Building Board Capacity for Informed Decision-Making

Effective, data-informed governance empowers boards to make policy decisions that advance student success and strengthen institutional effectiveness. This learning module series is designed to build data competency while emphasizing strategic oversight, strong board-CEO partnerships, and the balance between governance and operations. Using the case study of Bluebonnet Community College, a fictional institution in rural Texas, the modules explore practical strategies for asking better questions, interpreting both quantitative and qualitative data, and applying insights in ways that align with community needs and the college mission. The below resources are designed to support boards in setting expectations, monitoring progress, and making informed decisions that serve students and ensure long-term institutional sustainability.

***The content provided in these modules is for educational and training purposes. The Bluebonnet Community College case study is fictional and intended to illustrate concepts. Users should adapt strategies and recommendations to their institution's unique context, policies, and governance practices.

Module 1: Defining Clear Objectives

This module focuses on the characteristics of strong objectives, the board’s role in establishing them, and how to evaluate objectives to ensure they align with the college’s overall mission and vision.

Module 2: Defining Goals for Data Identification

This module focuses on how to ask good data questions, types of quantitative and qualitative data used in higher education, and the distinction between leading and lagging indicators of student success.

Texas Pathways & Data Analysis

Module 3: Guiding Data Collection (Coming soon!)

This module will focus on the dynamics of institutional research, the role of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the CEO, and college staff, along with key national, state, and institutional data sources and tools used to support data-informed governance.

Module 4: Making Sense of the Data with your CEO (Coming soon!)

This module will be available later in 2025. Please keep an eye out for CCATT newsletters announcing the publication of the remaining modules.

Module 5: Considering Context & Expertise (Coming soon!)

This module will be available later in 2025. Please keep an eye out for CCATT newsletters announcing the publication of the remaining modules.

Module 6: Making Informed Governance Decisions (Coming soon!)

This module will be available later in 2025. Please keep an eye out for CCATT newsletters announcing the publication of the remaining modules.

Module 7: Taking Action & Evaluating Outcomes (Coming soon!)

This module will focus on effective monitoring practices, how often to review data, appropriate metrics for measuring progress, the use of leading indicators, and approaches to assess and adjust policy based on data-informed questions.

Module 8: Building a Data Culture (Coming soon!)

This module will focus on building a culture of data-informed decision-making in partnership with the college CEO, including the board’s role in supporting change, identifying barriers, and making governance-level decisions about resources.

Module 9: Ensuring Privacy & Ethical Data Use (Coming Soon!)

This module will focus on ethical data use, the balance between transparency and confidentiality, and board responsibilities related to institutional data stewardship and internal data governance.

Module 10: Final Review: Data-Informed Governance Learning Modules (Coming soon!)

This module will be available later in 2025. Please keep an eye out for CCATT newsletters announcing the publication of the remaining modules.

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