Conclusion of the IR Data Fellows Program 

September 30, 2025 Fall 2025 Newsletter, Updates

The IR Data Fellows Program concluded this summer after a year-long series of workshops, training, and collaborative projects. This initiative, led by OIRA, was designed to expand data literacy across campus and support evidence-based decision-making. Throughout the year, participants engaged in monthly sessions focused on building practical skills, reviewing data resources, and applying insights to student success challenges.

The program culminated in a presentation to the Provost and Associate Provost for Student Success, where fellows shared the results of two group projects:

  • Academic Performance, Retention & Loss of High-Achieving High School Students After Year One: 
    Examined the performance, retention, and transfer outcomes of students who entered UMaine with strong high school GPAs, highlighting important patterns in academic transition and persistence.
  • Student Engagement & Retention:
    Investigated the relationship between student engagement, particularly collaborative learning and effective teaching practices, with first-year retention, using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).

Findings from these projects provide valuable insights into the factors shaping student success at UMaine and underscore the importance of data-informed strategies for supporting persistence.

We would like to thank the following people for their participation in the program:
W. Sam Carrell, Ryan Dippre, Julie Eubanks, Melissa Ladenheim, Johanna Leslie, Rachel Smith, Sandra Cáceres Tijerina, and Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler.

We would also like to thank Rachel Groenhout, Ph.D., Director of Data and Change Management at Colby College, for facilitating the final workshop that helped fellows synthesize their work and develop the one-pagers presented to the Provost and Associate Provost.

The IR Data Fellows Program represents a first step in building a broader culture of data literacy at UMaine, empowering faculty, staff, and administrators to engage with data more confidently and collaboratively in service of student success.