  Algorithmic decision-making is increasingly being adopted across public
higher education. The expansion of data-driven practices by post-secondary
institutions has occurred in parallel with the adoption of New Public
Management approaches by neoliberal administrations. In this study, we conduct
a qualitative analysis of an in-depth ethnographic case study of data and
algorithms in use at a public college in Ontario, Canada. We identify the data,
algorithms, and outcomes in use at the college. We assess how the college's
processes and relationships support those outcomes and the different
stakeholders' perceptions of the college's data-driven systems. In addition, we
find that the growing reliance on algorithmic decisions leads to increased
student surveillance, exacerbation of existing inequities, and the automation
of the faculty-student relationship. Finally, we identify a cycle of increased
institutional power perpetuated by algorithmic decision-making, and driven by a
push towards financial sustainability.
