Data literacy is the ability to confidently work with data — understanding what the data mean, where the data come from, how the data can (and cannot) be used, and how to communicate insights responsibly. At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, data literacy supports effective decision-making, accountability, and good stewardship of institutional data.
Why data literacy matters
At Illinois, data inform planning, resource allocation, student success efforts, compliance, and assessment. Strong data literacy across campus helps us to:
- Make better-informed, evidence-based decisions
- Ask the right questions of data and reports
- Understand the context and limitations of institutional data
- Use data ethically and responsibly, particularly when the data represent people
- Communicate insights clearly to support action
A data-literate community strengthens trust in data and improves how insights are applied across the university.
Data literacy is for everyone
People engage with university data in different ways, and data literacy looks different depending on your role and responsibility. At Illinois, this includes:
- Data producers who collect, enter, and process raw data through administrative and academic systems.
- Data stewards who assume responsibility for the classification, documentation, quality, and access control around a data domain.
- Data custodians who manage the technical structures and platforms.
- Data analysts who collect, clean, and analyze data sets to create reports.
- Data consumers who use reports, dashboards, and summaries to inform decisions.
- Leaders and decision-makers who rely on data to set direction, evaluate outcomes, and allocate resources.
We often move institutional data across units and systems, so having shared data literacy skills supports common understanding, consistent use, and clearer communication across campus.
Core data literacy skills
While specific responsibilities vary, core data literacy skills shared across roles include:
- Asking clear, meaningful questions of data
- Interpreting tables, charts, and dashboards accurately
- Understanding data definitions, classifications, and documentation
- Recognizing limitations, uncertainty, and appropriate use cases
- Communicating data insights clearly, responsibly, and with context
These skills support better collaboration, better decisions, and better use of institutional data.
Data literacy in the Illinois context
University data are shaped by policies, definitions, systems, and governance structures. Much of these data represent members of our community — students, employees, alumni — and must be handled with care. Data literacy at Illinois, therefore, includes understanding how institutional data are governed and stewarded.
Institutional data governance at Illinois provides the framework and processes that ensure data accuracy, consistency, security, and appropriate use. This framework defines roles and responsibilities, establishes standards and policies, and supports compliance with regulatory and institutional requirements. It also emphasizes communication and education so data are used in alignment with university values and strategic goals.
The institutional data governance structure includes:
- An executive sponsor who provides top-level strategic direction of data governance efforts
- The Institutional Data Governance Board, which provides oversight and management for the development of university policies and standards around data integrity, accessibility, and stewardship, and ensures that the efforts align with the university’s strategic plan
- Data Domain Stewardship Committees, which manage policies, standards, access, quality, privacy, and metadata within specific data domains such as student, financial, human resources, institutional administrative research, and information technology data
Our approach to supporting data literacy
DAIR plays a central role in supporting data literacy at Illinois by promoting clarity, consistency, and transparency in institutional data. This work is closely connected to the university’s institutional data governance framework and is grounded in responsible stewardship of data.
Our approach includes:
- Providing authoritative institutional data and reporting
- Communicating definitions, methodologies, and known limitations
- Aligning data use with established governance policies and standards
- Partnering with campus units to support shared understanding and data-informed practice
Data literacy is not a one-time training or a fixed skill set. It is an ongoing, shared responsibility that evolves with institutional needs, technological advancements, and the data life cycle.
When we strengthen data literacy, we build the university’s capacity to use data thoughtfully, consistently, and in support of its mission.