As you go through the process of evaluating your current programs and new opportunities, you will need to decide on the best approach for your institution. You know the consequences poor decisions can create, but how do you do it better?
Having internal and external data is critical when evaluating your academic programs. If your institution looks at external market data for your academic programs, you are halfway there. But to complete a sound program evaluation, you also need to look inward at program economics and academic outcomes.
Adding a new sport could help institution’s boost enrollment in specific programs. The academic programs that benefit from athletic enrollment vary by sport, so the right sport may be able to increase enrollment in a specific program or discipline.
We took a deeper look, first at major sports in Division 1, then at “Other Sports.”
Higher education is becoming more competitive, but there are still many opportunities for growth – if you know how to look for them. One secret is distinguishing between competition, which is ubiquitous, and market saturation, which is rare.
An academic program evaluation process is data-informed, transparent, collaborative, and intensive when done correctly. Having a strong analytical foundation and a clear, inclusive process for program evaluation leads to better decisions, strengthens relationships across the campus, and is consistent with the principles of shared governance.
A sound Program Evaluation System (PES) marshals the data, software, people, and decision-making processes that enable fast, well-informed, and broadly supported program decisions. Several of the largest and most successful participants in higher education now use a Program Evaluation System (PES) to guide their program decisions.
Gray Associates, Inc. is a software and services firm focused on higher education. We help education clients develop data-informed institutional strategies that maximize outcomes for students, the school, and its constituencies.
