The data science discovery program: A model for data science consulting in higher education

Abstract

As one of the largest data science research incubator initiatives in the country, the University of California, Berkeley's Data Science Discovery Program serves as a case study for a scalable and sustainable model of data science consulting in higher education. This case contributes to the broader literature on data science consulting in higher education by analysing the programme's development, institutional influences; staffing and structural model; and defining features, which may prove instructive to similar programmes at other institutions. The programme is characterised by a unique structure of undergraduate consultations led by graduate student mentorship and governance; a streamlined, multidepartmental model that facilitates scalability and sustainability; and diverse modes for undergraduate consulting—including one‐on‐one ad‐hoc data science consultations, extended data science project development and management, peer mentorship and data science workshop instruction. This case demonstrates that universities may be able to initiate a low‐stakes, small‐scale data science consulting initiative and then progressively scale up the project in collaboration with multiple departments and organisations across campus.