Adventures in data literacy: When the gap you were trying to identify turns out to be a chasm.

In an era where post-secondary students are seen as digital natives and data storytelling is becoming an expected part of scholarly discourse, this paper synthesizes insights from multiple surveys. This research was conducted in 2020 and 2022 with participants from programs across the University of Manitoba (UM) to illuminate the landscape of data literacy. This paper will not only delineate the current landscape of data literacy at UM (a Canadian public research university of around 30,000 students) but also explore challenges and potential pathways for improvement. The authors hope this paper can serve as a foundational resource guiding those who work in data services towards a data-literate future.