Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is employing the SAS Enterprise Intelligence Suite for Education which will enhance students’ learning processes besides helping the university attain performance goals and get funding assistance from the state.

 

The software from business analytics firm SAS (News - Alert) makes use of data management and reporting for enabling universities to improve upon recruitment, retention and graduation. SAS enables Slippery Rock to track and share information on student performance and quality.

 

“We believed we were attracting better students, but it was hard to quantify,” commented Amanda Yale, EdD, Associate Provost for Enrollment Services for Slippery Rock. “With SAS, we can show that our average student has a 3.3 GPA this year compared to 2.99 last year, and our percentage of students representing the top 10 percent and top 25 percent of their high school class has increased.”

 

Previously student information used to be in disparate systems making the creation of reports, identifying needs and analyzing of trends very difficult. The enrollment services staff required retention data to be segmented by department, major, state, county and high school, which had to be updated daily. Clarification was needed regarding the number of students who were retained and from which major besides indicating where there was more attrition. Staff needed data regarding retention and graduation rates of students transferring from community colleges.

 

Commenting on the inordinate delays in getting even simple reports Yale said, “We had data in so many different places it was hard to get them. Producing the reports we needed was very labor-intensive.”

 

SAS has enabled automation of all its enrollment reports. All employees from president to student-life directors can access information from their desktops. The available data includes up-to-the-minute data on new enrollment, quality performance measures, graduation rates, retention, registration, orientation participation and enrollment classified by gender, race and region. The retention staff can use the system when required especially when midterm and final grades arrive.

 

SAS also allows the university in marketing itself by targeting regions more attractive than others. The university is working with SAS to arrive at a solution by which it can identify factors that create successful students. SAS manages enrollment and also helps the university handle state funds, private donations and student tuition fees for improving institutional effectiveness.

SAS serves the education industry optimally by offering software solutions, strategic services and academic programs which drive innovation and expand educational opportunities.

 

SAS specializes in business analytics software and services and is an independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Its innovative business applications are supported by an enterprise intelligence platform helping customers improve performance and deliver value by make better decisions faster.