The University of Missouri System’s data community brings people together around a shared goal: helping faculty, staff, and students use data with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Whether you are just beginning your analytics journey or expanding your technical expertise, you are part of a collaborative network committed to improving data use across campus. This page introduces the resources, programs, and communities that support data-driven work at MU. These groups work together to help you learn, connect, solve problems, and build high-quality analytics.
Explore MU’s Data Support Communities
MU has three interconnected communities that support data learning, collaboration, and shared practice throughout the year. Each one offers a different way to engage through events, peer learning, support channels, and campus-wide connections. These communities work together to strengthen analytics across MU:
- DATAUM Conference – our annual system-wide analytics conference
- Analytics Community – monthly meetups, Teams discussions, and shared learning
- Data Concierge Community – guidance, peer support, and functional group communities
About the DATAUM Conference
DATAUM (Data Analytics Techniques for Advancing University of Missouri System) is the UM System’s annual analytics conference, bringing teams together to share insights, celebrate progress, and strengthen our data community. It also sparks the conversations that continue throughout the year in the Analytics Community.
What DATAUM Offers
- Keynotes and presentations from leaders and practitioners
- Hands-on workshops and demonstrations
- Analyst showcases that highlight real work from across the system
- Opportunities to network, collaborate, and share
Who Attends
DATAUM is intentionally interdisciplinary, everyone who works with or relies on data is welcome. The mix of technical experts, researchers, practitioners, and leaders makes the conference a uniquely collaborative space for learning and sharing across the UM System.
- Analysts and Data Practitioners
- Institutional Research & Assessment
- IT & Data Infrastructure Teams
- Faculty & Researchers
- Students
- Campus Leaders & Decision Makers
- Administrative & Operational Staff
The Analytics Community
The Analytics Community is a year-round professional learning group for data practitioners across the University of Missouri System. The community brings together analysts, data engineers, BI developers, institutional research professionals, and managers who lead data teams.
It is a place for technical users to learn from one another, share best practices, explore new tools, and strengthen the quality and consistency of analytics across the university. The community extends the collaborative spirit of the DATAUM Conference into monthly connection and shared learning.
Microsoft Teams Community Space
- Ask questions
- Share resources and examples
- Discuss tools and techniques
- Access past presentations and materials
- Connect with peers across colleges and units
Monthly Meetups
Meetups feature demonstrations, workflow deep-dives, technical walkthroughs, solution sharing, and discussions about analytics challenges.
Fourth Friday of each month
10:00 AM (Central Time)
Submit an Idea or Ask a Question
The community grows through shared ideas and questions. Suggest a meetup topic, request a technical deep dive, or ask a question.
Submit an Idea or QuestionWho Participates
- Data analysts
- BI developers
- Data engineers
- Institutional research staff
- Data architects & governance staff
- Technical managers and team leads
Data Concierge Community
The Data Concierge Community supports and connects data practitioners across the University of Missouri System. It helps address key challenges around data access, institutional knowledge, inconsistent definitions, and cross-department collaboration.
Data Concierge Community (Microsoft Teams Orgp)
The Data Concierge Community brings faculty and staff together in a moderated Teams environment to ask questions, share ideas, and discuss data-related topics. This forum allows the entire data community to collaborate, troubleshoot, and share knowledge in real time. Members use the space to:
- Ask where data lives and how to access it
- Clarify terms and definitions
- Share examples, workflows, and process improvements
- Learn about releases, outages, and trainings
- Participate in campus-wide conversations about data
Join the Concierge Community in Teams
Functional Group Support (Private Channels)
Some data users have highly specialized functional needs. To support these groups, MU Analytics is piloting focused private channels and curated resources within the Data Concierge Community. These functional communities of practice help unify processes, improve consistency, and strengthen the analytics ecosystem across campus. Ideas for new functional groups can be submitted via email.
Email suggestions to: umudairsuggestions@umsystem.edu
Other Community Resources
Knowledge Management Site (Intranet)
The Knowledge Management Site is MU’s centralized intranet for data resources. It brings together definitions, access guidance, documentation, best practices, governance information, and training materials into a single location. It supports all members of the UM System data community (analysts, engineers, faculty, staff, and campus leaders) by providing one place to learn, explore, and build shared understanding.
Everyone in the UM System is welcome to use the site and contribute to its success.
Request Additional Support
If you need help navigating tools, clarifying data needs, or solving a technical challenge, UDAIR is here to support you. You can request 1:1 assistance for analytics, reporting, governance, data questions, or other needs—big or small.