Meet the Director

Marco Antonio Cruz

Director of Data Analytics, Evaluation, and Applied Research

408-924-1516
marcoantonio.cruz@sjsu.edu

Biography

I joined the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Analytics in January 2022 as the Interim Director of Data Analytics, Evaluation and Applied Research. I have two decades worth of professional experience in the fields of higher education and applied research. I spent the first half of my career working directly with pre-collegiate and undergraduate students and the latter half on using evidence to shape policies and practices at the institutional and community levels. The focus of my professional efforts have largely centered on improving the human condition through the use of evidence to support critical and robust dialogues related to promoting educational opportunities, student success, and continuous quality improvement within and among institutions and communities. My areas of expertise include assessment, institutional research and effectiveness, enrollment management, student success, strategic and contingency planning, accreditation and P-20 policy. 

Joining the Spartan community in this role represents the opportunity to work with students, faculty, staff, and leadership to engage in ongoing reflection regarding the extent to which we are realizing our mission and being accountable to our students’ and the public’s trust. I hope to support student success by: building trust among our diverse stakeholder groups through timely, relevant, and impactful analyses; illuminating how curricular and cocurricular experiences impact student learning, development, and growth; examining pathways to degree completion and total cost of attendance; and identifying opportunities to enhance the experiences of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and others.