Data Insider

Category: Featured

  • Now Available: IRDS Magazine, Volume 2
    April 1, 2026 by

    We’re proud to share that IRDS Magazine, Volume 2 is now live. Produced by the Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support, the magazine continues our commitment to highlighting the data-informed work shaping decisions across Ball State University. At its heart, IRDS Magazine showcases the analysis and analytics that supports thoughtful planning, strengthens institutional effectiveness, […]

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  • Leveraging AI in Higher Education Administrative Processes
    January 28, 2026 by

    AI tools are developing at a breakneck pace. Every week seems to bring a new announcement about what LLM-powered systems can do. But the speed of technology is not always the right speed for adoption, especially in a highly regulated environment like higher education, where data governance and ongoing review are essential for safe, responsible […]

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  • Data Liaisons Group: Data Insights
    January 16, 2026 by

    During our monthly Data Liaisons Group meeting on September 9, 2024, we invited each member to share recent data wins from their areas; the result of that discussion is posted here. In our November 10, 2025 meeting we asked the question again: how are your areas using data to support students, streamline operations, and provide context about the institution to leadership? The highlights below […]

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  • Supporting Sophomore Success: A Closer Look at Retention Beyond the First Year
    July 22, 2025 by

    Although often overshadowed by first-year retention, sophomore retention is a meaningful indicator of student progress. This blog post presents an analysis of second-to-third-year enrollment patterns at Ball State, highlighting factors that support continued enrollment. The analysis includes 7,649 Fall 2020–2022 first-time students who returned for a second year. The project builds on a project initiated by […]

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  • Data Insights: Explore Our Dashboards
    June 16, 2025 by

    At Ball State University, data isn’t just a tool, it’s an integral part of making informed decisions and supporting student success. Our team has been hard at work perfecting the tools that enable us to know and support students through their BSU lifecycle. Today, we are excited to introduce three Tableau dashboard walkthroughs: Admissions, Housing, and High-Impact Practices (HIPs). These visualizations enable […]

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  • Featured Interview: A Conversation with Cole Heady About Ball State University’s Data Cookbook
    April 2, 2025 by

    Accessible, accurate, and reliable data are at the heart of data-informed decision-making. At Ball State University, Data Cookbook plays a crucial role in this process, serving as a central hub for data governance and ensuring consistency across institutional analysis and analytics efforts. It allows departments to work from a unified business glossary, improving decision-support and […]

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  • Data Liaisons Group: Data Wins
    October 14, 2024 by

    During our monthly Data Liaisons Group meeting on September 9, 2024, we invited each member to share recent data wins from their areas. This was an excellent discussion and we had the opportunity to hear from several colleagues about how they use data to support students, streamline operations, and provide necessary context about the institution […]

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  • Data Governance at Ball State

    Data Governance at Ball State
    February 23, 2024 by

    Universities rely on information, but it’s not enough to just have vast amounts of data. We need a strategy for using data wisely, and that’s where data governance comes in.  We’re deliberate about finding effective ways to manage our data at Ball State, and in this post we share an inside look at some of […]

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