National Resources

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A number of colleges and universities, organizations, and individual researchers have studied and compiled information on various aspects of accountability in higher education. Here you will find links to those resources. Please note that the listing of, and linking to these outside resources does not imply endorsement of the concepts and findings posted on the sites.

Across higher education institutions and associations, a thoughtful and lively discourse is taking place as researchers, scholars, and policy makers consider higher education accountability — what it means, how to implement it, and how to improve it.  We will gather the opinions and observations of those engaged in this debate under the Think Tank section of this site (to be developed soon), again without implicitly endorsing the diverse and sometimes divergent views expressed.
 

General Background on Accountability

"The Responsibilities of Independence:  Appropriate Accountability through Self-Regulation," National Association of Colleges and Universities, 1994

A Blueprint for Campus Accountability, Pace University (New York), 2006

"Accountability in Higher Education:  Are There 'Fatal Flaws' Embedded in Current U.S. Policies Affecting Higher Education," Marilyn Grantham, University of Minnesota Extension Service, 1999
 

Accreditation

"The Fundamentals of Accreditation:  What Do You Need to Know?," September 2002.  A concise overview of accreditation, from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Inside Accreditation, Annual Conference Presentations, and Fact Sheets, September 2001.  Additional general information on accreditation from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
 

Assessment

"Measuring Quality:  Choosing Among Surveys and Other Assessments of College Quality," American Council on Education/Association for Institutional Research, 2001

Should College Students Be Tested to Hold Institutions Accountable for Student Learning?, Point/counterpoint views by Steve Uhlfelder, a former chair of the Florida Board of Regents, and Stephen Klein, senior research scientist at the RAND Corp., Trusteeship (Association of Governing Boards), May/June 2006.

Assessing Quality in Higher Education, Douglas C. Bennett (President, Earlham College), Liberal Education, Spring 2001.  An overview of quality assessment approaches, and an argument for "value added" as the most useful approach.

What Makes a Revolution:  Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 1980-2000, Marvin Lazerson, Ursula Wagener, and Nichole Shumanis. 1999.  An historical perspective on the evolution of the assessment movement.

Gauging the Impact of Institutional Student-Assessment Strategies, National Center for Postsecondary Improvement report, September/October 1999.  An examination of the nature, extent, and impact of student-assessment strategies based on a first-of-its-kind national survey by NCPI.

Inventory of Institutional Support for Student Assessment, National Center for Postsecondary Improvement report, 1997.  An institutional inventory of organizational and administrative practices to support the use of student assessment on campuses.

Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) Project, Council for Aid to Education.  The CLA assesses institutions' contribution to student learning by measuring sludents' performance on simulated complex, ambiguous situations that college graduates are likely to face beyond their college experience.

The National Survey of Student Engagement  Unlike most college rankings, which are typically based on institutional resources and profiles of incoming students, NSSE focuses on how students actually use the resources their schools provide, and what they do and say about their experience.



Institutional Data

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System  IPEDS is a data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics, and collects data from all institutions of higher education.  The system gathers data in such areas as enrollments, program completions, faculty, staff, and finances.  College Opportunities on Line (COOL), within the IPEDS site, offers information for prospective students and their parents.

Common Data Set  The CDS initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in higher education and publishers of college data (such as college guide books) to improve the quality and accuracy of information on individual colleges and universities, and to develop clear, standard data items and definitions.

  • Links to Common Data Sets  For individual institutions (both public and private), Association for Institutional Research.
     


Marketing and Enrollment Management

"When the Customer is Right:  Market-Driven Accountability in Postsecondary Education," National Center for Postsecondary Improvement, May/June 2000
 

Regulatory and Compliance Issues

Summary of Federal Laws Governing Independent Colleges and Universities  An ambitious compilation of the more than 7,000 laws and regulations affecting private institutions, by the Office of General Counsel, The Catholic University of America.