Pros
Proponents of higher education accountability argue that it improves institutional performance. The impact accountability models have had on higher education include:
- Increased state support for higher education
- Greater attention to state priorities
- Incentives and rewards for meeting state goals and aligning institutional
priorities with those of the legislature.
Cons
Critics of accountability models in higher education raise the following concerns:
- New performance reporting requirements may come with unfunded mandates
- Identification of measures may be difficult or expensive to obtain
- Short phase-in periods for implementation
- Infringement on institutional autonomy
- Programs may subject postsecondary education to the whims of politicians
- Performance indicators may not account for the various types of institutions
in a state - community colleges, highly competitive research universities
and smaller liberal arts institutions - in a way that is both fair and tailored
to their diverse students bodies and institutional goals.
(Source: SHEEO State Survey on Performance Measures, 1997)

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