Roane State Community College

December 7, 2021

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

Jeff Tinley, Roane State’s director of institutional research, has been accepted into a prestigious fellowship program designed to help advance his data-related skills.

The program is sponsored by the Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) Foundation. It’s the second annual cohort for the Strategic Data Project (SDP), an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.

Only 24 data leaders from 13 higher education institutions were accepted, SDP officials said.

As part of the fellowship, Tinley will participate in a series of four multiday workshops. He’ll also receive a $3,000 professional development stipend with the successful completion of the fellowship program.

Tinley said he intends to research the academic success rates of Roane State students and graduates who transfer to institutions with bachelor’s degree programs, and the success of students who enroll at Roane State after attending a Tennessee Center of Applied Technology (TCAT).

“I’m excited,” Tinley said of his acceptance as a fellow in the program. “It’s a good chance to improve my data analysis skills and answer important questions for the college.” Tinley added that he hopes to use the data to “improve our relationships with our four-year institution partners and with the TCATs so that our students have a clearer picture of the educational pathways available to them.”

“We are so excited to work with you to strengthen the impact of postsecondary career and technical education programs at Roane State,” an official with the Center for Education Policy Research wrote in a letter to Tinley.

“Fellows will pursue analytic projects addressing a unique challenge facing their organization… to identify potential barriers to student success,” according to an overview of the fellowship program.

Tinley has been Roane State’s data research director for nearly five years. He has a master’s degree in English literature and is pursuing a doctoral degree in Higher Education Leadership and Administration at University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

He said he became interested in student data analysis after managing English as a Second Language and GED programs where students considered a variety of paths, from vocational training to obtaining a college degree, to entering the workforce.

For more information on Roane State’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research, visit roanestate.edu/OIER.

About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University: The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.

About ECMC Foundation: ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation with a mission is to inspire and to facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes—especially among underserved populations—through evidence-based innovation. It is one of several affiliates under the ECMC Group enterprise based in Minneapolis. ECMC Foundation makes investments in two focus areas: College Success and Career Readiness; and uses a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to invest in both nonprofit and for-profit ventures. Working with grantees, partners and peers, ECMC Foundation’s vision is for all learners to unlock their fullest potential. Learn more about ECMC Foundation by visiting www.ecmcfoundation.org and ECMC Group by visiting www.ecmcgroup.org.