In Texas, the accountability movement was initiated by Governor Rick Perry, who issued an executive order in 2004 requiring all public institutions of higher education to work with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to create a comprehensive system of accountability. Its purpose was one of public accountability: to the citizens of Texas, the governor, and the legislature. By the end of the year, the board had rolled out its online accountability system. The University of Texas (UT) System began looking into the need to become more transparent and accountable to its stakeholders earlier than other state and national organizations. The UT System's approach to accountability addresses more than just student learning outcomes. It includes affordability, the impact of research on economic development, and efficiency. However, the issue of learning outcomes has received significant attention and investment. In this chapter, the authors recount the experiences of the UT System with using a standardized assessment of student learning.