ABSTRACT
In the context of building a data strategy, an information technology (IT) analyst is a data analyst that works for the information technology department or a similar IT unit, such as data management or business intelligence. In a higher education environment, this individual’s goal is to provide timely and actionable data, information, and analysis to facilitate student success and institutional growth. IT analysts see themselves as data analysts and feel that they play a central role in facilitating an institution-wide data culture. In contrast to the strategic-level reporting prepared for senior leaders, faculty needs more operational reporting, which the IT analyst furnishes as detail and aggregated data. Detail level reporting can assist faculty members by providing section-level and student-level detail data to identify academic success and opportunities for improvement, such as measuring learning outcomes. IT analysts provide data to different types of users across the institution, and are undoubtedly integral to developing a data culture.
