ACE recently hosted its latest Higher Education Innovation Lab in New Orleans, bringing together survey administrators, institutional leaders, researchers, and policy experts to explore new ways to integrate and democratize data insights. The three-day event, held at Loyola University New Orleans, focused on identifying practical strategies to make data more accessible, interpretable, and useful for higher education stakeholders.
ACE designed the Innovation Lab as an interactive, results-oriented gathering that encouraged collaboration and problem-solving. Participants worked through challenges in the higher education survey ecosystem, aiming to move beyond fragmented data collection efforts and toward a more integrated approach that enhances institutional decision-making and public understanding of postsecondary education.
Laying the Groundwork for Change
The lab built upon a position memo, The Democratization of Data Insights: Challenges and Opportunities for the Postsecondary Survey Ecosystem, which framed key challenges and opportunities for the field. As ACE Assistant Vice President Hironao Okahana noted, the issue is not a lack of data but the need for better coordination and usability.
"Higher education generates vast amounts of data, yet too often, these insights remain siloed or difficult to apply in meaningful ways,” he said. “This lab was about breaking down those barriers and building a shared plan for more effective data use."
Through structured discussions, working groups, and problem-solving sessions, participants identified four priority areas that will guide future efforts:
Statement of Purpose and Values: Establishing a shared commitment among data users and survey administrators to make insights more accessible and actionable.
Common Data Standards: Creating frameworks to ensure consistency in how survey data is defined, reported, and interpreted.
Consortia Development: Forming a network of survey administrators and institutional leaders to drive collaboration and innovation.
Empowering Users: Equipping institutions, media, and advocacy organizations with tools to better understand and apply survey data.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Participants engaged in discussions, small group strategy sessions, and interactive feedback loops to develop a roadmap for advancing these priorities. They emphasized the need for cross-sector collaboration, better alignment of data standards, and improved mechanisms for sharing insights with diverse audiences. The lab also highlighted the importance of developing practical tools that make data more relevant to institutional decision-making and student success.
Several participants noted that while data availability has grown, accessibility remains a challenge. Developing user-friendly reporting formats, improving data literacy among decision-makers, and ensuring that institutional leaders can easily interpret key insights were recurring themes in discussions.
Chris Mullin of the Lumina Foundation underscored the importance of collective action in this work
"The success of data democratization depends on trust, collaboration, and intentionality,” he said. “If we align our efforts, we can ensure data serves its highest purpose—improving outcomes for students and institutions alike."
ACE will continue to work with lab participants and other stakeholders to refine these priorities and determine concrete next steps. Plans include follow-up working groups, the development of practical resources for data users, and continued engagement with policymakers to advocate for more integrated and accessible data systems.