By Tammy L. Aagard, Ed.D, Managing Consultant, AACRAO Consulting
Dear AACRAO Consultants,
With the proliferation of data from our campus student information system (SIS) and third-party technology solutions, we struggle to create common definitions and establish one source of truth. How can we navigate this new data world?
Signed,
AACRAO Member
Dear AACRAO Member,
Managing data from many different sources can be an overwhelming task. A key first step is to establish a strong data governance structure, regardless of your college or university size.
According to the Privacy and Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) established by the U.S. Department of Education, a strong data governance structure can help “ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data while reducing the risk of misuse or unauthorized access.”
A comprehensive data governance structure, overseen by executive leadership, includes identifying data stewards, data custodians, and stakeholders who partner with your information technology team.
The roles of each of the key players in data governance are as follows:
Executive leaders are responsible for establishing the data policies and standards for data access and stakeholder expectations.
Data stewards are ultimately responsible for the data in a particular domain (e.g., student, financial, technical, and facilities).
Data custodians have delegated responsibility from the data stewards for a subset of the data domain (e.g., registrar for registration and academic records, bursar for student account information, etc.). Data custodians often approve access to systems that contain the data within their delegated responsibility.
Stakeholders are primarily data consumers who are responsible for using operational data to inform processes, leverage census, or freeze data for institutional reporting and visualization.
Information Technology provides the data environment, analytical tools, and technological support.
Defining Data Sources for Common Data Definitions and Mapping
Each technological application has unique field names, and reconciling data across those systems can be challenging. In addition, different information can be gleaned based on the question asked and the system of record from which the data comes. Developing a robust data dictionary can address these complexities. Convening a cross-functional group of stakeholders with knowledge of the operations and systems and the outside reporting needs is critical to developing these definitions.
Mapping data across systems can ensure the integrity of using the data to answer questions. Once the data dictionary and data maps are developed, they should be made readily accessible both internally and externally.
Determining Who Has Access to Your Data
The data steward is responsible for access to information within the core systems and in the data warehouse or data lake. The data steward may delegate this responsibility to the data custodian. Regardless of who approves the access, end-users must have a strong understanding of the data elements to answer the questions. They must also receive training, including FERPA training, which outlines the appropriate use of data.
Guidelines outlining the responsibilities for disseminating data should be established (e.g., enrollment data from the vice president for enrollment management, college or university data from the institutional effectiveness area, or operational reporting from the core offices).
Communicating with Data Literacy and Visualization
Data literacy is extremely important as technological systems have increased access to operational information and analytics. While data is critical for informed decision-making, a lack of understanding can confuse or mislead.
Developing dashboards that use commonly understood and defined data elements will help to ensure a common source of truth.
Remember, a strong data governance structure includes the following:
Outlining key responsibilities.
Defining and mapping your data.
Educating campus stakeholders about your data.
Leveraging data visualization tools.
While your institutional data landscape can be complex, you can implement these components and get closer to a more sustainable data ecosystem.
Key resources to help with data governance include:
Signed,
Tammy, AACRAO Consultant
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