Tools, Insights, and Conversations for Transformative Higher Ed

Our online learning series offers engaging, accessible sessions designed for academic leaders, faculty, and staff navigating change in higher education. From data-informed decision-making and curriculum design to GIS mapping, assessment strategies, and interim leadership best practices, each session blends practical tools with human-centered insight. Join us to learn, question, and build alongside a community of curious, mission-driven educators.

Course 1: Coming September 1

Mapping Insight: Spatial Thinking in Higher Education

A Three-Part Course on GIS, Visualization, and Predictive Strategy

Course Overview:
In an era where institutional decisions must be both data-informed and equity-driven, spatial thinking offers a powerful lens for understanding patterns, gaps, and opportunities across the educational landscape. Mapping Insight: Spatial Thinking in Higher Education is a three-lesson course designed for institutional researchers, academic planners, deans, and other campus leaders who want to integrate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and predictive analytics into their strategic toolbox.

Through hands-on exploration, real-world case studies, and critical discussion, participants will learn how to use spatial data to visualize access and enrollment trends, make resource decisions, and build predictive models that support mission-aligned planning. Whether you're new to GIS or looking to deepen your practice, this course centers human insight alongside technical tools, helping you map what matters most.

What You'll Learn:

  • How spatial thinking can transform institutional research and planning

  • How to collect, clean, and visualize data using GIS tools like ArcGIS, QGIS, or Tableau

  • How to build simple, compelling maps that support strategic communication

  • How to use spatial data in forecasting enrollment, program demand, or student outcomes

  • How to apply predictive analytics ethically and with a focus on equity and inclusion

Course Format:
The course includes three 90-minute sessions, offered synchronously or asynchronously, with optional follow-up labs or one-on-one consultations. Participants will have access to template datasets, GIS tool recommendations, and sample case studies for continued exploration.

Who Should Enroll:
This course is designed for:

  • Institutional researchers seeking new methods of analysis and visualization

  • Strategic enrollment or planning professionals

  • Deans and department chairs involved in resource or program planning

  • Faculty or staff engaged in data-informed equity initiatives

No prior GIS experience is required—just curiosity, commitment, and a desire to turn data into meaningful insight.

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