Have a burning question or idea?
Administrators, faculty, and staff are welcome to propose analytics and data science projects for development in CarolinaAnalytics, the university’s central Tableau service. Projects can currently leverage Student and Learning Management System (Blackboard) data, with financials data anticipated to be available during 2022, and human resources data during 2023. These data can be combined with other university data, org unit data, or even external data sources like Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and National Student Clearinghouse. You may not even know all the kinds of data that might be useful – we’re here to brainstorm with you and formulate a proposal, much like faculty work with graduate students to develop a research study for a thesis or dissertation. In addition to internal talent, our development partner, HelioCampus, brings data science and analytics expertise. We take a ‘multiple intelligences approach’ and involve an array of subject matter experts to develop beneficial projects that yield data insights. Insights and understanding are the foundation for developing actionable intelligence.
Proposals may address topics such as improving teaching & learning, boosting retention and graduation, improving campus life, finding operational efficiency and cost controls – though these are just a few general areas.
How does this work?
Anyone affiliated with an org unit on the Columbia or Palmetto College campuses may develop a proposal. Submitted proposals are initially reviewed by DoIT Analytics & Data Governance personnel for completeness, then forwarded to the Flagship Analytics Council for consideration and next steps.
The Flagship Analytics Council will consider proposals, assess their potential value to the university, and advance strong proposals to HelioCampus. Our partners will review the proposal and estimate time, effort, and any potential costs for development. That review will be returned to the Flagship Analytics Council for further consideration, including authorization and prioritization among competing proposals. For a full overview of the process, please view this process diagram [PDF].
Where do I start?
If you have the beginnings of a proposal but are not sure how to proceed, or just want to talk through your idea, please request a consultation with the university’s Chief Data Officer, Mike Kelly.
Many data science and analytics projects will be of interest/benefit to several colleges or schools, divisions, service units, campuses, or even the entire USC System. Before submitting a proposal, please confer with colleagues who may be interested in supporting and co-authoring your proposal. Team-based proposals are welcome, and are often able to clearly describe the potential benefit.
Without exception, all proposals must be submitted using the proposal template, which you can access here.
Once you have formulated your proposal, you must upload it through the Proposal page.