Dare To Share

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Data-Driven Decision Making

Dare To Share

5/1/2007

By Linda L Briggs

Pressed for dollars and resources, smaller institutions of higher education are discovering that sharing software, data management, and expertise is key to DDD success.

TODAY, as difficult as it is for large institutions to keep software and hardware up-to-date, the challenge and expense of keeping up is only amplified for smaller colleges and universities. And in the area of data-driven decision-making, the challenge can be even greater. Because smaller schools are pressed for time and resources on nearly all fronts, the ability to afford the often high-end tools necessary to collect good data—and use those data effectively—can be all but out of reach for small, independent institutions. Such software can include sophisticated enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, online course management systems, and, of course, data warehouses. The expense of hiring and training staff who understand how to analyze and present data effectively can also be prohibitive to these institutions.

BECAUSE HER CONSORTIUM partners had already rolled out their ERP system, Nichols College President Debra Townsley could fast-track her setup, and save half the standard cost.

One solution to these challenges is the consortium or coalition, a little-discussed but hugely effective solution in which member schools (usually small, independent institutions) pool dollars and expertise to create a larger entity with greater purchasing power and increased ability to drive campuswide decision-making for its members. Although consortium members seldom allow other members access to their raw data, they do share software and expertise, and may also pool more general data that help them gauge how they are doing in comparison to other members. The returns from such arrangements, say consortium advocates, can be immense.

The ICE Schools Cometh

Through a consortium called the Independent College Enterprise, or ICE, seven colleges (five in West Virginia, one in Virginia, and one in Massachusetts) are sharing one ERP solution: Datatel Colleague. The result, according to several members of the coalition, is more efficient use of software, better data and analysis, and sharing of ideas and strategies even among institutions that might be considered competitors. One of the consortium’s founders and chief proponents is University of Charleston (WV) President Edwin Welch. Pooling resources across the seven schools, he firmly believes, has yielded both an excellent return on investment, and a sharing of expertise that has enabled much better decision-making at his college.