ECU Data Retreat
We define a data retreat as a gathering of staff from across campus for the purpose of discussing data quality issues and proposing collaborative solutions.
Annual ECU data retreats began in 2019 when data-sharing projects between ECU and outside vendors highlighted gaps in accurate, complete, and consistent data. A data retreat was proposed to ensure that data are as consistent, accurate, complete, and timely as possible and that functional office staff at ECU are all on the same page when reporting on, or communicating about, student data.
Each retreat has been held in the spring semester, but planning begins well before the retreat and includes the formation of a planning committee. The tasks of the planning committee include identifying sub-topics/issues to be addressed, creating an attendee list, crafting an e-mail invitation, creating questions to guide retreat discussion, and formulating a list of expected outcomes.
Each retreat except for the one held in 2023 focused on a specific type of data, e.g., admissions, financial aid, international students, health sciences, high impact practices. The 2023 retreat focused on data literacy.
Retreats in 2019 and 2020 were held as day-long, face-to-face events. Retreats in 2021, 2022, and 2023 were held virtually with sessions distributed over several days. The 2024 data retreat returned to a face-to-face format.
IPAR has been the primary host of each retreat. In the past few years, we have learned that, for a successful data retreat,
- support from leadership is critical and emphasizes the importance of data quality.
- planning must begin early for the retreat itself to run smoothly. Retreat logistics (e.g., scheduling meetings, organizing documentation, determining dates and structure for the retreat, arranging for location and food, sending invitations, identifying facilitators, creating facilitator scripts, recruiting a keynote speaker, etc.) take time.
- it is essential to provide focus to retreat attendees in the form of a specific retreat topic, guiding questions, and expected outcomes.
- it is best to allow enough time and space for both formal and informal connections among staff from across campus.
- the tone of the retreat must be positive. The retreats are not intended to be punitive but rather offer a chance to collaborate for change.
- it is vitally important to track and document data quality solutions implemented because of each data retreat. A final report on these solutions provides the introduction to the next data retreat.