Multimedia | Data Analytics and Financial Reporting

Higher Ed Advisor: achieving student and institutional success with data analytics

June 15, 2021

Welcome to Higher Ed Advisor, the Baker Tilly podcast series where we speak with higher education industry leaders about practical and proactive guidance to help colleges and universities protect and enhance their value.

West Chester University (WCU) took a data-driven approach to fiscal modeling and financial planning that empowered the institution to grow enrollment and drive student engagement during a time of budget constraints, shifting student demographics and the COVID-19 pandemic. WCU President Chris Fiorentino and Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Laurie Bernotsky shared the philosophies that enabled the university to make decisions to achieve institutional resiliency and meet student needs in a challenging higher education environment. The key to success? Data.

In this podcast, Chris and Laurie discuss how data and financial forecasting informed holistic decisions on enrollment management, academic programming and equity attainment, and how analyzing data allowed them to budget and spend strategically to support student demand. They also emphasize how success ultimately came from collaboration, buy-in from leadership and having strong, reliable data. Listen to the podcast to gain tips on how to enhance the student experience with data and modeling.

Interested in more podcasts on data analytics and fiscal resiliency?

Meet this episode’s guest speakers:

• Christopher Fiorentino, President, West Chester University
• Dr. Lorraine (Laurie) Bernotsky, Executive Vice President and Provost, West Chester University