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Book Club Session 4 - Discussion Insights, Highlights, Questions

Please provide a meeting summary 

Here is a concise summary of the meeting based on the context provided: 

The meeting was session 4 of the UCI Compass Community of Practice Book Club, focusing on part 3 (instruction) from chapters 6-8 of the book. Key points discussed: 

  1. Finding balance between a factory business model and the noble goals of higher education.
  2. UCI's efforts to use data and technology to enhance student success and experience, including:

   - The Spark initiative: A new app to provide personalized support to students 

   - AI Companion and ZotGPT for improving meetings and presentations 

   - Compass MAPSS and DataGPS program to increase data literacy 

  1. Efforts to make student data more accessible to faculty and staff to better support individual students.
  2. Plans to improve communication and outreach about these new tools and initiatives across campus.
  3. Overview of the Explorer tool, which provides access to curated reports from various UCI departments.
  4. Discussion of upcoming book club sessions with guest speakers Michael Dinan and Tom Andreola.

The presenter emphasized the importance of creating a campus-wide community of practice to improve data literacy and student support across all areas of the university. 

 

What topics were discussed? 

Based on the meeting summary, the main topics discussed in this session were: 

  1. Balancing business models with educational goals in higher education
  2. UCI's initiatives to improve student success using data and technology, including:

   - The Spark app for personalized student support 

   - AI tools like AI Companion and Sought GPT 

   - Compass MAPSS and DataGPS program for data literacy 

  1. Efforts to make student data more accessible to faculty and staff
  2. Plans to improve communication about new tools and initiatives across campus
  3. Overview of the Explorer tool for accessing curated reports
  4. The importance of creating a campus-wide community of practice to enhance data literacy and student support
  5. Brief mention of upcoming book club sessions with guest speakers

The discussion focused heavily on how UCI is using technology and data to support students while trying to balance institutional needs with individual student success. 

 

What are the action items? 

Based on the context provided, there were no explicit action items clearly stated after the meeting. However, a few potential follow-up actions were implied: 

  1. The presenter (UCI Compass Community of Practice) mentioned they would send out the schedule for the next two meetings, likely today.
  2. They planned to share a link to a YouTube video about the Spark initiative from a recentUnizinSummit presentation. 
  3. The presenter indicated they would reach out to Patrick to connect him with the Spark team for potential feedback.
  4. There was mention of continuing to update the recordings and materials on the Data GPS website.
  5. The presenter discussed ongoing efforts to create a marketing and communications plan to better inform the campus community about the various tools and initiatives.

It's important to note that these are not formally stated action items, but rather implied next steps or ongoing efforts mentioned during the meeting. The context does not provide a clear list of action items assigned to specific individuals or with set deadlines. 

 

How did the presenter demonstrate what UCI is doing in "Finding balance between a “factory” business model and the “noble” goal higher education was created around"? 

The presenter demonstrated UCI's efforts to balance the "factory" business model and the "noble" goals of higher education in several ways: 

  1. Student Success Focus: The presenter emphasized looking at each student individually, rather than just considering the total student cohort for a class. This approach aims to address students' personal goals, dreams, and experiences.
  1. Spark Initiative: This new app aims to provide personalized support to students. It combines business-like efficiency with individualized attention by:

   - Offering targeted "sparks" or suggestions based on student data 

   - Addressing both academic needs (e.g., grades) and non-academic aspects (e.g., health and wellness) 

   - Providing links to various campus resources 

  1. Technology Integration: UCI is using technology to improve both the business model and individual student support. Examples include:

   - AI Companion for more efficient meetings 

   - Sought GPT for internal use in creating presentations and papers 

  1. Data Utilization: The university is working on using student data to help students while maintaining high levels of security and privacy. This approach aims to provide more targeted support while adhering to ethical data use practices.
  1. Holistic Approach: The presenter stressed that their efforts are not just about grades, but about the full student experience, including health, wellness, and personal growth.
  1. Diverse Student Body Consideration: The presenter mentioned the increasing percentage of first-generation students and efforts to ensure they receive necessary support.
  1. Market Alignment: UCI is considering market needs for student skills while also focusing on individual student development.
  1. Student Involvement: The presenter emphasized including student voices in the process and making students aware of how new technologies are being used to support them.

By implementing these initiatives, UCI is attempting to leverage data and technology efficiently (the "factory" model) while still maintaining a focus on individual student needs and experiences (the "noble" goal of higher education).

 

What was presented in reference to "Incorporating new technology into the UC Irvine model"? 

The presenter discussed several ways UCI is incorporating new technology into their model: 

  1. AI Companion: This tool is being used for meetings, allowing participants to focus on personal connection rather than note-taking. After meetings, it can provide summaries, action items, and other details.
  2. Sought GPT: UCI's internal version of ChatGPT, used for creating presentations and getting feedback on how well content matches the intended audience.
  3. Spark Initiative: A new app for students that will launch in the fall. It uses current technology tools to address student needs more personally, providing targeted suggestions ("sparks") based on individual student data and survey responses.
  4. Explorer Tool: A new platform that provides access to curated reports from various UCI departments, allowing staff and faculty to access and understand data more easily.
  5. Metadata Tool: This tool helps users find and understand specific data fields within the student data warehouse.
  6. Data GPS Program: This initiative aims to increase data literacy among faculty, staff, and potentially students.
  7. Unison Data Platform (UDP): UCI is part of the Unison summit and is using the UDP to build a larger data model in collaboration with other schools.

The presenter emphasized that these technological initiatives aim to enhance both the business model of the university and provide individualized support to students, improving their overall experience and success at UCI. 

 

What were the questions and comments from Patrick Hong? 

Based on the context provided, Patrick Hong had several questions and comments during the meeting: 

  1. He expressed support for surfacing more information for students and faculty, stating he's "a big data person."
  2. He agreed with the earlier notion that sometimes reports about cohorts or general populations are not as useful for instructors who are "boots on the ground."
  3. He asked about how to find help for students with non-academic issues, such as food insecurity.
  4. Regarding the Spark initiative, Patrick asked how it will incentivize students to use it.
  5. He inquired about how Spark handles grade information, asking if grades are the primary threshold for sending out sparks or initiating conversations with students.
  6. Patrick asked for clarification on whether grades are the main indicator that Spark uses to determine when to send out sparks, or if there are other assessment methods.

These questions and comments from Patrick focused mainly on the practical aspects of implementing and using the Spark initiative, as well as how to best support students with both academic and non-academic needs. 

 

What were the questions and comments from Angela Jeantet? 

Based on the context provided, Angela Jeantet had the following questions and comments: 

  1. She expressed appreciation for the presentation, calling it "wonderful."
  2. Angela asked about the overall messaging to students about Spark, wondering how students are notified about what Spark is and how to leverage it.
  3. She commented that Spark sounds very holistic for the student and thought it was fantastic that it's not just about grades.
  4. Angela emphasized her main concern was about student engagement, stating, "It's often I didn't know about it. I wasn't aware about it. What did I have to? And you go. Okay. We've sent you all this." She was interested in how students really get attached to and engage with the tool.
  5. She expressed interest in seeing how students leverage all the resources connected to Spark.
  6. Angela showed enthusiasm for the Explorer tool demonstration, responding with interest as it was being shown.
  7. She thanked the presenter for the informative session, saying it was very informative and that she appreciated it.

Overall, Angela's comments and questions focused on student engagement, communication strategies, and how to ensure students are aware of and utilizing the resources available to them through tools like Spark. 

 

What were the specific items that the presenter discussed about the Compass Campus Tour and Communications / Marketing Plan? 

Based on the context provided, the presenter discussed the following specific items about the Compass Campus Tour and Communications/Marketing Plan: 

  1. Compass Campus Tour:

   - The presenter is preparing to do a Compass Campus Tour. 

   - The tour involves meeting with leadership from all the different schools. 

   - The purpose is to inform them about MAPSS and DataGPS. 

   - The aim is to introduce their staff and faculty to the tool. 

   - They also plan to inform leadership about all the different tools available. 

  1. Communications/Marketing Plan:

   - The presenter is working with the communications director for Tommy Andreola's group (ODIT). 

   - They are looking into creating a marketing communications plan. 

   - The goal is to find many different avenues, formats, and messaging types to spread information. 

   - They want to "flood" the campus with information about their tools. 

   - There's an acknowledgment that they have fantastic tools that people don't know about. 

   - They've already sent out broadcast emails but are looking for more comprehensive ways to communicate. 

   - They're considering how to reach not just leadership, but also "boots on the ground" staff. 

   - Plans include: 

     - Doing some things for faculty when they return before fall classes start. 

     - Working with Staff Senate. 

     - Collaborating with Campus HR. 

     - Exploring the possibility of making MAPSS part of the onboarding process across campus. 

The presenter emphasized the importance of getting information out to everyone, not just top leadership, recognizing that often information doesn't trickle down effectively in academic settings. 

 

 What were the specific steps and highlights of the demo on the Explorer and Metadata tools? 

Based on the context provided, here are the specific steps and highlights of the demo on the Explorer and Metadata tools: 

Explorer Tool: 

  1. Accessed through compass.uci.edu, under "Tools and Resources" page.
  2. Requires login with single sign-on.
  3. The interface shows:

   - Pinned resources at the top (frequently used reports) 

   - Reports the user has access to 

   - Campus resources (open to anyone) 

   - Resources not available to the user 

  1. Features:

   - Can filter reports by data types, audience, output type, and platform 

   - Moving towards using Tableau and Power BI, moving away from Cognos 

   - Can filter by specific departments (e.g., Enrollment Management Analytics) 

  1. Campus resources section includes high-level, anonymized, aggregated data suitable for presentations and publications.
  2. For unavailable resources, it shows what KSAM roles are needed to access them and which office to contact.
  3. All reports are curated but can be adjusted for specific needs.

Metadata Tool: 

  1. Linked from the Explorer tool.
  2. Contains information about all data entered into the student data warehouse.
  3. Helps users find exact data fields, especially useful when fields have similar titles.
  4. Integrated with Explorer, allowing users to find which reports use specific data fields.
  5. Useful for understanding where specific data is located within the warehouse.

The presenter emphasized that these tools are designed to make data more accessible and understandable for faculty and staff across campus, aiming to increase overall data literacy and improve student support.