Voluntary System of Accountability

Overview

VSA Goals

• Respond to concerns raised by the Spellings Commission

• Redefine what is important when choosing a college

• Make it easy to find this information• Standardize presentation to ease criticisms

about comparable information availability• Add process and outcome measures to what

is reported

VSAVoluntary System of

Accountability

Through a web reporting template titled - College PortraitVSA provides consistent, comparable, and transparent

information on the undergraduate student experience to: key higher education stakeholders:

• prospective students and their families• public policy-makers, legislators, and

• campus faculty and staff.

Overview of College Portrait

1) student and family information,

2) student experiences and perceptions, and

3) student learning outcomes.

The College Portrait reporting template is five pages in length

Three Sections

Student Experiences and Perceptions

Student Learning Outcomes

VSA Pilot

• Kicks of in November 2007, at AASCU/NASULGC national meetings

• Participating campuses will be featured and websites launched

• 8 SUNY campuses participating (ESF, Albany, Buffalo State, Oneonta, Purchase, Canton, Cobleskill, Maritime)

VSA Response

• SUNY has always been about CHOICE• VSA narrows options• Assessment data should be for program use not for

comparison shopping• VSA should not be imposed—it should not

happen without governance consultation

Resolution: Governance consultation - Approved