Strategic Leadership in Times of Change: Harnessing Data to Inform Decision Making
Higher education is at a critical crossroads, with change permeating every level of our institutions. Student affairs practitioners are often at the forefront, driving both large-scale shifts and smaller programmatic adjustments. Leaders who effectively leverage data are uniquely positioned to navigate these transitions. The presenters delve into the essential skills required to harness data throughout the change process. Participants will explore how data and assessment can be strategically employed to guide and sustain meaningful change.
Learning Outcomes
1. Explain how data-informed decision-making supports various levels of change in higher education organizations
2. Prepare actionable strategies for using data at different stages of a change process
3. Assess how effectively they use data to guide decision-making and support change
Kimberly Yousey-Elsener
Research Associate Professor, Higher Education and Student Affairs
Binghamton University
Kim Yousey-Elsener brings over two decades of experience in higher education, having professional roles in coordinating student affairs and academic affairs assessment, undergraduate and graduate level teaching, residence life, academic advising and support, community-engaged learning, student retention, and student activities. Kim currently serves as a Research Associate Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Binghamton University and leads research for the National Alumni Career Mobility Survey (NACM) as the Alumni Survey Research Fellow with Lightcast. Her research interests include career outcomes, alumni surveys, high-impact practices, career mobility, and assessment in higher education and student affairs. Her published works include “Coordinating Divisional and Departmental Student Affairs Assessment” from Routledge Publishing as well as “Successful Assessment for Student Affairs: A How-to Guide” and “Advanced Assessment for Student Affairs: Making Reliable Data-Based Decisions” from Pap
Laura Bayless
Vice President for Student Affairs
Fitchburg State University
Laura A. Bayless, PhD serves as the vice president for student affairs at Fitchburg State University. She is passionate about the growth and development of both students and employees, fostering environments in which all contribute to the community we create, and making a difference in the world, as well as using the results of assessment to improve practice, tell our story, and enhance decision-making. Laura earned her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech; MS in college student personnel services at Miami University of Ohio; and BA in speech communications/mass media from Denison University.
Continuing Education Credits
This session counts for 1.0 CSAEd-CORE credit
NASPA has been approved by the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification to provide CE credit for Certified Student Affairs Educators (CSAEd). NASPA is solely responsible for all aspects of this program.
Guidelines for earning CE credit:
No partial credit will be rewarded.
Participants must also complete the feedback survey in the Online Learning Community.
1 Credit is available for attending the live session or viewing the on-demand recording.
To receive CSAEd credit, attendees must complete the feedback survey that offers the certification in each session. Once you have attended all the live sessions or watched the on-demand sessions for which you would like to request credit, visit the Continuing Education (CE) website to fill out the Student Affairs Education Certification Request Form for all the sessions. All certificants must fill out one for the live session and a separate one for the on-demand sessions. Visit the Continued Education (CE) website to learn more regarding deadlines and receive your certificate of completion for the Virtual Conference.
NBCC
This session counts for 1 NBCC credit
NASPA has been approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider for live events.
Participants can receive a maximum of 13 clock hours for attending live sessions at this event. All eligible sessions are identified in the “Credit Information” tab at the top of the individual sessions. To receive credit, please complete the “Feedback Survey” found within each individual session under the “Continuing Education” section. Once the feedback surveys for all attended sessions are complete, complete this request form; a certificate documenting the number of hours of live sessions you attended will be emailed to you within two weeks of you submitting the form.
The deadline to request NBCC continuing education certificates for this event is May 12, 2025. For questions regarding continuing education, please email continuingeducation@naspa.org
