The First Steps Towards Institutional Analytics: Using Wi-Fi Data to Inform Campus Planning

Panelists will share how a study to evaluate the use of campus computer labs grew into providing analytics to support a full-scale campus planning project by leveraging anonymous Wi-Fi data. The impetus for the initial phase of analysis was based on the hypothesis that due to increased remote learning, BYOD, and other factors, the use of personal devices was driving down student use of on-campus computer labs. Concerned that this trend was resulting in unnecessary spending on unused equipment and software, evaluators used anonymous Wi-Fi data to determine actual vs. expected utilization of the computer labs. Further, LabStats data was incorporated to determine actual use of software on campus-owned computers. The data supported closing some labs and reducing the number of workstations in others, resulting in significant reductions in IT costs. The data and methods proved effective enough to warrant expanding the project to include evaluation of all academic spaces campus-wide in support of large-scale campus planning projects. The use of real-time, anonymous Wi-Fi data was determined to provide a more robust, efficient, and accurate model of space utilization than traditional surveys and anecdotal reports. This session is intended for higher education administrators, IT and facilities management leaders, and academic directors who are interested in being data-informed and leveraging advanced analytics to gain expanded insights into campus utilization and student engagement.