Chapter 1 The Evidence Imperative

Question 1

What was the focus of the Pew Research Center’s 2012 report?

Answer 1

Imagining a data-fueled future in 2020

Question 2

What were the two perspectives regarding the effects of big data and analytics?

Answer 2

Positive opportunities and negative tools of power

Question 3

What percentage of the global population was using the internet by early 2021?

Answer 3

64.2%

Question 4

How much data do humans create each day?

Answer 4

2.5 quintillion bytes

Question 5

What was the total amount of data at the beginning of 2020?

Answer 5

44 zettabytes

Question 6

What is the estimated number of Internet of Things devices by 2025?

Answer 6

75 billion

Question 7

What has accelerated the trends in big data and analytics?

Answer 7

Advances in cloud-based storage, AI, automation, and machine learning

Question 8

What is the expected market revenue for big data by 2022?

Answer 8

$274.3 billion

Question 9

What is one benefit of big data and analytics in daily life?

Answer 9

Improvement in public transportation and local travel

Question 10

What term did Cathy O’Neil use to describe harmful mathematical models?

Answer 10

Weapons of math destruction (WMDs)

Question 11

What project tracks data misuse and its consequences?

Answer 11

The Data Harm Record

Question 12

Fill in the blank: Big data and the analytics revolution can magnify the _______ and _______ in humanity.

Answer 12

[best], [worst]

Question 13

True or False: The analytics revolution has only been used in positive ways.

Answer 13

False

Question 14

What has been a growing concern in higher education prior to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Answer 14

Enrollment decline

Question 15

By how many students did annual undergraduate enrollments fall from 2014–15 to 2018–19?

Answer 15

1.25 million students

Question 16

What demographic change has occurred in the undergraduate population over time?

Answer 16

Increase in Latinx enrollment and diversity

Question 17

What has happened to per-student funding for higher education in forty-three states since 2008?

Answer 17

It remains below pre-recession levels

Question 18

What was the share of institutional revenues from student tuition in 2021?

Answer 18

46.9%

Question 19

What percentage of college students graduated in six years as of the latest statistics?

Answer 19

58.3%

Question 20

What is the projected trend for the affordability problem in higher education?

Answer 20

It is likely to worsen

Question 21

What has intensified the challenges faced by higher education institutions?

Answer 21

COVID-19, political polarization, and economic inequity

Question 22

What has the federal government collected data on since 1869–70?

Answer 22

Enrollment, degrees conferred, and faculty

Question 23

What network focuses on using data to promote student success and equity?

Answer 23

Access to Success Network

Question 24

What did Georgia State University and Florida State University achieve by using data?

Answer 24

Increased graduation rates by over 20 percentage points

Question 25

What is a key to the success stories in higher education related to data use?

Answer 25

Institutional commitment to data culture and infrastructure

Question 26

What have campuses improved in terms of student success?

Answer 26

Completion rates for credentials and degrees, equity gaps, and barriers to access ## Footnote Campuses recalibrated admissions standards to open doors and change lives.

Question 27

What is a key factor in the success stories of campuses?

Answer 27

An institutional commitment to creating a culture and infrastructure that delivers timely, accurate, relevant, and integrated data.

Question 28

What do many campus leaders aspire to achieve with analytics?

Answer 28

Fundamentally transform their institutions.

Question 29

What challenges do campus administrators face when shifting to evidence-based policy?

Answer 29

High entry costs from monetary and cultural perspectives.

Question 30

True or False: Many campus leaders have successfully transitioned to evidence-based decision-making.

Answer 30

False.

Question 31

What do senior campus leaders need to do to build a lasting culture of evidence?

Answer 31

Connect data across diverse and siloed functions of their institutions.

Question 32

What did the American College President Study reveal about college presidents' perceptions?

Answer 32

They see assessment of various educational aspects as important, but lag in using institutional research for decision-making.

Question 33

What are some negative consequences of disconnected data use?

Answer 33

Data remains siloed, used for punitive purposes, and viewed negatively.

Question 34

What is essential for senior leaders to emphasize in their institutions?

Answer 34

Data as an essential resource for addressing institutional challenges.

Question 35

What is the analytics spectrum?

Answer 35

Ranges from descriptive to prescriptive analytics.

Question 36

What factors are contributing to the crisis in higher education?

Answer 36

Heightened performance expectations, demands for accountability, growing social inequity, shifting demographics, concerns about cost and affordability.

Question 37

Fill in the blank: A well-articulated aspiration creates an initial sense of _______.

Answer 37

[optimism and empowerment].

Question 38

What is a significant challenge for US higher education regarding equity?

Answer 38

Persistent gaps in access and outcomes.

Question 39

How are institutions addressing the need for equity?

Answer 39

By adopting analytics tools to enhance student experience.

Question 40

What is crucial for optimizing financial resources in higher education?

Answer 40

Understanding the cost and performance of programs in relation to strategic direction.

Question 41

What does strategic finance emphasize?

Answer 41

Optimizing organizational resources rather than across-the-board cuts.

Question 42

What are key considerations in academic renewal and quality?

Answer 42

Post-graduation outcomes, assessment, continuous improvement.

Question 43

What should institutions use data and analytics for?

Answer 43

To understand the expectations of students and the needs of employers.

Question 44

What are the potential benefits of using big data and analytics?

Answer 44

Large and well-known benefits exist.

Question 45

What risks are associated with adopting analytics?

Answer 45

Mismanagement, misuse, and costs spiraling out of control.

Question 46

What should college executives define for effective use of data?

Answer 46

A strategic approach.

Question 47

What can a well-thought-out data governance policy help prevent?

Answer 47

Frustration, communication breakdowns, and turf wars.

Question 48

What is necessary for leading a campus toward evidence-based decision-making?

Answer 48

Art of leadership, political savvy, and nurturing a data-embracing culture.

Question 49

What is required to create a culture of evidence?

Answer 49

Data-informed decision-making, logic, artful persuasion, and financial incentives.