Modernizing Data Ecosystem Without Increasing Headcount: Creating Capacity for Data Operations and Experiential Learning Opportunities

Cindy Buxton – Denison University

Institutions know we need to leverage data as a valuable asset, but capacity constraints make it difficult to turn aspirations into action. Priorities like financial sustainability, compliance reporting, and student retention require resources and people to tackle analytics, dashboards, governance, and integrations.

At Denison University, we addressed this challenge by centralizing data operations through a "team of teams" model: a cross-divisional collaboration that connects staff across Finance & Management, Institutional Research, and IT. Then we paired it with a structured student intern program that delivers completed data projects while providing students with crucial experiential learning and work experience. By leveraging existing resources to deliver visible, high-value projects, we are creating awareness and desire across the campus for changing our practices involving data.

This session will share the strategic vision behind the approach, the operational structure that makes it work, and a financial analysis. The presenters will include one of the students from our data student intern program. We will lead attendees through a case study and provide them with a replicable framework for expanding data capacity at their own institution.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the capacity constraints that prevent institutions from leveraging data for quick decisions and describe how to design a cross-divisional team to address institutional priorities.
• Apply our agile, operational framework of a distributed staff collaboration and a structured student intern program at your own institution.
• Evaluate the financial and operational impact of incorporating a student experiential learning program versus traditional FTE hires, using Denison's analysis as a benchmark.

CPE Available

• 1 Credit: Information Technology