Jamie P. Merisotis, founding president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy

Jamie P. Merisotis, founding president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, offered practical guidance on how to manage accountability issues in a way that is strategic and enhances institutional goals and priorities. Excerpts from his address follow.

“The national landscape of accountability for both institutional and student success that has emerged over the last few years is likely to have a profound impact on what we do, and how we do it, in U.S. higher education. These emerging strategies and approaches are being driven by a fundamental view that higher education’s performance must improve significantly in order for the nation to achieve maximum benefit from the investment in higher education….

Learning outcomes are important, but they aren’t the only thing we need to measure. We must take a more holistic view of what we do as higher education institutions in fashioning this new accountability paradigm…. The emergence of data-driven strategies and accountability systems have not done nearly enough to take into account the complex circumstances under which today’s colleges students’ lives are lived. The ideal scenario of a normally persisting, well-advised, highly motivated student runs headlong into the stark reality of life in America today: prior educational deficiencies, family and child responsibilities, financial pressures, language and cultural barriers, and poor information and support systems. These are the very issues that many of your colleges deal with every day, serving as the front lines in the war to improve our nation’s educational accomplishments. But until we grapple with these deeply rooted concerns, the national dialogue about accountability will, in my view, continue to reinforce the existing biases and under- investments that have left us with a system that is still divided into haves and have-nots….

Countering this bleak prospect will require more than tweaking at the margins. It will require a true partnership that dedicates time, understanding, effort, political capital, and financial resources to ensure that college opportunities are available to students who would not otherwise attend. There are solid strategies at the disposal of the higher education system to address this convergence of trends, but the higher education system will have to change significantly.

The partnership should develop a coordinated strategy and must include local, state, and federal lawmakers; students and parents; the private sector; the media; higher education associations and analysts; and college faculty, staff, and leadership at all kinds of institutions…. Investment in postsecondary education by all members of this partnership will lead to returns that benefit both individuals and society….

What can you do to make this new national learning partnership possible? One major role is to provide much-needed leadership. Many institutions have been silent or ineffective in the task of making the case for investment in higher education opportunity.... I think it is time to…go on the offensive, making the case for what higher education contributes to our nation, and why the investment specifically in independent institutions is absolutely essential for the country. We need to make the case to policymakers, to families, and to students, in clear, unequivocal terms, about why that investment pays off.… Publicize the results of what you have learned about cumulative learning outcomes from the Collegiate Learning Assessment. Use your NSSE data to describe the specific ways in which you are engaging your students. Use CIC’s Making the Case website as a model for your efforts....

Look ahead and anticipate what questions will arise, think hard about what your future student bodies will look like, and then plan, plan, plan for the future. What will you need to do pedagogically, and in terms of student services, to meet the needs of a rapidly changing student population?

The brave new world of higher education accountability will indeed have a profound impact on what we do, and how we do it, in U.S. higher education. But that profound impact ultimately can be shaped by what you do as institutional leaders, and does not have to be something that you feel has been imposed upon you by uninformed, or hopelessly misinformed, external forces. Take charge of what college learning is all about, and bring your voice to these critically important debates…. When all is said and done, college really is the most effective way to ensure prosperity, security, and harmony for all Americans. What you do at your institutions could prove pivotal in achieving those goals.”

The full text of Merisotis’ presentation is available here on the CIC website.