah. He also taught seminary for the Church Education System.
Jon Nichols serves as the Assistant to the President for Strategy, Planning, & Assessment at Ensign College. He received his bachelor’s in Marketing and his Executive MBA from the University of Utah.
Jon spent over ten years at the University of Utah overseeing their Professional, Online, and Executive MBA programs. He led the design, development, and launch of the Online MBA program, the first fully online program at the University of Utah. He would go on to become a senior product manager for WGU Labs, where he worked closely with early-stage ed-tech companies and community colleges around the country.
Drs. Aman and Barber will explore the critical role of both futuring and strategic planning in improving institutional effectiveness. Attendees will be presented with insights into the differences between futuring and strategic planning approaches and how they complement each other. Futuring allows colleges and universities to anticipate potential changes and disruptions, fostering creativity and adaptability. Strategic planning provides a structured framework for implementing specific goals and ensuring efficient allocation of resources toward mission fulfillment. The presentation will emphasize the importance of prioritizing futuring before strategic planning in higher education institutions to develop comprehensive and achievable strategies toward fulfill of Standards 1.B.3 and 1.B.4.
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 9, 2:35 p.m. – 3:35 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Lori Barber is Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at College of Eastern Idaho (CEI). Prior to this position, she served in various leadership roles at the College. She led the creation of the General Education transfer degrees at CEI, first as Dean of General Education. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University. Lori completed her Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies where she researched the history and anthropology of food. She serves on numerous state level education committees in Idaho, including the Idaho Workforce Development Council and Council on Academic Affairs and Programs (CAAP).
In 2017, a delegation of community members from Cottage Grove, Oregon came to see the president at Lane Community College to explore how the college could help southern Lane County create a FQHC to address a lack of affordable, accessible healthcare. Data showed there was a decline in students coming from that area as well as a shortage of healthcare workers. The college brought together stakeholders to discuss the idea and by 2022, plans were established to create a FQHC/Allied Health Training Facility. This presentation will demonstrate how the power of collaboration can help colleges solve even the most insurmountable problems.
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 9, 2:35 p.m. – 4:35 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
Dr. Margaret Hamilton retired from Lane Community College in Oregon in 2022 as President Emeritus after a 40 year career in higher education. While at Lane, Dr. Hamilton led the college through a new Strategic Plan, a seven-year Self-Study leading to full accreditation, and a successful $121.5M bond campaign-all during a pandemic. Dr. Hamilton holds a Ph.D from Widener University, a MSN from University of Delaware, and a BSN from SUNY, Plattsburgh. Her collaborative work with the community led to the development of a Federally Qualified Health Center in southern Lane County. Dr. Hamilton now serves as an independent consultant.
Metrics of institutional success have been based on student completions, and completions are based on finishing prescribed degree programs. What if there were a category for helping students complete exactly what they needed in the first place? Shouldn’t that be a “success”? This session describes a new way of thinking about 1.C and redefining success for the future of higher education.
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 9, 10:55 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:
As VP of Compliance & Accreditation at Western Governors University (or “WGU”—America’s leading competency-based, online, non-profit university with 140,000+ students and 305,000+ graduates in each of the USA’s states and territories), Lucas Kavlie’s team of compliance professionals maintains trust through engagement between the university and external agencies (i.e., accrediting bodies, state authorization bodies, professional licensing/certification agencies, and other quality frameworks) in all American jurisdictions (states, commonwealths, territories, and the District of Columbia). In his career, Lucas has overseen the submission of hundreds of compliance or regulatory affairs applications—without rejection. He is a member of CHEA’s Committee on Recognition.
