Responding to a fiscal crisis: a data‐driven approach

Abstract

The Division of Planning and Institutional Improvement (PAII) at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis provides for the campus data for academic planning and management, assessment and evaluation services, and progress reports on mission‐critical goals. To respond to a forecast fiscal crisis and support long‐range planning for the Division, staff undertook a survey of deans and other key campus stakeholders to determine which of its services were best‐known and considered most useful for unit‐level planning and decision‐making, especially as these units faced the same projections of severe fiscal constraints. Findings indicated greater awareness and use of PAII data among deans than among other academic leaders and provided important insights into the kinds of data needed most for decision‐making. These outcomes will guide the Division’s future strategies for educating deans and other stakeholders on underused, but potentially useful, services and for selecting new services to offer.