The increased complexity of today's work environment has made the need for soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, leadership, and problem solving, more salient than ever. Employers hire for these skills because it is increasingly the human resources that give organizations a competitive advantage. Therefore, academia must respond to these…

Postsecondary institutions are under increasing scrutiny to provide evidence of student learning. Despite efforts to increase the number and frequency of assessments of student learning, many colleges and universities need help to make good use of assessment results for the improvement of teaching and learning. To address this need, in February…

This paper describes the Clemson ePortfolio Program initiated in 2006, where all undergraduate students are required to create an ePortfolio. Specifically, the program was designed as a mechanism through which to evaluate our recently revised general education program. In this program all undergraduates create and submit a digital portfolio as…

Over the past three decades policymakers have been seeking new ways to secure improved performance from higher education institutions. One popular approach has been performance funding, which involves use of a formula to tie funding to institutional performance on specified indicators. This report reviews findings from studies on performance…

Assessment is a worthwhile undertaking when meaningful data are generated, evidence-based improvement initiatives are thoroughly considered and discussed, and results are ultimately used to improve educational effectiveness. National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results are oriented toward such practical use. Each year, more campuses use…

This report is part of South Carolina's effort to move toward "100 percent performance funding" for the state's public colleges and universities and results from a task force's investigation of ways to assess critical thinking. The following eight major findings are reported: (1) policy makers must determine priorities; (2) critical…

This progress report, as required by Act 359 of the South Carolina General Assembly, describes activities of a consortium of business and academic leaders toward development of a performance-based funding plan based on 37 performance indicators for public institutions of higher education in the state. Briefly summarized are the status of: measures…

This monograph provides definitions, guidelines, and recommended practices for assessing and improving institutions of higher education in South Carolina which are congruent with the accreditation standards and criteria of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The first section defines key terms and states that overall institutional…

In two separate articles, this report compared indicators of performance-funding programs for 2-year and 4-year public colleges in eight states. It examined indicators accepted or proposed in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It was found that states had as many as 37 and as few as 9…

This resource manual was produced to assist the South Carolina Technical College System's efforts to improve institutional effectiveness and accountability. The first two sections of the manual provide a brief foreword, a description of state initiatives for research and academic excellence in South Carolina, the text of state legislation…

The reports in this document assess the effectiveness of South Carolina's public postsecondary institutions for the 1995-96 academic year. Ten tables provide data as required by Act 255 on accreditation, graduation rates, percent change in enrollment, sources of undergraduate degrees, transfers, and professional examination rates. Summary reports…

South Carolina is planning to base all appropriations to higher education on performance indicators rather than enrollments and facility needs. The new law gives financial incentives to improve, and outlines 37 criteria for judging institutional performance. Institutions fear the system will be biased against them or not take into account their…