How visualizations can track Wisconsin technical college students transferring to U.W. System institutions to evaluate student success

This paper explores the benefits of applying a dashboard visualization for building a comprehensive 2- to 4-year transfer model program to be used to implement policy changes and transform the way Wisconsin public institutions support STEM transfer students. Historically any analysis of a transfer student’s academic success has been placed upon the Wisconsin Technical College System as the “sending two-year institution” or the University of Wisconsin “receiving four-year institution”. However, both Systems agree that there is a need for linked data to track Wisconsin Technical College students throughout their academic careers at a University of Wisconsin Institution. This research paper investigates how to create that bridge between the two and four-year colleges to assist academic transfer advisors at the sending and receiving institutions. The mode chosen for providing this information has been by the building of dashboard visualizations via Tableau. This method allows for analysts from both systems to drill down and explore granular data for making sound policy decisions and provide students the best options for academic success. Nevertheless, challenges still exist because there must be a modification of the existing data transfer agreement between the two Systems to accomplish these goals. Secondly, additional data must be captured at the technical college level, and additional alterations must be made to existing databases at UW System to receive this data.