Episode Summary Higher education is evolving at a faster rate than anyone could have anticipated. How can institutions move past simply reacting to change and start actively anticipating it?

In this episode of Data Stakes, Debbie sits down with Dr. Viviana Unda, Head of Institutional Research and Planning at El Camino College, to explore the transformative power of "Futures Thinking" in higher education. Drawing on her recent coursework from the University of Cambridge, Dr. Unda breaks down the crucial differences between standard forecasting and strategic foresight.

Together, they discuss how to build campus buy-in for future-focused initiatives, why data visualizations are never truly "neutral," and how applying frameworks like the Futures Triangle can revolutionize how institutional research teams tell data stories. Dr. Unda also shares exclusive insights from her upcoming chapter in Priority Partners, offering practical advice on building stronger, outcome-aware relationships with third-party vendors.

Key Takeaways & Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Introduction: What is Futures Readiness and why does it matter right now?
• [03:28] Strategies for building campus buy-in and utilizing early adopters for new governance initiatives.
• [06:59] Breaking down the principles of futures thinking: Strategic foresight vs. forecasting, systems thinking, and confronting cognitive biases.
• [17:00] The Futures Triangle: Applying the "push of the present, pull of the future, and weight of history" to data visualization.
• [18:44] Why data visuals are never neutral and what the future of "embodied data" experiences might look like.
• [22:54] A curated list of books, toolkits, and podcasts to help you and your team develop strategic foresight.
• [31:35] Priority Partners: How to use data and evidence to establish better, mission-driven relationships with vendors.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Organizations & Toolkits: Institute for the Future, ASAE ForesightWorks (50 Drivers of Change), UK Office of Science Futures Toolkit.
• Reports: EDUCAUSE Horizon Report (Data and Analytics Edition), OECD Trends Shaping Education.
• Books: Imaginable by Jane McGonigal, Four Steps to the Future by Richard Lum, Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick.
• Events: The Future Summit (California Community Colleges).
• Podcasts: The Think Forward Show, The New Abnormal.

About the Sponsor Data Stakes is sponsored by the Data Analytics Alliance for Higher Education. Visit our website to learn more about our upcoming quarterly meeting featuring Dr. Brent Drake from the John Gardner Institute, where we'll be discussing the impact of AI on data analytics.

Have questions about today's conversation? Reach out to Dave Phelps at Datatelligent.