So Much Data, So Little Time
New resources to improve FSU’s data infrastructure
Every year, Framingham State University gathers vast amounts of data through surveys, statistics, reports and digital metrics that have the potential to reveal key information about why and how students succeed or fail.
Gathering the data is the easy part. Synthesizing the data into actionable strategies is where the University needs to improve, according to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kristen Porter-Utley.
“We currently have tons of data at our fingertips, but the challenge for Framingham State is that different data are collected and kept in different systems or in different offices,” says Dr. Porter-Utley. “So, we have richness of data but the inability to use all of the data in its complexity to better understand our challenges and create an action plan to address them.”
Imagine Framingham State University as a library filled with countless books, each one representing data collected across different areas—student records, class schedules, campus events, financial aid, sustainability initiatives and more. Now imagine if all those books were scattered across the campus in different rooms with no clear organization. Finding the right book at the right time would be frustrating and time-consuming, making it harder to make informed decisions.
– Nancy S. Niemi, PhDPresident Framingham State University
That challenge is why FSU leadership is hoping to implement what is known as a “data lakehouse,” which is a system that enables organizations to consolidate structured data, such as enrollment statistics and financial reports, with unstructured data like student feedback or digital engagement metrics in one central, easily accessible location.
It’s a potentially game-changing solution. Academic advisors could use this system to quickly identify students who may be struggling and need extra support quickly. Sustainability leaders could be tracking real-time energy use across campus to find ways to save costs and reduce FSU’s carbon footprint. Admissions teams could use it to analyze trends in applications and develop outreach strategies tailored to prospective students’ interests. Even event planners could spot patterns in student engagement and design activities that resonate more deeply with the campus community. With the data lakehouse, every department benefits from faster, smarter, and more informed decision-making.
Framingham State’s Associate VP and Chief Information Officer Patrick Laughran is helping to lead the proposal to implement a data lakehouse, which would involve new cloud-based software, and two new positions to help coordinate, catalog and ensure the quality of the data being collected.
“A data lakehouse is not an appliance you can plug in and it works,” says Laughran. “It requires people, process and technology to work effectively. But the long-term benefit could impact every aspect of our operation—student success, revenue and enrollment opportunities, cost efficiencies…any kind of decision-making you can think of that we engage in. This will help ensure that those decisions benefit from analytical data.”
FSU President Nancy S. Niemi says that, over time, this approach will ensure that Framingham State remains a forward-thinking institution that adapts to challenges, meets the needs of its students and continues to thrive in a fast-changing world.
“This is not just a technology upgrade—it’s a powerful tool that transforms the way we work, making the University more effective, efficient and responsive to the community we serve,” says Dr. Niemi. It is, she says, a “library” of information built specifically to help FSU flourish.”
