Stories & Case Studies
At Waubonsee Community College, a commitment to student success goes hand in hand with a commitment to data-informed decision-making. To support this vision, Waubonsee partnered with Achieving the Dream (ATD) for a Data Empowerment Workshop — a session designed to build on the college’s existing data literacy efforts and prepare them for their three-year engagement in ATD’s Foundations of Transformation core program.
The workshop provided an opportunity for college leaders to reflect on their data capacity, deepen their use of disaggregated data, and ensure that student success strategies are grounded in evidence. Dr. Stacey Randall, Waubonsee’s executive dean for institutional effectiveness, shared insights on how this experience is helping to shape the institution’s data culture.
Building data capacity from the inside out
One key takeaway from the workshop was the realization that data literacy varies widely across campus. “We often assume that everyone in higher education understands data and how to tell our story, but that simply isn’t true,” Dr. Randall explained. “We have to tell our stories internally before we can build data capacity.”
The workshop highlighted the importance of ensuring that faculty, staff, and administrators have the tools and confidence to engage with data in meaningful ways. By fostering a culture where data is not just collected but actively discussed and utilized, Waubonsee is taking steps toward a more informed, action-oriented approach to student success.
Embedding disaggregated data into decision-making
A major focus of the workshop was data disaggregation — breaking down student success metrics by factors such as race, gender, and age to better understand equity gaps. Waubonsee has already integrated disaggregated data into its annual program review process. Each August, faculty receive interactive reports in Power BI, a data visualization and reporting platform, enabling them to examine enrollment, success, and withdrawal rates for different student groups within their programs and courses.
This kind of targeted analysis allows faculty and administrators to design strategies that specifically address barriers faced by different student populations. “Data without action won’t help us reach our goals,” Dr. Randall emphasized. “The focus of our discussion was on how to turn the data into action, by democratizing it across campus.”
Building a data-informed culture
To ensure that data is embedded in institutional decision-making, Waubonsee is taking an intentional approach to leadership engagement. As part of its strategic planning efforts, the college has designated an ATD data team member to serve as a data liaison for priority teams working on new initiatives. This ensures that data is not an afterthought but a guiding force in shaping policies and practices from the outset.
Creating a data-informed culture also means broadening access to data and ensuring it is used for continuous improvement. The workshop underscored the need for:
- Cross-functional collaboration — bringing together faculty, staff, and administrators to interpret data and develop solutions collectively.
- A culture of inquiry and evidence — encouraging faculty and staff to ask thoughtful questions and challenge assumptions.
- Equity-centered decision-making — using data to proactively close achievement gaps and support all students in reaching their goals.
Turning insights into action
Waubonsee’s engagement with ATD is still in the relatively early stages, but the impact of the Data Empowerment Workshop is already evident. The college, for example, has a mature understanding of the complexity of creating a truly data-informed culture — one that not only relies on quantitative measures but also takes into account students’ lived experiences. “Data is one indicator that we need to always pay attention to, but there are also some issues that we need to address even if the data doesn’t show a clear need — because students may not feel safe or comfortable being honest about their individual needs for a variety of reasons,” says Dr. Randall.
This insight reinforces a key lesson from the workshop: Data is a powerful tool, but its true value comes from how it is used. The Data Empowerment Workshop gave Waubonsee’s leadership the opportunity to reflect on how they engage with data, ensure it is accessible across the institution, and most importantly, turn insights into action. By embedding data into decision-making processes and aligning it with a student-centered approach, Waubonsee is strengthening its ability to drive meaningful and equitable outcomes.
Learn more about ATD’s Data Empowerment Workshops and our expertise in data empowerment.