Yes, DSGRU

A recent Duke Student Government statute established the DSG Research Unit, with the goal of bringing data-led policy making to the Senate. Aimed at incorporating quantitative perspectives to bolster policy efforts, the unit will be made up of a director and between five and 15 committee members, all of which will be selected through an application and interview process. The research unit, according to Executive Vice President Abhi Sanka, a junior, will bridge the gap between “what we know” and “what we heard.”

We applaud the DSGRU and find the potential positive impact it can bring to students commendable. In this technological age, data-driven analytics are powerful tools that can offer new, quantitative insight into challenging questions. The possibilities for this research unit are tremendous—employing statistics methodologies learned in the classroom, student researchers can tackle empirically a broad range of questions that have long piqued student curiosity. Questions might dabble in the realm of academics—how many students switch majors over their four years?—or dining—how cost-effective is the dining plan, and how does the relationship between food points and real dollars affect spending habits? The answers to these questions will be of use not only to DSG, but also those curious in how campus myths might translate into conclusive data.

DSGRU also expands student engagement and buy-in into DSG. With open applications calling for any student with strong analytical and statistical analysis skills, the research unit provides a platform for more students to contribute to their representative student government. Furthermore, the resultant published study may spark campus dialogue and more effectively catalyze policy changes.

The proposed system holds tremendous potential, but it is not yet perfect. We offer some recommendations to empower the research unit to pursue conclusive answers in a timely and independent manner. First, DSGRU should be a distinct, independent organization that, while tasked with research questions from DSG, is nonetheless internally operated and self-selecting. DSGRU should model itself after the National Academy of Sciences, where qualified, veteran researchers vet and select its newest members in an internal process. DSGRU should also broaden the scope of its question-generating process. Under the current proposal, the Senate generates internally a set of questions, which are then narrowed down by vice presidents of different committees and their senators. DSG should allow direct student input by crowd sourcing through existing platforms like Fix My Campus. Incorporating students in the process not only ensures that the research unit examines issues relevant to campus life and student interest, but it also increases student buy-in.

Finally, we urge the research unit to use existing resources and collaborate with university departments to collect data in comprehensive studies, when appropriate. In so doing, DSGRU should steer away from survey-based studies—which already saturate student inboxes—and instead turn to more rigorous research methods that will provide meaningful conclusions about student life.

These days, data is so entrenched in our world, and DSGRU will incorporate empirical analysis into its policy-making efforts. DSGRU promises smart policy in line with the trends of today’s data-driven world, one that we can all use for the better.