Major step forward in providing public with information to review universities' performance on a wide range of measures and to compare that data to other schools across Ohio and the nation

COLUMBUS - State higher education officials today signed an agreement announcing that Ohio's 13 public universities and one freestanding medical college all intend to join the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA), a national program that allows the public to review information on each university's performance on a wide range of measures, and to compare that data to other schools across the country. The program is jointly sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the National Association of State University and Land-Grant Colleges. While a handful of Ohio's individual institutions are current VSA participants, the state of Ohio is one of the first in the U.S. to have all its public universities participate in the program as a system.

"Joining the Voluntary System of Accountability is a key strategy outlined in Ohio's 10-year Strategic Plan for Higher Education, and is a major step forward for the University System of Ohio," said Chancellor Fingerhut. "It's a win for prospective students, families, legislators, policymakers, college faculty and staff who - for the first time - will be able to review data on price, financial aid, degree programs, retention and graduation rates, campus safety, student satisfaction and student learning outcomes in a standardized format that enables valid comparisons to be made between schools across Ohio and the nation."

The Chancellor was joined by university presidents from the University System of Ohio and officials from the Inter-University Council of Ohio, including Roderick J. McDavis, President, Ohio University and Chairman, Inter-University Council of Ohio, and Bruce Johnson, President, Inter-University Council of Ohio, who expects the Voluntary System of Accountability to play an important role in helping Ohio achieve the goal of significantly increasing the number and percentage of Ohioans who attend college and earn degrees - a key strategy for driving economic development and creating economic opportunity in Ohio.

The group announced Ohio's VSA data will be displayed via the Ohio College Portrait, a Web-based tool, which will be housed on the University System of Ohio Web site.

Posted 06/12/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Posting of press releases is done as a service to Members and does not imply endorsement or support by NASFAA. NASFAA does not review this information for content or accuracy.