Through this document, Lumina Foundation for Education offers a "Degree Qualifications Profile," a tool that can help transform U.S. higher education. A Degree Profile--or qualifications framework--illustrates clearly what students should be expected to know and be able to do once they earn their degrees--at any level. This Degree…

Twenty years ago, the federal government in the US first required institutional accrediting organisations, America's principal mechanism for quality assurance in higher education, to review institutional practices with respect to the assessment of student learning outcomes. Much that affects quality assurance has changed in the ensuing two decades…

"Making the Grade: How Boards Can Ensure Academic Quality" fills a significant void in today's boardroom discussions with its clear, realistic advice and its "perfect pitch" balancing act with respect to board involvement with the heart of the academic enterprise: teaching and learning. NCHEMS vice president Peter Ewell clarifies the grey areas of…

This report examines the changing nature of higher education policy and the fact that many policy assumptions are no longer valid, and sets out a research agenda for the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education (NCPPHE). It discusses how the growing importance of higher education, and postsecondary education in general, is affecting…

As public funds decline and the political climate changes, accountability and quality assurance are important issues for U.S. colleges and universities, and institutional leaders are concerned about a shift away from the established institution-centered structures, toward government-mandated, standards-driven systems. This paper explores the…