Central Arizona College (CAC), a rural community college, faced the challenge of supporting its diverse student population amidst data access and management issues. Like many institutions of its size, CAC serves a large proportion of first-generation and academically underprepared students who require additional academic and administrative support. The college was looking to improve student outcomes, particularly in retention and completion rates, but its ability to make data-driven decisions was severely hindered by the fragmented nature of its data systems. Faculty and staff struggled to access the information needed for real-time decision-making, which delayed crucial interventions and limited the effectiveness of support programs.
The college’s Institutional Research (IR) office, led by Dustin Maroney, was heavily reliant on outdated systems that made retrieving actionable insights cumbersome. Data was siloed in different departments and systems, which often required specialized knowledge of programming languages or support from IT staff to extract information. “Before we implemented ZogoTech, creating reports, sharing insights, and accessing student data was a slow and manual process,” Maroney noted. “We had a relatively new student information system, but it wasn’t giving us what we needed. Power BI took months of work, and even then, the data wasn’t accessible in real-time to the people who needed it most.”
As CAC pushed towards becoming a data-informed institution, the IR department became overwhelmed with ad-hoc data requests from leadership, faculty, and staff. These inefficiencies not only delayed decision-making but also prevented the college from fully supporting its students. Leadership recognized that without better access to reliable, consistent data, the college could not adequately address student retention, optimize course offerings, or identify at-risk students in a timely manner.
Discover how Central Arizona College is combining data analytics with the 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) to improve student success and campus-wide outcomes.
CAC turned to ZogoTech for help streamlining its data management and transforming into a data-driven institution. ZogoTech’s data analytics platform provided CAC with a comprehensive solution by integrating disparate data sources into a centralized data warehouse. The solution created a single source of truth, ensuring that all data was consistent, reliable, and readily accessible for decision-making.
One of the primary objectives was to reduce CAC’s reliance on manual processes for gathering and analyzing data. Before ZogoTech, accessing data often required extensive IT support or specialized programming skills. ZogoTech’s easy-to-use platform and interface addressed this issue allowing users to access data without needing to write code or wait for IT. This empowered faculty, deans, and staff across the institution to take ownership of the data relevant to their roles.
The key features that helped CAC make this transition include:
ZogoTech’s implementation at CAC was not just about delivering a set of tools; it was about fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making. By providing the infrastructure and tools for faculty, staff, and leadership to access and analyze data on their own, CAC transformed how decisions were made across the institution. Whether it was determining which courses to offer, identifying at-risk students, or measuring the effectiveness of academic programs, ZogoTech provided the insights CAC needed to operate more effectively and improve student success.
Dr. Jackie Elliott, President of CAC, emphasized the institutional impact of this transformation: “I’ve found ZogoTech’s support to be invaluable in creating a data-informed culture at Central Arizona College. Their tools and insights have empowered our team to make evidence-based decisions, ultimately enhancing our strategic planning and student success initiatives. One pivotal aspect of ZogoTech’s contribution is the ability to transform complex data into actionable insights, which has streamlined our processes and fostered a more proactive approach to addressing challenges.”
The implementation of ZogoTech at Central Arizona College (CAC) brought about significant improvements in both operational efficiency and student support, with Dustin Maroney noting that the time to create reports and dashboards was reduced to one-third of what it took before implementing ZogoTech. This shift not only lightened the load on the IR and IT departments but also enabled faculty and staff to make data-driven decisions much more quickly.
One of the immediate benefits was the ability to make real-time decisions based on accurate data. For example, CAC used ZogoTech’s dashboards to monitor daily enrollment trends, which allowed them to make informed decisions about course offerings and to determine whether specific classes should be continued or canceled based on up-to-the-minute enrollment data.
Another significant benefit was the ability to identify and support at-risk students. ZogoTech’s Student Navigator was instrumental in pinpointing students who were retaking failed courses or who had not yet registered for the next semester. This data allowed faculty to provide targeted support, particularly in challenging areas like mathematics, where students often struggle. Maroney emphasized that this kind of targeted intervention was previously impossible with their old system.
ZogoTech also helped CAC optimize resource allocation. By understanding the geographic distribution of students and their program enrollments, the college could decide where to offer specific courses, ensuring that they were available at the most convenient locations for students. This not only improved course fill rates but also enhanced overall student satisfaction.
Overall, ZogoTech transformed CAC’s approach to data, enabling the college to act on insights that were previously difficult or impossible to access. Maroney reflected on this transformation, stating, “We moved from spending days creating reports to getting answers in minutes. This tool has enhanced how we approach problem-solving at CAC.” The benefits extended beyond just operational improvements, directly impacting the college’s ability to support its students and fulfill its mission.
Dr. Elliott offered guidance for other leaders navigating similar transitions: “For peers who are still in the process of building a data-informed culture, my advice would be to embrace the journey wholeheartedly. It’s essential to foster an environment where data is seen as a vital asset rather than just numbers on a spreadsheet. Encourage collaboration and continuous learning among your team, and don’t hesitate to leverage the expertise and resources offered by partners like ZogoTech. The benefits of a data-driven approach are immense and will undoubtedly lead to more informed decisions and better outcomes for your institution.”
