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ISU JOINS NATIONAL INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING

Indiana State University has joined with other institutions of higher education on the ground floor of two recent national initiatives developed to support, promote, and make public efforts to assess and improve the achievement of student learning outcomes.

Voluntary System of Accountability

Indiana State University was an "early adopter" of the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA) initiative. ISU President Bradley serves as a member of the Oversight Board for the VSA, a voluntary initiative by public 4-year universities to supply basic information on the undergraduate experience.

Developed through a partnership between the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the VSA is designed to help institutions meet the following objectives:

provide a useful tool for students during the college search process;
assemble and disseminate information that is transparent, comparable, and understandable;
demonstrate accountability and stewardship to public; and
support institutions in the measurement of educational outcomes and facilitate the identification and implementation of effective practices as part of institutional improvement efforts.

The VSA communicates information on the undergraduate student experience through a common web-based reporting template, the College Portrait. In the coming months, ISU’s College Portrait will include information on the achievement of the student learning outcomes identified by the university’s Foundational Studies Program.

For more information about the VSA, visit the web site. To access ISU's College Portrait page, click on the icon below:

Presidents’ Alliance for Excellence in Student Learning and Accountability

ISU is a founding member of the Presidents’ Alliance for Excellence in Student Learning and Accountability. Members of the Presidents’ Alliance, an initiative of the New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability, are committed to improve significantly assessment of, and accountability for, student learning outcomes on their campuses.

The New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability (Alliance) is an advocacy-focused organization that aims to improve student learning through voluntary and cooperative professional efforts to improve assessment of, and accountability for, student learning outcomes. It also aims to convey to the higher education community and the larger public the importance of a quality college education in preparation for work, life, and responsible citizenship. Initial funding for the Alliance was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Teagle Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Information on ISU’s and other members’ initiatives to assess, report on, and improve student learning will be posted on the Presidents’ Alliance web site beginning in October 2010. Member institutions will share descriptions of current and planned activities in four categories identified by the Alliance:

improving the gathering of evidence about student learning outcomes;
expanding the use of evidence on student learning outcomes to improve programs and practices;
reporting on student learning outcomes on- and off-campus to ensure transparency and accountability; and
expanding the noteworthy work to other institutions.

The web site will serve as an opportunity for institutions to encourage others in their efforts and to learn from the promising practices at other institutions.

Please visit the Alliance’s web site to learn more about the guiding principles and work of the organization and the Presidents’ Alliance initiative.