When the University of Southern Indiana (USI) faced growing state scrutiny of its Liberal Arts programs, they turned to alumni outcomes data to make the case for their programs' impact. Armed with salary figures, employer demand signals, and regional retention rates, USI engaged not only policymakers, but also employers, families, and students with compelling data-driven stories rather than just anecdotes. The result was a more confident, data-informed approach to understanding, defending, and advancing its Liberal Arts mission.
Alumni Outcomes
When new state requirements put academic programs under pressure, the University of Southern Indiana needed to explain the value of its Liberal Arts degrees. Del Doughty, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, used Steppingblocks as a tool during his review of outcomes data to write compelling narratives, and show how graduates were contributing to the regional workforce.
Doughty wanted to talk about robust, real-time alumni outcomes for the College, and used Steppingblocks data as he created those narratives. As Doughty put it, “I’m basically the chief storytelling officer of our College.” For Liberal Arts programs in particular, those stories matter. Unlike majors with a direct occupational label attached to them, Liberal Arts pathways are often less linear and harder to explain. USI used data from Steppingblocks as it developed narratives about the unique value of a Liberal Arts degree.
A New Challenge Raised the Stakes
The urgency for these data-driven alumni stories intensified when the State of Indiana introduced a new threshold for degree production across public institutions. Programs at state institutions that did not meet certain criteria were scrutinized. For USI, that meant answering the question: How do we defend the value of programs that may not produce high volume, but clearly produce impact?
Doughty reviewed available alumni data as he worked to answer that question. Specifically, he used the data to understand the jobs of graduates, where they were working, and how much they were earning. His findings helped inform subsequent conversations with state leaders.
“There’s Money in Thinking”: Challenging Assumptions about Liberal Arts Graduates
Doughty used data from Steppingblocks as he worked to identify outcomes that challenged common assumptions. For example, Doughty asked, “What would you guess is the major with the third-highest salary for Liberal Arts at USI?” …Did you guess philosophy? If so, you’d be correct. As Doughty likes to say, “There’s money in thinking.”
Doughty used data to argue that philosophy graduates develop strong skills through their Liberal Arts degrees that lead them to successful, well-paying careers across a variety of jobs and industries. Another finding that stood out to Doughty was that Liberal Arts graduates were concentrated in healthcare, one of the region’s most important sectors. Doughty also found that the most common title among graduates was owner, a finding that USI used as it works to reframe the Liberal Arts conversation from “Can students get jobs?” to “Our graduates create jobs, too.”
Using Outcomes Data to Shift Thinking
In follow-up meetings with state leaders, Doughty referenced alumni outcomes data to help make the case for the continuation of USI’s Liberal Arts programs.
He presented stories drawn from the data. Later, those same stories were used by USI’s legislative liaison in conversations with policymakers about what program cuts would actually mean for the region.
These data‑informed conversations occurred during a broader program review process and resulted in minimal cuts to USI Liberal Arts programs. The alumni outcomes data were made available prior to discussions with state leaders and provided additional context for those conversations.
Finding Stories Inside the Data
The key to USI’s success is that Doughty didn’t just report data points. He used data in his development of compelling stories and narratives about Liberal Arts graduates. One of Doughty’s favorite examples is a sociology graduate who worked on a park landscape crew at USI while completing his degree and later built a career in Southern Indiana at a major supplier in the nuclear energy and defense sector. Over time, that graduate moved from working on inventory to supervision and quality control. The key skill behind his success, Doughty said, was a “questioning mindset” learned through his sociology degree from USI.
Above all, the real joy for Doughty is telling powerful stories about the power of education: “I love seeing the way that education changes people's lives for the better.” USI uses those kinds of stories to show the real-world value of Liberal Arts education.
Durable Skills Make for Successful Alumni
Doughty also used the data to explore the top skills of USI Liberal Arts alumni. He found that “customer service” ranked among the top skills for graduates. At first, that seemed underwhelming. But when he dug deeper, he realized the definition aligned closely with critical thinking: understanding what people need and helping them solve problems. He used that insight as he developed language for explaining the durable value of a Liberal Arts education. After all, customer service is a key skill in almost any field and requires strong critical thinking. The same goes for other durable skills, such as leadership, strategic planning, and communication.
In another example, Doughty identified a theater alum who went on to have a successful career in banking. Her career allowed her to audition for roles in theater. As she worked her way up to becoming a Branch Manager, she used skills such as delegation, communication, people and time management, and strategic planning.
Changing Internal and External Conversations
The use of Steppingblocks data extended beyond state conversations. USI used data from Steppingblocks to build employer relationships, too. In one example, Doughty used alumni data in conversations with a bank about the fact that it had hired multiple USI Liberal Arts graduates, not just business school graduates. The data was used as part of a broader conversation about connection and deepening relationships between USI and the employer.
USI pulled from the data to craft language for discussions with families, prospective students, and colleagues. Doughty pointed to data points related to employer demand, salary outcomes, geographic retention, and specific alumni stories.
Doughty also used the data to compare the salaries of recent graduates with regional financial outcomes benchmarks, and to examine long-term retention in the area. In one analysis, he found that around 75% of graduates from the last five years stayed nearby, while roughly 60% of graduates from decades earlier remained in the area and saw positive employment progression. The data highlights that USI grads have a positive impact on the local and state economy.
Advice for Other Campus Leaders
For academic leaders seeking to better understand alumni outcomes, Doughty emphasized the importance of dedicating time to reviewing available data sources. He encouraged setting aside uninterrupted time to examine alumni outcomes data, document patterns, and identify examples that illustrate how graduates apply their skills across careers. In some cases, this work involves supplementing quantitative data by speaking directly with alumni to better understand how their experiences align with observed outcomes.
This approach supports clearer, more informed conversations about academic programs by grounding discussions in documented alumni employment, skills, and career pathways rather than relying solely on anecdotal evidence.
Communicating the Power of Higher Education
USI used Steppingblocks data during a time that it was defending important programs, communicating workforce relevance, and bringing alumni outcomes to life in a way that resonated with external stakeholders and internal colleagues alike.
In Higher Education, “Things are changing a lot,” Doughty points out. “With changes in government, technology, and the workforce, data-driven storytelling is more important than ever.”
About Del Doughty
Del Doughty, PhD, is Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of English at the University of Southern Indiana. He previously served in similar roles at Texas A&M-Texarkana University and Huntington University. Doughty is a long-time member of the American Conference of Academic Deans. Until recently, he served on the organization’s board of directors and edited its national newsletter, The ACAD Leader.
