Chief data officer to innovate WSU’s approach to student success, retention
OGDEN, Utah – Weber State University is taking a unique approach to student success and retention with the creation of a new position: chief data officer.
Ivana Fredotovic, who served for three years as director of research and data analytics at Miami Dade College, is filling the role. As CDO, she will be charged with developing a comprehensive strategy for student data and analytics with the goal of ensuring more students are retained and complete their degrees.
WSU Provost Ravi Krovi said hiring Fredotovic is a defining moment since the university is among the first to hire a CDO.
“Chief data officers are common in industry, but not as common in universities,” Krovi said. “Most of us are familiar with how companies use insights about customers for their purposes. We can bring similar methods to the university to help get our students to graduation.”
Fredotovic said she will focus on three things: data strategy, data governance and data literacy university-wide.
Strategy
“Universities are becoming more focused on building a data ecosystem, and the work of the CDO impacts all members of the campus community — students, faculty, administrators and staff,” Fredotovic said.
A dedicated CDO is expected to give Weber State a “360-degree view” of its students, Krovi said.
“We’re on the cutting edge of exploring how we use data for the success of our students,” Krovi said. “We already have data, but now we’re looking to create a strategy behind the data: How can we leverage this data and build predictive models that tell us why our students are graduating or not?”
Krovi understands there are various pressure points for different students and said WSU already has some insight on those factors. For example, students are 40% more likely to graduate if they complete math and English within their first year.
Governance
Krovi said there are already multiple entities across campus that deal with student data, with analysts working in each area. In the coming months, WSU will integrate these “data islands” as data analysts report to or collaborate with the CDO.
Areas currently analyzing student data include Student Affairs; Institutional Research; Information Technology; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Advancement; academic deans; and student success teams.
Literacy
Fredotovic said she’s excited to educate the campus on how to interpret and implement data to provide a more personalized experience at every step of the student lifecycle.
Wider and more effective use of data will help develop a “data-informed culture” across campus and will “leverage advanced analytics and data intelligence to enhance institutional outcomes and promote continuous success," she said.
Krovi emphasized that WSU continues to train all employees on the rules and responsibilities that come with handling student data.
An equity, diversity and inclusion lens
The CDO will support and complement Weber State’s EDI initiatives, along with the university’s goal to become a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
WSU has already begun disaggregating data to paint a clearer picture of the uniqueness of each student: “If there are anomalies based on first-generation status, income level, race, ethnicity and other factors, we need to ask why,” Krovi said.
Fredotovic said she’s ready for this aspect of the job, not only because she has worked at several HSIs, but because WSU’s mission and strategy align with her core beliefs and leadership philosophy, which “nurtures and values multiculturalism and supports students and staff of different ethnicities, cultures, races, religions, and academic and financial backgrounds,” she said.
Ultimately, the goal is to think differently about data.
“Data helps us ask questions about the barriers faced by our students,” Krovi said. “This ultimately should drive our student success efforts and strategies.”
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu- Contact:
Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu