May the Data Be With Us: Our Continuing Journey Toward an Informed and Empowered Campus

Fostering a data-empowered culture in higher education is an ongoing process shaped not only by evolving policies and tools, but also by adaptive governance and growing fluency across the campus community. This session presents our institution’s current landscape following significant advancements in data governance and fluency, the introduction of governance frameworks around AI, and the integration of governance within our Workday Student implementation project. Building on our earlier journey, we will discuss the measurable impact of these initiatives on a maturing, data-informed culture and highlight how our strategies have evolved to meet new regulatory, technological, and organizational realities. Special attention will be given to the challenges and opportunities encountered as we expanded our governance programs to address artificial intelligence, ethical data use, and project-specific governance needs.

Participants will gain practical perspectives on what it takes to sustain momentum—from broadening stakeholder engagement and recalibrating literacy programs to embedding governance within major digital transformation efforts like Workday Student. The session will conclude with an open discussion on emerging lessons learned, persistent hurdles, and the priorities that will define the next phase of our data and AI governance journey, offering fresh insights and actionable steps for colleges and universities committed to building resilient, future-ready institutions.