Where’s the Data?
We all remember the infectious and spirited Clara Peller from the Wendy’s commercials who coined the phrase, “Where’s the Beef.” The phrase first came to public attention as a U.S. television commercial for the Wendy’s chain of hamburger restaurants in 1984 (Bostwick, 2011). In the ad, titled "Fluffy Bun", actress Clara Peller receives a burger with a massive bun from a fictional competitor which uses the slogan "Home of the Big Bun" (Bostwick, 2011). The small patty prompts Peller to exclaim, in anger, "Where’s the beef?" In today’s era of accountability, educational pundits are asking the same thing, well relatively speaking that is, “Where’s the Data?” Data, data, data! We hear it all day long. We bring in professional consultants to show us how to gather and analyze data. We purchase computer software that will assist us in gathering and analyzing data. Colleges and universities across the nation utilize research companies to assist with gathering and analyzing data. It’s enough to make your head spin!
I think by now we all get it. Without data, systems fail because there is no way to showcase success, failure or maintenance of programs. Where universities are concerned, data is critical. It affects funding, student retention and overall organizational culture and climate, but I think that we have lost sight of the fundamentals for gathering this precious “Nectar of the God’s.” Gathering data begins and ends with relationships. Was that an “Ah Ha” moment? Building these relationships are challenging, but not impossible, they just take a few key ingredients.
Before I started working for Texas Southern University (TSU), our Career Center was being manned by one fulltime person, who had worked for the university for 15 years, and a work-study student. The Career Center had garnered a lot of success in the Science and Technology industry, where student placement rates were concerned, because the fulltime person had retired from NASA prior to working for TSU. He had worked for NASA for 26 years. Although we had tremendous success in the areas of Science and Technology, other areas such as Education, Communication, Public Affairs, and Health Sciences were not experiencing the same level of success. The fulltime employee retired shortly before I entered my position, but, luckily, I was able to find a contact number, and converse with him about office operations. My first question to him was, “how were you able to get so much buy-in from recruiters in the Science and Technology fields?” He simply said, “relationships.” He went on to further say, “I can call up 50 companies right now, and have 100 students placed in internships by tomorrow, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took time, persistence and patience.” I was floored! In Chinese culture this is called “Guanxi”which is a network of contacts an individual can call upon when something needs to be done, and through which he or she can exert influence on behalf of another (Buderi and Huang, 2006). The mantra, “it’s not what you know, but who you know,” never rang more true than in this instance, so I set out to start developing my cache of relationships. Five years later my “Guanxi” consists of 50 companies in the areas of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Law, Public Affairs, Communication, Education, Science and Technology, Business and Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences as well as campus stakeholders (i.e. alumni relations, etc.). All 50 recruiters regularly hire TSU students and alumni for internships and fulltime employment, and forward placement data as an ongoing practice. In the grand scheme of things, this number may not seem significant, but any HBCU college or university career professional surely can attest to how difficult it is to cultivate relationships with companies that will, by just making a phone call, recruit their students. That is exactly what I have achieved with my “Guanxi.”
Now mind you this number does not include the relationships that were already in place when I first came on board, this number represents the companies that I have personally invested in over my five year tenure with the university. Additionally, I am not negating the importance of consultants, computer software and databases. Where data collection is concerned, these components are vital. What I am asserting is the magnitude of nurturing and growing relational connections is also extremely essential.
Vital Statistics:
? 2006 – Undergraduate and graduate employment (primarily Science and Technology) – 12.8%
? 2012 – Undergraduate employment – 47.2%; Graduate employment – 71.4%
? 2012 – Employer satisfaction – 89% Here are 6 key strategies that will assist you with data collection:
? Start developing your “Guanxi” of companies. Remember it won’t come together over night, but it will come together.
? Build solid relationships with internal stakeholders such as the Office of Alumni Relations, Financial Aid, the Graduate School, student associations and affiliations, internship coordinators, the Dean of Student Services Office. In other words, any area that works directly with students.
? Interface with consultants who can help you streamline your career services process, and focus on data that matters.
? Purchase computer software that can organize your career related information, and run monthly reports to analyze program efficiency.
? Send out regular career services notifications, to students and employers, through your career services database requesting career placement information.
Benchmark universities that have successful Career Centers. I have interfaced with many Career Centers, over the last few years, and the professionals therein are always eager to share their promising practices.