Mahmoud Harding gives a presentation about incorporating data literacy.

In regard to work with data across all majors, the University of Nebraska at Omaha is expanding how it prepares students for the changing workforce.

Faculty at UNO gathered Friday at the Thompson Alumni Center to discuss how data literacy will be reinforced across general education courses as part of a campus-wide requirement. The session was led by Mahmoud Harding, instructional design director for Data Science 4 Everyone, a national initiative based at the University of Chicago. The workshop focused on helping instructors integrate data literacy into MavEd courses without turning them into technical data science classes.

Harding said data literacy is not about coding. Instead, it involves understanding how data is collected, recognizing patterns, interpreting visualizations and communicating findings clearly.

“The world has changed,” Harding said. “It will be our fault if we don’t change to accommodate the change that our students will face.”

UNO’s approach emphasizes reinforcing data skills across disciplines rather than limiting them to a single course. Faculty discussed ways to incorporate data analysis and interpretation into existing assignments.

Instead of focusing only on prompt writing, Harding encouraged grounding AI use in data literacy, including understanding how data shapes AI systems and recognizing their limitations.

Harding said employers increasingly expect graduates to have data-related skills. National labor data shows that nearly one-quarter of job postings seek some form of data competency, and positions requiring those skills often offer higher wages.

“Being data literate is, in and of itself, an advantage,” he said.

For students, the shift may not mean a new standalone class. Instead, it could mean more assignments that require analyzing data, interpreting charts and communicating evidence-based conclusions across a range of majors.