Achieving Accountability in Higher Education

With contributions from leading experts in the field, this comprehensive and timely book presents the principles and guidelines for effective accountability for states, colleges, and universities. Achieving Accountability in Higher Education clarifies the concept of accountability for both public and private colleges and universities and explores its reaches and limits. The book examines the most recent developments, offers current models for each of the major approaches to accountability, and analyzes their shortcomings.

Preface ix

The Editor xxi

The Contributors xxiii

1 The Many Faces of Accountability 1
Joseph C. Burke

2 Accountability and the Private Sector: State and Federal Perspectives 25
William M. Zumeta

3 Accountability and Governance 55
Richard C. Richardson Jr., Thomas R. Smalling

4 Accountability and Accreditation: Can Reforms Match Increasing Demands? 78
Ralph A. Wolff

5 Can Assessment Serve Accountability? It Depends on the Question 104
Peter T. Ewell

6 Standardized Testing and Accountability: Finding the Way and the Will 125
T. Dary Erwin

7 Imagine Asking the Client: Using Student and Alumni Surveys for Accountability in Higher Education 148
George D. Kuh

8 Academic Audit for Accountability and Improvement 173
William F. Massy

9 State-by-State Report Cards: Public Purposes and Accountability for a New Century 198
Patrick M. Callan, Joni E. Finney

10 Reinventing Accountability: From Bureaucratic Rules to Performance Results 216
Joseph C. Burke

11 Resources and Reputation in Higher Education: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble 246
J. Fredericks Volkwein, Stephen D. Grunig

12 The Dog That Doesn’t Bark: Why Markets Neither Limit Prices nor Promote Educational Quality 275
Robert M. Zemsky

13 The Three Corners of the Accountability Triangle: Serving All, Submitting to None 296
Joseph C. Burke

References 325

Name Index 349

Subject Index 355

"It is an excellent resource for those who wish to further policy development toward better accountability in higher education." (Journal of College Student Development, March/April 2006) Joseph C. Burke—professor, administrator, and researcher—is director of the Public Higher Education Program and senior fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. In an era and economy driven by knowledge and information, accountability becomes of ever increasing importance.

With contributions from leading experts in the field, this comprehensive and timely book presents the principles and guidelines for effective accountability for states, colleges, and universities. Achieving Accountability in Higher Education clarifies the concept of accountability for both public and private colleges and universities and explores its reaches and limits. The book examines the most recent developments, offers current models for each of the major approaches to accountability, and analyzes their shortcomings.

Achieving Accountability in Higher Education is filled with a wealth of information, models, and suggestions and

• Presents the “Accountability Triangle”—balancing state priorities, academic concerns, and market forces

• Describes state and federal policies, system designs, and funding strategies
• Outlines the current state and future prospects of the major approaches to accountability
• Examines the pressures on accreditors to hold campuses and programs responsible for performance results

• Explains the value of student and alumni survey information for policymakers
• Details the weaknesses and possibilities of standardized tests of student learning
• Explores the development of credible and comparable methods for assessing and auditing student learning
• Describes the current problems and possibilities of performance reporting, budgeting, and funding
• Assesses the impact of student markets and national ratings on quality and price in higher education
  
  

Achieving Accountability in Higher Education is an important resource that identifies the delicate balance between accountability and autonomy that allows the academy to simultaneously serve and scrutinize society.

“This volume brings together the insights of some of the country’s finest scholars on the very important subject of accountability in higher education. It will likely stand as a definitive source of the topic for years to come.”
--Graham Spanier, president, Pennsylvania State University

“Joe Burke helps advance the national discussion on higher education accountability by exploring its meaning, purpose, and potential. This volume is a must-read for business, civic, government, and education leaders who want to move higher education to the next level through consistent and effective performance measurement.”
--Charles B. Reed, chancellor, California State University, Long Beach

“At last. We now have the definitive exploration of accountability. Joe Burke brings very smart colleagues together to dissect this complex subject and offers his own sensible solutions to one of the most challenging conundrums facing higher education.”
--Tom Ingram, president, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges

“This astute book illuminates the inherent tension between accountability and autonomy. As Burke points out, the tension is healthy, but the union is essential. Educators and policymakers should use this book’s insights to achieve the goals that both share.”
--Paul E. Lingenfelter, executive director, State Higher Education Executive Officers

“The issue of higher education’s accountability has never been more important. This book will be a valuable resource as we attempt to develop accountability systems to meet the challenges of today and, more importantly, those of tomorrow. It could not have come at a better time.”
--Thomas D. Layzell, president, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education