TopSchool's SaaS in Higher Ed Blog

The Difference Between Sitting on Valuable Data and Being Proactive With It

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Chris Chumley

If you follow TopSchool, chances are you have heard us promoting the idea of “putting data to work” or “taking data from static to dynamic.” Based on the attendee turnout for our most recent webinar, schools everywhere are taking note of this concept.

Last week we joined forces with Career College Central to present the webinar, “Moving Beyond the SIS – Making Data Actionable.” In case you missed it or want a recap, here are some of the key things we talked about:

Don’t Depend on Your SIS Alone: while an SIS likely does a good job storing information, it doesn’t allow you to fully leverage that information to make decisions, nor does it allow you to reach out to students. Student Lifecycle Management, on the other hand, allows you to take that stored information and use it to make sure students are successfully moving through the enrollment, retention and placement processes.

Proactively Push Data Out to Users: by arming your teams not only with information, but also a solid analysis of that information, they can use it to influence their interactions with students. The result is a customized experience that will help students get started on the right track and, in the end, secure a job.

Track KPIs to Measure Institutional and Student Success: you need to not only know what data is critical to track, but also how that data can determine where improvements need to be made. When looking at complete Student Lifecycle Management, schools that rely on KPIs backed by data will be able to analyze and predict student interest, tailor communications, deliver a higher level of service, and build lasting relationships with graduates.

Student Lifecycle Management is all about the proactive use of data, and as it continues to evolve, both institutions and students alike will reap the benefits.

If you are interested in accessing the archive of the webinar, please contact: topschoolwebinars[at]topschoolinc[dot]com

Also, I want to mention that the corresponding eBook, “More than Data Collection: Complete Student Lifecycle Management,” is also available for free from our website. Click here to download it.