Tracking and Communicating COVID-19 at Your College or University

Many U.S. colleges and universities have taken to publishing information related to COVID-19 cases on their campus online dashboard. These helpful consoles are meant to provide a measure of comfort and give reopening colleges a way to present themselves as transparent to students and faculty. Dashboard strategies vary from school to school, but there are some methods of updating data that have proven to be useful.

The most successful dashboards are those that are updated at least once every weekday. Information can include the number of positive cases in the community and the total number of COVID-19 tests conducted, along with the frequency of the testing. Some institutions are providing information on trends in the surrounding city or county, the number of individuals in isolation/quarantine and an update of the campus’ operating status.

Colleges may be worried, however, about what their dashboard will communicate to their community or students if there’s an increase in cases. They may also be concerned with how the number of cases at their institution looks compared to their peers. These concerns are ones that colleges need to address in order to respond to the needs of their students, faculty members and other key stakeholders, and help continue to improve the COVID-19 standing of the school.

As the country grapples with its third spike of the pandemic, clear and concise data can assist the information-sharing process with students, parents and other key stakeholders. Using this information along with other established metrics can aid in future decision-making on how your institution’s response to the pandemic will continue to evolve and provide the appropriate transparency. As we’ve learned, being able to share reliable, easy-to-digest and concise information also boosts credibility with those relying on its accuracy.

The Schneider Downs ADAPT team can aid your institution in evaluating your current dashboard and provide feedback on these and other data dashboards. Contact a team member today.