The University of Utah Student Affairs division is continuing to strengthen its ability to understand and better support the student experience through the development of new data-informed tools. In partnership with University Analytics & Institutional Reporting (UAIR), the division has introduced a pair of dynamic dashboards that help paint a clear, more comprehensive picture of how students engage with campus opportunities and employment. These tools represent a meaningful step forward in aligning day-to-day practices with institutional priorities and student success outcomes.  

Understanding the dashboards  

The newly developed dashboards, currently accessible to Student Affairs staff, offer a centralized and more importantly, daily-updated view of student engagement and on-campus employment activity.  

Utilizing the engagement dashboard, staff can expect to learn:  

• Attendance metrics: Integration with check-in processes at select events allows staff to have a strong grasp on attendance numbers, including both total attendance and number of distinct students.  

• Trends & patterns: Through a collection of available filters, including colleges and majors, GPA and housing location among others, staff can use layers of information to illuminate how different groups of students interact with campus programming.  

• Retention: For first-year students, the dashboard provides a side-by-side look at retention across subsequent terms—highlighting how engagement with Student Affairs led events connects to whether students continue their academic journey. 

Meanwhile, the student employment dashboard provides a glimpse into:   

• Student employment numbers: Accessing daily-updated data, staff can learn how many student employees are active at any given moment, their academic backgrounds and length of employment.  

• Student employment pathways: Through the use of job codes, the dashboard provides a map into a better understanding of growth and development over time within the division.  

While these dashboards are distinct, they function as complementary tools, offering a clearer picture of how engagement across the division reflects the students being served and where additional support is still needed.  

How they support strategic decision-making and student success 

Together, these dashboards represent a more intentional step toward aligning Student Affairs work with broader institutional priorities—particularly those outlined in President Taylor Randall’s Impact 2030 strategy. Their development was driven not only by a need for better internal insight, but by a larger commitment to understanding and advancing student success at a university-wide level. These dashboards also open the door to exploring how student experiences directly correlate with key outcomes such as satisfaction, retention, and graduation. 

At present, they serve as a powerful tool for Student Affairs, enabling the division to move beyond assumptions and toward more thoughtful, data-informed decision-making. By identifying patterns in student engagement and employment, teams can refine outreach, strengthen programming, and better support students by meeting them where they are.  

Ultimately, this effort reflects a commitment to continuously improving the student experience. By grounding decisions in daily-updated data and aligning with institutional strategy, Student Affairs is strengthening its ability to support students in new, meaningful, and measurable ways.