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Inside UAIR's Inaugural Student Data Summer Camp

Tuesday
Summer Camp promo image showing the themes of each week.

Glass walls and screens filled with student data dashboards probably aren’t what most people think of when they hear the words summer camp, but for the 25 participants of UAIR’s inaugural Student Data Summer Camp, this was their chance to step away from the desk and focus on the intricacies of student data. This series was hosted by representatives from UAIR’s Data Engagement & Storytelling and Student Data teams hoping to provide a way for invested university staff to engage further with institutional data. 

UAIR host introduces camp members.

UAIR's Christopher Cherry welcomes the cohort to the first day of camp.

From over 100 applicants, the cohort was selected across multiple departments, roles, and service time with the university. The goal? Build a group of university staff who were ready to take their UAccess Analytics knowledge to the next level. The structure consisted of four in-person sessions at the Main Library’s Data Studio alongside virtual office hours, giving learners the chance to clarify anything they were confused about.

The curriculum began with a recap of essential UAccess Analytics skills and a tour of the most relevant student data dashboards. The Student Data Summer Camp was intended to complement the UAccess Analytics Certification and take advantage of the fact that everyone in the room had the same level of access and worked in positions that immediately support the student experience. The smaller group allowed sessions to take on a free-form structure. Questions on both the material and hands-on activity naturally led into group discussions as the UAIR hosts and attendees shared their experiences.

Later sessions built upon the skills introduced early on. Learners built reports, modified them, combined them, and even learned to bring all of their work together in custom dashboards. This progression was consistently anchored in the day-to-day tasks of their jobs, ensuring that the material was always relevant. The most popular skills learned were creating custom dashboards and using one analysis to filter another, speaking to the cohort’s desire to leverage student data in new ways.

The biggest piece of feedback UAIR received? More sessions! UAIR is thankful for the interest of the cohort and their appetite to learn. UAIR intends to carefully review all feedback and bring this program back next year, potentially expanding to other data pillars as well. Campers left much more confident in their data skills and ready to take their knowledge back to their day-to-day roles. UAIR can’t wait to see what they create next.