Interfolio Acquires DATA180 to Improve Faculty Activity Reporting

• By Sri Ravipati
• 01/18/17

Interfolio’s faculty-focused workflow platform will soon feature more comprehensive, user-friendly tools for faculty activity reporting. The company last week announced it had acquired DATA180, a provider of data analytics and reporting tools, in an effort to create “faculty tech” that helps support an institutional reporting processes and initiatives.

Used by more than 200 institutions, Interfolio offers solutions for faculty hiring, promotion, tenure and governance. DATA180’s Faculty180 SaaS platform helps faculty harness large volumes of varied data (i.e., research publications, program evaluations) on faculty teaching and research that need to be regularly reported to administrators for internal reviews, accreditation and other reasons.

The platform’s key features include:

• Multiple levels of customization that help maximize the quality and accessibility of faculty data;
• A centralized and secure database that is always accessible from a single interface; and
• User-friendly interface design and time-saving tools that help streamline data collection.

“Faculty, a critical and fundamental part of the academic ecosystem, has not been the focus of most ed tech innovation and as a result many critical functions still rely on legacy-based manual processes that have not changed for decades,” said Andrew Rosen, CEO of Interfolio, in a company statement. “As a united force we shape a ‘must-have’ class of technology to help institutions better use data for decision-making and reporting, improving transparency, promoting equity and enabling best-in-class efficiency around historically manual disparate processes. Additionally, this will allow faculty more time to teach, engage students and conduct research.”

“We use both Interfolio and DATA180 and see this partnership as an exciting development in simplifying and streamlining the work we ask faculty to do to help support the institution,” said Jessica Pesce, associate director of faculty and academic affairs at Boston College, in a statement. “This integration of products, knowledge, committed service and dedication to change marks an important step toward a near future where holistic technology solutions assisting faculty is the norm.”

The acquisition is effective immediately, with the transition expected to be completed mid-2017, according to a statement from Interfolio. No staff reductions will take place, but there will be several changes in leadership: DATA180 CEO, L.K. Williams, will be vice president of academic engagement for Interfolio, and the CIO and CTO, Scott Wymer, will be vice president of academic technology.

Interfolio and DATA180 will hold a free webinar and Q&A session next Tuesday, Jan. 24 from 2-3 p.m. to go over the acquisition.

Further information is available on the Interfolio site.