In this episode of Data Stakes, Debbie is joined by Lee Howell, Senior Director of Administrative Operations and Logistics at Florida State University, to discuss a transformative framework for institutional research: Metric Strategies.

Lee breaks down how higher education institutions can shift their mindset by empowering staff across all departments to "find their place" in the data ecosystem. They explore how to move data ownership from a siloed "me" to a collaborative "we," the importance of challenging inherited legacy processes, and how artificial intelligence is quickly becoming an essential part of the metric strategies toolkit.

Key Takeaways:

• The Grassroots Approach: Why shifting data culture must happen across the entire institution, not just inside the IR office.
• The 5 Core Questions: Essential questions to ask about your metrics, including "who defines the rules?" and "what can people actually influence?"
• The 4 Roles of Data Work: How the Visionary, Analyst, Tactician, and Communicator collaborate to create a shared data narrative.
• Proving Value: How to connect daily, boots-on-the-ground tasks to the broader value and community impact of higher education.

(Note: Listeners can find the slide deck from Lee’s 2026 AIR Forum presentation linked in the show notes below!)