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Business Intelligence receives Student Affairs Campus Partner Award

University Support Services Data Analyst Camille Wintch, left, laughs while holding the tiara her boss, Associate Director Jason Moeller, gave her to wear for her retirement party on November 21, 2019.

Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives Stacy Ackerlind, from left, Dane Luby, Brian Harris, Susan Schaefer, Jawahir Ahamedkasim, Bryan Harman, UIT Deputy CIO Ken Pink, Associate Director for Business Intelligence Tom Howa, and Vice President for Student Affairs Lori McDonald take a photo on December 10, 2019, during the Student Affairs winter luncheon, where the Business Intelligence team received the Vice President for Student Afffairs Campus Partner Award.

With a front-row table, UIT’s Business Intelligence team members were among the guests of honor at the Student Affairs winter luncheon on December 10, 2019 — although they may not have known it when they first arrived.

The reason, however, became apparent after lunch, as Vice President for Student Affairs Lori McDonald took the stage. She referenced President Ruth Watkins’ vision of one university, noting that Student Affairs could not do its job without partnerships and collaboration across campus — including those with the Business Intelligence (BI) team.

She then called Tom Howa, associate director for the BI team, up to the stage to receive the Vice President for Student Affairs Campus Partner Award.

The BI team — Howa, Jawahir Ahamedkasim, Tyler Ford, Bryan Harman, Brian Harris, Dane Luby, Paul Peterson, and Susan Schaefer — transforms raw business data into meaningful and useful information that enables organizations to make informed, fact-based decisions. The group has partnered with Student Affairs for several years to streamline processes and support operational data needs.

“Tom approached this work as a community, much like the way we work within Student Affairs,” McDonald said. “He has worked diligently with many units across campus to truly understand our work and support our ability to work and learn together through data.”

She noted that before partnering with the BI team and Office of Assessment, Evaluation & Research (AER) in Student Affairs, Career & Professional Development Center staff had to manually open, manipulate, and share every data request, which was extremely time-consuming and pulled staff away from serving students. Now, data can be accessed and used in a safe and secure manner across the institution, empowering informed decision-making and providing a more holistic view of students.

“With many new opportunities for Student Affairs and the sensitive data we often have, [the BI team’s] work is often unseen, but is critical, to ensure we can show the impact of our work on the lives of students and while not compromising our values,” McDonald said.

Stacy Ackerlind, AER director and special assistant for Strategic Initiatives in Student Affairs, who sent the group a cryptic invitation to the luncheon, has worked closely with the BI team. ’She has said it’s been fun learning from each other to improve programs, services, and the student experience.

“We are so grateful for the work Tom and his group has done to make us a more data-informed culture and work with us as a strategic partner,” Ackerlind wrote in an email.

Deputy CIO Ken Pink oversees University Support Services, the organization that houses the BI team.

“It’s an incredible, and well-deserved, honor for Tom and the Business Intelligence team to receive the Campus Partner Award from Student Affairs,” Pink said. “The BI team has been instrumental in helping university organizations address their data needs, and I’m thrilled that they’re being recognized for their hard work and collaborative spirit.”

Howa said he and his team were honored to receive the award. The opportunity to work with Student Affairs, he said, has been very rewarding.

“I’ve never met a more genuine group of people who truly care about students. They have made a dedicated effort to become more data-informed, and the progress they have made over the last year is amazing,” Howa said. “I look forward to what we will be able to accomplish as we continue our close partnership.” 

 

Vice President for Student Affairs Lori McDonald presents the Campus Partners Award to Associate Director for Business Intelligence Tom Howa.Vice President for Student Affairs Lori McDonald presents the Campus Partners Award to Associate Director for Business Intelligence Tom Howa.The Campus Partners Award.Dane Luby and Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives in Student Affairs Stacy Ackerlind talk during the Student Affairs winter luncheon.Bryan Harman waits in line for food the Student Affairs winter luncheon.Jawahir Ahamedkasim, left, and Susan Schaefer wait in line for food the Student Affairs winter luncheon.UIT Deputy CIO Ken Pink, from left, Associate Director for Business Intelligence Tom Howa, and Special Assistant for Strategic Affairs Stacy Ackerling talk during the Student Affairs winter luncheon.Dane Luby and Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives in Student Affairs Stacy Ackerlind talk during the Student Affairs winter luncheon.UIT Deputy CIO Ken Pink and Associate Director for Business Intelligence Tom Howa talk during the Student Affairs winter luncheon.Vice President for Student Affairs Lori McDonald speaks during the Student Affairs winter luncheon.The Student Union Building was decorated for the holidays.The Student Affairs winter luncheon was held in the Student Union ballrooms.The Business Intelligence team checks out the swag from the Student Affairs winter luncheon.Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives Stacy Ackerlind, from left, Dane Luby, Brian Harris, Susan Schaefer, Jawahir Ahamedkasim, Bryan Harman, Deputy CIO Ken Pink, Associate Director for Business Intelligence Tom Howa, and Vice President for Student Affairs Lori McDonald take a photo on December 10, 2019, during the Student Affairs winter luncheon, where the Business Intelligence team received the Campus Partner Award.The luncheon included giveaways, including a branded water bottle from VP Lori McDonald.

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Last Updated: 6/8/23