Future Implications

As colleges continue to deploy student data to better target supports and make decisions, they should be mindful that students hold many strong views about the use of that data. Transparency and collaboration with students around what data to use, how to use it, and what messages feel least intrusive will go a long way toward building trust and avoiding using data in a way that makes students uncomfortable. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the feeling of being tracked and surveilled for many students. And while students understand that this tracking is for public health reasons and they currently tolerate it, they do not want to see similar monitoring practices continue post-pandemic.

There is good news for campus administrators in the comments of these students. Most obvious is that—for the most part—students trust their institutions to use their data appropriately. They understand that institutions want to get helpful resources into the hands of those who need them, but sometimes question the methods they use to go about that outreach. More transparency with students about how their data is used and what they can expect from their institutions in terms of data use will further cement that trust and help students to grow into more data-aware citizens.