MDHE requests more data from Truman than usual

The Missouri Department of Higher Education requested more data from Truman State University this year than what has been asked of the University in the past.

Janet Gooch, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, said the requests are not unreasonable and largely consist of data used to hold the University accountable.

She said the data request includes academic initiatives, student loan debt and how many students graduate in a six-year span.

Gooch said some of these MDHE requests are for information which is not typical compared to previous years.

“I don’t know whether that’s good or bad,” Gooch said. “We don’t really know what’s motivating [the requests].”

Gooch said the cause is likely to be because of new administration trying to gather information to better understand higher education in the state.

Gooch said the requests have not been specific to Truman, but have been asked from public universities across the state. She said it might simply be the early timing that has led to this many requests, since these requests were received toward the beginning of the academic year.

“Just in talking, you know, amongst the administration, it has been expressed that this year we’ve been asked to produce a lot,” Gooch said.

Liz Coleman, MDHE director of communications, said the data requests of Missouri’s universities varies yearly. Coleman said this is because of reasons such as the state appropriations process and organizations working on higher education issues asking for more or less data each year.