As more community colleges focus on using data to improve educational outcomes, many administrators are considering business intelligence applications that promise a path toward more informed decisions. Getting there, leaders say, requires more than installing some out-of-the-box solution; it requires changing the culture and finding skilled…

This article describes "LifeMap," a development advising system at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida. The LifeMap system focuses on career and educational planning and student/faculty/staff engagement. It integrates all college faculty, staff, and resources into a unified system to focus student attention on developing…