POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Data Analyst - Student Success
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 5168
GRADE 35
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Senior Systems Analyst
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Data Analyst – Student Success provides support of Title III grant-funded student success initiatives for the Missouri State University system (Springfield and West Plains campuses). The Data Analyst – Student Success supports system-wide first-generation student success by data mining from disparate data sources and applying statistical techniques to create a predictive sore for retention that will help identify at-risk students. The Data Analyst – Student Success collaborates with the Title III Project Director to determine risk factors and gather requirements for reports and systems. The Data Analyst – Student Success collaborates with Computer Services to develop an early alert system based on risk factors to facilitate delivery of interventions. The Data Analyst – Student Success gathers data for grant reporting and analyses data and creates reports for tracking at-risk students at the individual and aggregate level.
This is a grant-funded position through 2025.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and the specified experience as outlined in the Job Family 3 Knowledge Equivalencies Chart; a Bachelor’s degree in statistics or a computer-related field is preferred.
Experience: At least two years of experience in data analysis and reporting is required. Functional knowledge of relational database management systems (RDBMS) and SQL is required. Experience with data, database query tools and products, Oracle, or similar RDBMS equivalents is required. Experience with statistical tools such as SPSS or equivalent is preferred. Experience with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access is preferred. Experience with data visualization software (Argos, Tableau, PowerBI) is preferred. Work experience in higher education is preferred. Work experience in higher education is preferred.
Skills: The ability to understand and manage complex software and database systems is required. The ability to maintain confidentiality in regard to information processed, stored, or accessed by the systems is required. The ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and to reason analytically is required. The ability to work with people possessing differing levels of technical knowledge is required. Effective verbal and written communication skills and proficiency in writing technical specifications are required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.
Other: The twenty-four hour scope of University operations requires this position to be available evenings, nights, and weekends to respond to calls regarding questions or problems with the University’s computing systems.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Performs data mining of data from disparate sources.
2. Analyzes data to determine risk factors for retention among the target students in coordination with the Title III Project Director.
3. Uses predictive analytics to develop risk factors for student persistence at the individual and aggregate level.
4. Develops reports for tracking at-risk students for intervention purposes that are used by success coaches, faculty, advisors, and other staff to engage with students, addressing their specific potential barriers to success, make recommendations for remediation, and track their actions and outcomes.
5. Collaborates with Computer Services to develop an early alert system based on risk factors to deliver interventions.
6. Develops project plans and targets and milestones for completing projects on time, documents project tasks, provides status updates, manages time effectively, sets expectations for timely completion of tasks for members of the project team, including programmer/analysts, business partners, systems analysts, and alerts leadership to blocker issues and project delays.
7. Develops and maintains documentation for reporting systems and query repositories including system overviews, training materials, and troubleshooting guides.
8. Resolves database-related information requests by conducting a thorough analysis of the needs and employing appropriate techniques to resolve the problems.
9. Maximizes computer system integrity by communicating with users and Computer Services staff to determine and resolve system problems using the appropriate debugging techniques and utilizing the appropriate database vendor support channels.
10. Assists in the selection of database query and reporting tools and products, making recommendations for purchase, developing bid specifications, evaluating bid responses, and recommending the selection of products that meet the database needs of the university.
11. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures and backgrounds.
12. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading and researching available tools and products, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses as assigned by the Senior Systems Analyst.
13. Contributes to the overall success of the Computer Services department by performing other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Senior Systems Analyst.
SUPERVISION
The Data Analyst – Student Success is supervised by the Senior Systems Analyst and supervises tasks and activities assigned to full-time staff and student employees.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
OCTOBER 2020
