History professor Steven Mintz reminds us in a recent post that true innovations are those that add real value. He submits the example of applying analytics in higher education, which provides “actionable data to guide decision making, expose problems, and prompt interventions when students are off-track and at risk of failure.” Analytics, when used appropriately, is at its core a way to learn more about yourself and your organization.
It is no stretch to state that those who innovate are the ones that will thrive in the new future before us. Educational institutions are well-positioned to benefit from advances in predictive modeling and machine learning. Especially now that the technology exists to place the power of those tools directly in the hands of frontline enrollment teams to inform recruiting, retention, marketing, and financial aid. Even small colleges and universities can now access affordable enterprise-level analytics that will leverage their institutional data to unlock the value within.
With many challenges facing higher education even before the pandemic, administrators would do well to invest in equipping their admissions heroes with the innovations necessary to thrive. It may be difficult to spend the necessary capital in lean times, but positioning them to succeed in 2021 and beyond cannot wait. Your peers are innovating.
Read the case study to learn how Taylor University was able to employ predictive analytics and transform its enrollment approach in 2017 to reverse a declining trend.
Joel Shumate
Inroads Analytics
