Creating a culture of data literacy and increasing graduation rates for underrepresented students
A centralized data system creates better student outcomes
20% increase in graduation rates
University of Nevada, Las Vegas achieved this using • SAS® Viya®
University of Nevada, Las Vegas uses data to improve graduation rates
Founded in 1957 along a dirt road, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) was once a humble outpost. Matching the booming growth of Las Vegas, however, UNLV is now the largest university in the state, a Carnegie R1 research institute and the home of several NCAA-ranked athletics teams. In addition to its academic and athletic accomplishments, the university proudly embodies its mission to make education accessible by providing high-value education at an affordable tuition rate.
UNLV’s Office of Decision Support turned to SAS to construct a tool that could secure and manage its comprehensive data that supports decision-making and reporting across the entire university.
I’m most proud of how we’ve moved the needle on the graduation rates. It’s gone up more than 20% over the last five or six years, which is meaningful because we’re talking about transforming students’ livesDr. Skip Crooker Vice Provost for Decision Support University of Nevada, Las Vegas
What you need to know
- The Office of Decision Support is responsible for some of UNLV’s most important state and federal reporting requirements, including reporting to the Department of Higher Education, the Nevada System of Higher Education, and the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Additionally, it helps other offices create accurate reports, such as the athletic department’s NCAA data.
- Data security was the highest priority when deciding on a data platform, and the university also needed it to be easy for stakeholders to access.
How SAS helped
- SAS quickly constructed essential dashboards to prevent any loss of data or functionality for their office and the other users.
- Using this data, the university has been better able to visualize key data and is able to report information to state and federal reporting systems accurately. The team continues to find new ways to use SAS, including helping its research and endowment offices.
- Led by the Office of Decision Support, the university’s Minority Serving Institution Task Force used SAS to evaluate the needs of minority students. Using this data, UNLV was able to reduce barriers to graduation.
What happened next
- Since implementing SAS, overall graduation rates have improved by 20%.
- According to the World Population Review, Nevada’s minority college graduation rate is approximately 26.5%. By evaluating and eliminating roadblocks for minority students, UNLV increased its minority graduation rate to over 50%.
- The Office of Decision Support hosted a campus “Datapalooza” – an event showcasing the dashboards it created with SAS to help stakeholders understand how to maximize their own use of data.
UNLV – Facts & Figures
32,911
students, with 51% being first-generation college students
50%
of UNLV's minority students now graduate, significantly exceeding Nevada's state average of 26.5%
20%
increase in overall graduation rates
