New Data Tools Streamline Purdue’s Winter Commencement
Preparations for Purdue’s Winter Commencement benefited this year from innovative new tools introduced through the Purdue Student Data Warehouse (PSDW) project. The upgrades give Registrar staff faster, clearer insight into student degree data, reducing manual effort and improving the coordination of commencement events.
A new dashboard, created by IDA+A and powered by PSDW, replaces what used to be a time consuming process of running multiple reports and manually calculating ceremony counts. Staff can now quickly see how many students are graduating, how many plan to participate in ceremonies, and how those numbers break down by college and degree level.
“The dashboard delivers the information at our fingertips. I can give leadership exactly what they need without having to do the math or worry whether everything adds up,” said Lesa Beals, senior associate registrar. “A quick screen grab with the right filters gives us reliable counts for undergraduate, graduate, and professional candidates, including commencement participation vs. non-participation.”
The project has also improved the accuracy of student records, allowing teams to identify issues earlier – such as students moving from undergraduate to graduate programs – and ensure those updates are reflected before critical deadlines. “We’ve found ways to improve reporting to align our data in a better fashion and ensure accuracy,” said Kimberly Watley, associate registrar for curriculum, catalog, and credit evaluation. These audits help financial aid, registration, and reporting processes run more smoothly.
Behind the scenes, IDA+A and Registrar staff have spent months refining data and updating workflows, leading to major time savings during commencement preparation. Registrar staff are now utilizing an improved commencement program report, eliminating the need for manual adjustments and saving hours of additional work.
These improvements are part of the broader PSDW effort to modernize how Purdue manages student data by making information more consistent, accessible, and useful across campus. Winter Commencement is one early example of the project’s impact, with more enhancements planned as the university continues strengthening its student data ecosystem
