A New Dawn for Data

A couple of years from now, I suspect people will look back on 2023 as a great year for data at Queen’s, a new beginning, perhaps. In May, the Queen’s Senior Leadership Team endorsed a university-wide Enterprise Data Strategy (EDS), recognizing the opportunity to use data as a strategic asset across the academy.

The university has developed a new construct that focuses on shared use and provides a common framework whereby all levels of the organization have a role and clear accountabilities. Four data roles have been defined that will support decision-making across the university – Data Governors, Data Trustees, Data Stewards, and Data Custodians. At this stage, membership has been solidified at two levels.

As a Data Governor, Karen Bertrand is a member of the Data Governor Council (DGC) and will be accountable for “Advancement Data,” one of the eight formally defined data domains. Data Governors are responsible for leading the cultural shift from “my data” to “university data.” The council will champion and support this change by promoting the use of technology and data to drive innovation and achieve the goals outlined in Queen’s Strategic Plan. The DGC had its inaugural meeting in October.

Data Trustees have legislative or delegated authority over data access, sharing and usage for their data domain. Members of this intermediary group are responsible for tactical decisions in support of the EDS and will oversee the development of common definitions and policies to realize the shared value of that data. I have accepted the role of Data Trustee for Advancement Data and look forward to working with the broader team in supporting this initiative.

And this is where individuals across Advancement have an opportunity to play an important role. Rachel Deir and Corrine Beckner have been working diligently with the university’s data-governance team to define Advancement’s data sub-domains (e.g., biographic, philanthropic, communications). Over the course of November, Advancement will need to identify Data Stewards for each of our sub-domains.

Data Stewards will become subject-matter experts in knowing how specific data sets support and drive their respective programs on an operational level. Data Stewards will also play a key role in defining business rules around data and assist in monitoring data quality and integrity.

While we are on the ground floor as an institution, the aspirations of this initiative are exciting, especially when we consider the parallel development of enterprise CRM tools that will help leverage our data in much more productive and efficient ways.

A letter to Kim Wilkinson, Development Officer, Athletics and Recreation

Dear Kim,

So many of us have now heard about the incredible Giving Day you led for the Athletics and Recreation department on Sept. 20. What great news! The extensive planning you undertook was clearly effective. Utilizing teaser campaigns in advance, you ensured your constituents were well-prepared and excited for the day. No doubt your coaches and student-athlete volunteers felt incredibly well-supported by the energy you brought to this project. The campaign toolkit you developed and tailored to each of the teams and clubs was but one example of this support and provided important guidance on setting up solicitation videos, social campaigns, and, most importantly, strategies for thanking donors.

With more than 1,100 unique donors committing close to $375,000 in much-needed support (thank you), you and the team clearly galvanized a community of colleagues, volunteers, alumni, and friends by developing a compelling case for support while engendering some good-natured competition and fun along the way – a recipe for success, I would say.

Congratulations and respect from Steve, on behalf of all Advancement.

From insights to improvement: 2023 impact and 2024 aspirations

By Patrick Galloway, Senior Analyst Lead

During the summer, we introduced the in Insights Advancement (Tableau), a user-friendly self-service tool crafted to provide vital Homecoming statistics and streamline the creation of Homecoming lists. We are thrilled to announce that the Homecoming Dashboard has garnered remarkable success, becoming the second most-frequently accessed dashboard this fiscal year, boasting more than 1,022 views, and still counting.

Our commitment to enhancing its value in 2024 remains unwavering, and your feedback, as users of this tool, holds incredible importance. In our quest for improvement, we've established a dedicated to gather your valuable insights. As such, we're now reaching out to all Homecoming Dashboard users to invite you to share your thoughts on the enhancements you'd like to see for the upcoming year. The feedback file will remain accessible until Friday, Nov. 27.

Once we've had the opportunity to review the input, we will collaborate closely with our Alumni Strategy team and other valued partners to communicate the next steps and bring about meaningful changes. Your contribution is instrumental in making the Homecoming Dashboard even more impactful for the year ahead.

THRIVE WEEK – Compassion Matters

It’s that time of year again – Thrive Week, hosted by Employee Wellness Services in the Central Human Resources Department! Today, Oct. 30, for the ninth consecutive year, Queen’s is kicking off Thrive Week – a series of events that aims to build positive mental health and wellness through discussion, learning, skill development, and resource sharing. This year’s events focus on the theme of supporting our own wellbeing while demonstrating compassion through simple, everyday acts and gestures.

A range of engaging events carefully created with Queen’s employees in mind are available for staff to attend includes a virtual keynote speaker on compassion in our lives as well as other activities, including a self-compassion webinar, Hatha Yoga, Pet Social, Art Therapy, and various tours of the libraries on campus or the Queen’s Observatory. Employees are also encouraged to participate in the Compassion in Action Campaign by downloading a poster that includes an everyday act and gesture that demonstrates compassion in our lives. More information about events, dates, and registration is available on the .

Lasty, Queen’s employees can once again enjoy a free hot beverage at one of the university’s participating food outlets on Friday, Nov. 3, courtesy of the Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor. Reusable mugs are encouraged. A complete list of participating locations is available on the .

We hope everyone in the Office of Advancement can find a way to participate in this year’s Thrive Week, whether online or in person.

2024 Alumni Gala Award nominations are open

The Queen’s University Alumni Association (QUAA) Board of Directors and Alumni Gala Award Selection Committee are excited to announce that nominations for the 2024 Alumni Gala Awards are open.

The Board and Selection Committee would like to encourage you to bring forward any potential nominees and have conversations with your connections to encourage nominations recognizing deserving alums or alumni groups. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate alumni for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Queen’s and beyond, culminating with the awards presentation at the 2024 Alumni Awards Gala.

Alumni Gala Awards open for nomination (listed alphabetically):

Staff are welcome to assist in the nomination process, however, it is ideal if the lead nominator is an alum who can apply their peer perspective to the nomination package.

If you are interested in more information on the awards or the process, please visit the Gala Awards webpage online or reach out to Lindsey Kull, Alumni Officer, Volunteer Liaison with any questions.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec. 8 at 11:59PM (ET).

Nominate an Advancement colleague for a Heney Award

Just a reminder that the deadline to nominate a fellow Advancement staff member for the John J. Heney Award is no later than midnight this Wednesday, Nov. 1.

To nominate someone, please use the .

Flynn award

Just a reminder that the deadline to nominate an individual member of the Queen’s community who has made a significant contribution to Advancement for The T. Geoffrey Flynn Advancement Champions Award is this Wednesday, Nov. 1.

To nominate someone, please use the . For more information, please contact Bianca Bruni.

The countdown continues.

In 3 days, momentum meets magnitude

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