Office of the President

Strategic initiative on data governance and integrity

June 8, 2018
Strategic initiative on data governance and integrity


Dear Roadrunners,

Making data-driven decisions is important to the success of any organization – but the decisions themselves are only as good as the data they’re based on.

This simple truth is driving the launch of our next strategic initiative on Data Governance & Integrity. The primary goal of this initiative is to provide all of us with the information we need to make effective decisions as faculty and staff here at UTSA.

There are a variety of reasons we need to get a stronger grip on the way we govern and manage UTSA’s data. Most critically, data provides the interconnectivity underneath all of our strategic initiatives. In particular, it’s essential that our task forces involved in student success, strategic enrollment, budget, weighted student credit hour optimization and research excellence are all basing their work on the same data.   

This initiative will allow us to excel in a few additional areas:

  • Greater security, so that data risks are identified and resolved quickly. In our digitally connected society, this requirement is needed more than ever.

  • Increased transparency that will come with the creation of standardized, reliable dashboards, making it easy for all to see exactly where UTSA stands on our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Transparency leads to a sense of shared responsibility and trust—an environment I want to cultivate here at UTSA.

  • Enhanced accuracy as we measure our progress along our strategic planning and implementation pathway. As I mentioned in my email last week, ready access to consistent data will help all of us to assess how we’re doing and decide where we go next.

  • Significant headway in our quest for operational and infrastructure excellence. When this initiative wraps, we will benefit from increased efficiency, reliability, accuracy, accountability and communication regarding the management of UTSA’s data.

Leading this initiative is Can Saygin, interim senior vice provost for institutional effectiveness and strategic initiatives, with the assistance of a new Data Governance Council. Additional task forces will be created to tackle the technical, compliance-oriented and college-specific aspects of the work ahead.

The timing of this initiative intentionally coincides with the hiring of a new Vice President for Information Management Technology, who we expect to have in place by September 1. Our VPIMT will be a key player in overseeing the technical infrastructure behind our data governance efforts.

I am very much looking forward to the benefits we will all reap from the work of the Data Governance Council. Though the nature of the work is not as visible as some of our other initiatives, the Council’s efforts will have a significant organizational impact that will be felt for years to come. Please join me in wishing the Council well as they embark on this important venture!

With appreciation, 

Taylor