Leveraging Data Analytics for Student Success: Lessons from Building an Analytics Program at Bentley University

Authors

• Jane De Leon Griffin, Bentley University
• Edlira Stefani, Bentley University
• Rahat Sabyrbekov, Bentley University
• Patrick Dickson, Bentley University
• Annie Raunikar, Bentley University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2026

Abstract

Higher education institutions across the United States face an unprecedented convergence of challenges: a shrinking pool of college-aged students, persistent learning gaps from the COVID-19 pandemic, the destabilization of longstanding federal support structures, and the rising cost of attendance, which increases public skepticism about the value of higher education and challenges access for low-income learners. In this environment, student success is no longer simply a strategic priority—it is an institutional imperative.

One way in which Bentley University has responded to these pressures is by launching the Building a Data-Driven Student Success Ecosystem (BaSSE) initiative, a comprehensive analytics program designed to transform how the institution identifies, supports, and retains students. BaSSE integrates data from academic, advising, and engagement systems into a unified ecosystem, applies descriptive and predictive analytics to proactively surface early risk signals and design evidence-based interventions to close institutional performance gaps.

This paper tells the story of how BaSSE was built—from the strategic mandate that launched it, through the resource mobilization and governance work that made it possible, to the early wins that demonstrated its value. It distills four core lessons for institutions considering similar programs: start with data governance before dashboards, invest as much in data literacy as in technology, treat analytics as a cross-institutional initiative rather than a departmental project, and celebrate early wins to build the trust and transparency that sustain long-term adoption.

The paper is addressed to higher education leaders: provosts, CIOs, student success leaders, and institutional researchers, who are considering or are in the early stages of building analytics capabilities. Bentley’s experience demonstrates that when analytics is approached as a cultural and institutional transformation rather than a technology deployment, it becomes a powerful tool for improving student outcomes for all kinds of learners and strengthening institutional resilience.

Recommended Citation

Griffin, Jane De Leon; Stefani, Edlira; Sabyrbekov, Rahat; Dickson, Patrick; and Raunikar, Annie, 2026. Leveraging Data Analytics for Student Success: Lessons from Building an Analytics Program at Bentley University, Student Success Publications.