Colleges Using More Data for Decision Making, AACC survey says

According to an American Association of Community Colleges survey, more community colleges have discovered the importance of data since tough economic conditions hit in 2007. That’s one of the “lessons learned” in an AACC policy brief detailing the results of the survey.

The phrase “data-driven decision making” has become embedded in the leadership dialogue. This fact was highlighted in the responses of institutions as many reinforced how important it was for them to use historical data from the preceding semesters to forecast enrollment. Others used data in their service area in combination with local knowledge of pending plant and industry closings to prepare for shifts in their enrollment.

Community college enrollment nationwide has spiked 24.1% in two years, with the largest percent growth in the Rocky Mountain region — Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.

Read more in Community College Times.