| Although a good deal has been written on accountability, accreditation, assessment, and institutional effectiveness, there is a dearth of examples from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) about how they use these processes for institutional improvement. Given the press for institutions to provide evidence of their impact on student learning, resource-dependent HBCUs are challenged to meet such demands. The purpose of this research was to better understand factors that compelled one institution to become more data-centered in its decision making in order to affect student learning outcomes. Using qualitative methods, the study attempted to answer the following research questions: (1) what aspects of the organizational environment (both internal and external) influence the decision-making process; (2) how does the institution's infrastructure (i.e., resources---people, finances, decision support) facilitate the decision-making process; and (3) what impact does the decision-making process have on student learning?; A case study was conducted that included twenty-five administrators and faculty members during two multiple-day site visits. Dawson State University (DSU) was chosen because of its progressive efforts to utilize its National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data for institutional improvement initiatives. However, the study focused on multiple institutional approaches for using data and information in decision making. One of the major findings is that the decision-making process became more collaborative in large part because of the president's leadership style and because of the emergence of a structure to provide timely and accurate decision support. External pressures for accountability, accreditation, and labor markets worked together to move the institution toward a data-informed decision-making process. In addition, participants expressed the importance of having quality decision support. The results suggest that when a president models data-based decision making, others are likely to embrace it and that access to quality decision support is essential to develop a "culture of evidence" and a framework for enhancing student success and educational attainment.; Implications are offered for college presidents, administrators, and faculty interested in the essentials for realizing a culture of evidence. Recommendations include adding to the culture of evidence literature by conducting additional research at minority-serving institutions. |
