Action Analytics: Measuring and Improving Performance That Matters in Higher Education

"Most colleges and universities underutilize their data and analytical resources. Even though they may be awash in data, they may lack the specific information they need to identify the performance aspects that truly matter to them and their audiences - aspects that are not necessarily those captured in the key performance indicators of today's institutions. Moreover, academic culture favors analysis over action. Traditionally, institutions have placed a greater degree of importance on reputation (prestige) than on improvements in academic performance. In practice, academic freedom too often translates into autonomy rather than accountability, making concerted action more complex. Yet in spite of these limitations, many institutions have found creative ways to measure and analyze performance and value."

Related ... Note that the lead author of this EDUCAUSE Review article is SCUP's Distinguished Service Award Donald M. Norris, co-author of A Guide for New Planners. Norris and his co-author, Nick Poulton, are right now hard at work on a completely revamped replacement for that SCUP publication.