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Redesigning the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service. Dan Updegrove EDUCAUSE Live! May 10, 2010. 1. Redesigning CDS: Overview. Rationale for a Core Data Survey Antecedents & initial vision How CDS Works CDS today & the need for an overhaul
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Redesigning the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Dan Updegrove EDUCAUSE Live! May 10, 2010 1
Redesigning CDS: Overview • Rationale for a Core Data Survey • Antecedents & initial vision • How CDS Works • CDS today & the need for an overhaul • Redesign Project: scope, timeline, initial member feedback & observations • Request for feedback via online survey
What If? • EDUCAUSE members could access a database of other institutions’ IT profiles • The database provided tools for comparing with peer groups, “aspiration groups,” & others • The database were updated annually, with attn to new issues & technologies; built-in trend analysis • All data were identified by institution, yet access, usage were restricted to minimize disclosure • An annual summary report (no institution IDs) were published in PDF format
Prospective Uses of a CDS • Improving IT management & planning • Calibrating institutional IT leadership goals • Contextualizing discussions with exec officers & campus advisory groups • Making the case for new services & resources • Defending against critiques & budget cuts • Exploring & negotiating CIO job changes • Enabling EDUCAUSE to align programs & represent the membership
CDS Antecedents • Seminars on Academic Computing, C. Warlick: Directory of Computing Facilities in HE, ’71- 90 • CAUSE member surveys, summary reports, “ID Service” for customized requests: ’79-96 • Educom Higher Ed Data Sharing Project - HEDS (spun off as independent consortium), ‘80 - • Smallen/Leach - COSTS Project, ‘90s - ’06 • K.C. Green - Campus Computing Project, ’94 -
EDUCAUSE Data-related Initiatives • Org formed ‘98 via merger of CAUSE, EDUCOM • Current Issues Survey established in 2000; reports published annually • EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research – ECAR est, 2000, “culture of evidence”; extensive set of reports, some restricted to subscribers • A Research Task Force recommended creation of a Core Data Service, ‘01 • COSTS Project merged w CDS, ‘06
Core Data Service of EDUCAUSE • Online input, predefined analytics & reports • U.S. Carnegie classes (2000 version) built in; user-defined peer groups easily configured • Annual summary report published online • Access to identified data: only campuses that have contributed this year; only individuals authorized by primary rep (usually the CIO) • No publication, disclosure > “need to know”
CDS Survey Categories • IT Organization, Staffing, Planning • Financing & Management • Faculty & Student Computing • Networking & Security • Information Systems • (Nearly all questions pertain to central IT only) • (Online glossary provided)
CDS Analytics & Reports • Manage Peer Groups • Select year (most recent or prior) • Select survey section & question • View summaries, 2-year trends, inst-by-inst comparisons, inst breakdowns by 2000 Carnegie Class, control (public/private), student FTE enrollment, user-defined peer groups • Tables, bar charts, pie charts • (Batch downloading not supported)
CDS Annual Cycle (2010 example) • Jan: FY’09 survey introduced; close input to FY’08 • Jan-May 14: Member input of FY’09 in time for ASR • Jan-May 14: Access to two previous years (FY’07 + FY’08) authorized for institutions that completed survey in ’09 (for FY’08) or in ‘10 (for FY’09) • May 15: Access window now FY’08 + FY’09 • May 15-Dec: No access for those w FY’09 undone • May-Dec: Continue member input of FY’09 data • Oct 1: Annual Summary Report (ASR) published
AUP for Data Access • Only institutions that have submitted data • Indiv access only if authorized by Primary Rep • No publication of inst-identifiable data • No external sharing of info, even aggregated • No pub of aggregated data w/o permission • Viewing of inst-identified or aggregate data limited to campus policy/planning groups • Campus contractors may not share w/ company
Core Data Service Today • Considered one of EDUCAUSE’s most important services by many members • Over 950 institutions contributed data in 2008 • Essentially all U.S. Carnegie categories, as well as 29 foreign countries represented • From 2007-2008 ~ 850 indiv users of analytic & reporting tools, 5K sessions, 80K page views • But, CDS hasn’t had serious review since 2002
The Need for an Overhaul • Only about half of members contribute data • About half the contributors appear to “use” it • While many members report high value use, many shortcomings have been noted • CDS as a service was conceived in 2001, with rather minor content changes since • CDS as an operational database service was deployed in 2002; it is difficult to maintain and a barrier to major enhancements 15
The CDS Redesign Project • Launched March 2010 • Member advisory group formed • Will include focus groups, interviews, survey, wiki • In scope: content, input process, relation to other datasets, analytics & online reporting, possibility of downloading, other AUP considerations, more international participation • Other suggestions, concerns, exemplars welcome • Managing consultant: Dan Updegrove
Project Timeline • Member input; working group, May-Summer • Announcement at Oct Annual Conference: redesigned survey, online service; reconsidered AUP, annual summary report; structure of an ongoing advisory group • New content input system by Jan, 2011 • New analytic & reporting by June, 2011 • Annual review by staff and advisory group
Initial Member Feedback • One survey for all types of institutions? • Survey content doesn’t reflect latest technology, services, issues – or distributed IT • Multi-campus systems not addressed well • Content mostly inputs, thin on outputs • Data input process has no built-in delegation • Reporting formats limited; no data download • Participation decline: 1400 (‘02) --> 950 (‘09)
Other Initial Observations • CDS website rather opaque; assumes only CIOs access it, and that CIOs already understand it • Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges (CLAC) has download rights, why no others? • Even CLAC, a “tight” peer group, uses CDS data with care, augmented by meetings, email surveys • Are all expectations realistic? • “The ideal, trusted, all-purpose database” • Suitable for large, special projects, e.g., ERP 19
What Do You Think? • How has your institution -- and peer group or system -- used CDS? • If your institution hasn’t used CDS, or no longer does, how does CDS fall short? • Suggestions / enhancements … out of the box? • Please consider completing this survey • Email Dan: updegrove@gmail.com • www.educause.edu/coredata