Institutional Planning and Analytics
Transforming Data into Direction
Our vision is to build a unified, data-informed culture where the right data is accessible to the right people at the right time.
York’s Institutional Planning and Analytics (IPA) project is revolutionizing how we use data to make informed decisions. By combining data from various sources and leveraging advanced tools like AI and machine learning, the project simplifies reporting, improves efficiency, and builds powerful models. Whether it’s enrolment planning or data analytics, IPA provides secure, scalable solutions that give our community access to actionable insights, enabling us to drive innovation.
Institutional Planning & Analytics
Goals → Objectives → Benefits
Click a goal to reveal its Objectives and Benefits.
Technology & Platform
IPA is a modern cloud-based data platform built on Microsoft Azure, and integrated with York’s existing Enterprise Information Platform (EIP). Together, these systems form a secure, scalable foundation for analytics, reporting, and data-driven planning across the university.
Unified Data Lakehouse Architecture
Combines the flexibility of data lakes with the structure of data warehouses, making it easier to store, organize, and analyze large volumes of institutional data in a central place.
Azure Databricks for Advanced Analytics
Enables real-time data processing, predictive modelling, and machine learning applications to uncover trends and inform decisions.
Automated Data Pipelines
Streamlines the movement, cleaning, and transformation across York's unique systems, reducing manual work and minimizing human error.
Enterprise-Grade Security
Implements row-level security, fine-grained permissions, and encryption to safeguard data privacy and meet regulatory and our own rigorous compliance standards.
Current Projects
Phase 1
The IPA initiative is all about giving York a reliable, connected view of its data. In this first phase, our focus is twofold: ensuring government reports are accurate and on time, and giving teams the tools they need to plan enrolment using solid evidence rather than guesswork.
To get us there, our IPA teams will consolidate data from key systems into a single, scalable platform, making it easier for authorized users to access trustworthy information and run meaningful analyses.
Reports for Government Reporting
Government reporting starts with pulling the right student-level data, including enrolment and graduation details that are required for operating grant funding. That data is then transformed to meet the Ministry’s specifications and must pass a series of format and code checks. Any errors flagged during this process must be reviewed and corrected before the file can proceed. Once everything is clean, the data is submitted with a signed attestation report, which confirms the submission and completes the Ministry sign-off.
Enrolment Planning
Enrolment Planning aims to create a smooth, fully integrated process that enables teams to easily explore historical trends, current activity, and forward-looking projections. This includes a unified set of data and tools that support enrolment planning, including detailed enrolment forecasts based on past patterns, projections of new student intakes derived from historical conversion ratios and current admissions data, tuition and grant revenue estimates.
Authorized users will have access to dashboards for the admissions cycle, allowing them to interact directly with the data for informed what-if analyses and intake projections.
Looking Ahead
- Quick-Facts Dashboard Data Integration and Reporting
- Data Integration for Academic Program Report
- Undergraduate Applicant Conversion Rates by Country
- Creation of Data Packages for Cyclical Program Review Self-Study
- SEM Initiative Impact Evaluation Using AI/ML and Econometrics
- AI/ML to Support Learning Analytics
Data Governance
These cards provide a quick overview of data at York University. Learn what data is, how we access it, and where to find more details.
For more information, email oipa@yorku.ca.
- Priorities
- Capabilities
- Accountability
Data and Analytics Strategy
The strategy answers the question: What needs to change in the data and analytics space for our university to achieve its UAP goals?
- Stewardship
- Standards Data
- Dictionary
Data Governance
Outlines institutional standards and policies regarding data and manages a system of decision rights and accountabilities for information-related processes.
- Data Inventory
- Data Architecture
- Data Quality
Data Management
Establishes and implements practices for how data is collected, organized, stored, and maintained to ensure consistency, accuracy, and usability across the institution.
- Data Hub
- Data Navigation Assistant
- Power BI
Data Analytics
Transforms raw data into actionable insights through analysis, visualization, and reporting to support evidence-informed decision-making across the university.
- Policies
- Access
- Retention
Data Privacy & Security
York adheres to federal and provincial data protection regulations, including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario), and to sector-specific guidelines, such as the Tri-Council Policy Statement.
All community members are required to complete data privacy and security training to ensure a secure data environment and responsible handling of sensitive information.
- On-boarding
- Courses
- Community of Engagement
Data Literacy
Builds the skills and confidence needed to understand, interpret, and responsibly use data to inform decisions and support institutional goals.
Key Players
Our IPA initiative is powered by a talented team from across the university, guided by the following key players
Technical Lead
Karen Furlonge
Manager, Enterprise Data Management and Analytics
Chair
Brad Strom
Chief Information Officer
University Information Technology (UIT)
Project Co-Sponsor
Keshia Gray
University Registrar & Assistant Vice Provost
Project Co-Sponsor
Margaret Kierylo
Assistant Vice-President, Institutional Planning & Chief Data Officer
Product Owner
Ramon Kagan
Director, Operational Excellence & Institutional Applications
Initiatives
Learn what we’re working on and how it benefits everyone at York.