Achieving the Dream and SAS seek to transform student journeys with analytics

SILVER SPRING, Md. and CARY, N.C., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Community college reform leader Achieving the Dream (ATD) and analytics leader SAS are convening more than 200 higher education representatives to help them employ analytics throughout their institutions. Attendees will learn how to integrate analytics into curriculum and use it as a tool for institutional capacity-building to prepare students for in-demand careers and boost student success overall.

The 2017 Data and Analytics Summit will take place Sept. 13-15 at The Hotel at University of Maryland in College Park. The conference theme is "Analytics Inspires Action."

In addition to a welcome by SAS CEO Jim Goodnight and opening keynote by ATD President and CEO Dr. Karen A. Stout, the summit includes a panel of leaders whose institutions are among the first community colleges to offer courses and certificates in data science and technology.

Other sessions showcase the role of data in strengthening colleges' abilities to retain diverse students, improve advising and student support, streamline transfer, and empower faculty to make changes based on real-time information about their students' academic experiences.

"With expertise from analytics leader SAS, Achieving the Dream's Data and Analytics Summit demonstrates all the ways data can prepare students for tech-based careers, improve transfer, and expand colleges' connections to the labor market," said Stout. "Events like the summit help support colleges in keeping data at the forefront of our shared work to improve student success."

"Community colleges are critical to generating the data-savvy talent organizations need to compete today," said Emily Baranello, Vice President of the SAS Education Practice. "At the same time, the enrollments and operational complexities of community colleges often rival or exceed traditional four-year schools. Analytics can help institutions enroll and retain more students, with greater rates of success in school and beyond."

Summit attendees will hear from presenters representing Pierce College (WA), Montgomery County Community College (PA), Community College of Philadelphia, Community College of Allegheny County (PA), Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Central Piedmont Community College (NC), Augusta Technical College (GA), Northern Virginia Community College, Montgomery College (MD), Columbus State Community College (OH) and Mohawk Valley Community College (NY).

Attendees may also attend sessions offered by representatives of the Aspen Institute, Gallup, EMSI, the National Student Clearinghouse, New America, EDUCAUSE and the Association for Institutional Research.

For more information or to register, visit ATD's Event page.

Follow the conversation at the summit on Twitter at #ATDSAS2017

Follow ATD at @AchieveTheDream and #ATDColleges

Visit the website at achievingthedream.org.

About Achieving the Dream
Achieving the Dream leads a growing network of more than 200 community colleges committed to helping their students, particularly low-income students and students of color, achieve their goals for academic success, personal growth and economic opportunity. ATD is making progress closing academic achievement gaps and accelerating student success through a unique change process that builds each college's institutional capacities in seven essential areas. ATD, along with more than 100 experienced coaches and advisors, work closely with network colleges in 39 states and the District of Columbia to reach more than 4 million community college students.

About SAS
SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative analytics, business intelligence and data management software and services, SAS helps customers at more than 83,000 sites make better decisions faster. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW^®. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2017 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE SAS