History & Roots

The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) launched its first-generation institutional analytics platform to take better advantage of its data.

Darren Catalano joined UMUC, developing and leading UMUC’s Office of Analytics to pull more value from the data. Charged with revamping their analytics strategy, he went out to the market in search of a solution. Dissatisfied, he embarked upon building a new one.

UMUC began to experience unprecedented enrollment volatility and turned to analytics to help. The analytics team worked closely with key stakeholders to ensure the university stayed on a path to financial sustainability. According to UMUC President Javier Miyares, "it was a perfect storm in all of adult higher education. As this new normal came more clearly into focus—a mature market, increasing competition, rising costs, declining state support and further cuts to education spending in the military and corporate sectors, I looked to analytics to help guide UMUC along the pathway of stability and growth."

In recognition of innovations in cloud computing and data visualizations, the Office of Analytics invested in new tools and technologies to create a robust data infrastructure.

In tandem with investments in R&D, the Office of Analytics grew to build out expertise in data visualization, data storytelling and data science.

After multiple years of demonstrated improvements in enrollment, persistence and managing costs, the university explored options to create a private company that would offer data analytics products and services to institutions nationwide.

The University System of Maryland Board of Regents approved a plan to spin off the Office of Analytics into a private company. HelioCampus was officially born, with Darren Catalano as CEO, committed to helping other institutions jump-start or accelerate their path to advanced analytics.