Voluntary System of Accountability
Encyclopedia
The Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA) and its College Portraits website is a leading college search tool for prospective students and valuable accountability tool for public institutions.
Students and their families can use the College Portraits to find a simple, straightforward presentation of comparable information that comes directly from public universities at no cost to the student or their family. Rising college costs require students and families to make careful, informed decisions about which institution is the “best fit.” Much is gained from helping them make sound choices using reliable information that can be compared across institutions.
Participating institutions use the College Portraits to highlight common information prospective students and families seek in an easily understood format. College Portraits data elements include: admissions requirements, retention
and graduation rates, campus community highlights, academic programs, safety
, and cost of attendance
, to name a few. In 2010, a College Affordability Estimator net price calculator was added to help prospective students estimate their individual net cost to attend a specific university. The Estimator is available at no additional charge for participating institutions and meets the requirements of the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
Institutions and systems can use the College Portraits to meet accountability requirements from governing boards, state legislatures, state coordinating offices, and other outside groups, often reducing their burden and duplication of effort. The College Portraits can also be used during the accreditation process as evidence of student learning outcomes, institutional improvement, transparency, and commitment to the public good.
The VSA is a joint project of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
(APLU) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities
(AASCU) in collaboration with the higher education community. VSA institutions represent more than half of all public four-year institutions, 66 percent of all APLU members, and 60 percent of APLU and AASCU's joint membership. VSA participating institutions enroll 63 percent of undergraduate students attending public universities.
For more information on the VSA program and participation guidelines, visit the VSA website at www.voluntarysystem.org.
Students and their families can use the College Portraits to find a simple, straightforward presentation of comparable information that comes directly from public universities at no cost to the student or their family. Rising college costs require students and families to make careful, informed decisions about which institution is the “best fit.” Much is gained from helping them make sound choices using reliable information that can be compared across institutions.
Participating institutions use the College Portraits to highlight common information prospective students and families seek in an easily understood format. College Portraits data elements include: admissions requirements, retention
Retention
Retention may refer to:* Retention, in learning, the ability to retain facts and figures in memory ** Selective retention* Cultural retention* Customer retention...
and graduation rates, campus community highlights, academic programs, safety
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
, and cost of attendance
Cost of attendance
In education finance in the United States, the cost of attendance is the estimated full and reasonable cost of completing a full year as a full-time student...
, to name a few. In 2010, a College Affordability Estimator net price calculator was added to help prospective students estimate their individual net cost to attend a specific university. The Estimator is available at no additional charge for participating institutions and meets the requirements of the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
Institutions and systems can use the College Portraits to meet accountability requirements from governing boards, state legislatures, state coordinating offices, and other outside groups, often reducing their burden and duplication of effort. The College Portraits can also be used during the accreditation process as evidence of student learning outcomes, institutional improvement, transparency, and commitment to the public good.
The VSA is a joint project of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is an American voluntary, non-profit association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems. It has member campuses in all 50 states and the U.S. territories...
(APLU) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees...
(AASCU) in collaboration with the higher education community. VSA institutions represent more than half of all public four-year institutions, 66 percent of all APLU members, and 60 percent of APLU and AASCU's joint membership. VSA participating institutions enroll 63 percent of undergraduate students attending public universities.
For more information on the VSA program and participation guidelines, visit the VSA website at www.voluntarysystem.org.
See also
- Association of Public and Land-grant UniversitiesAssociation of Public and Land-Grant UniversitiesThe Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is an American voluntary, non-profit association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems. It has member campuses in all 50 states and the U.S. territories...
- American Association of State Colleges and UniversitiesAmerican Association of State Colleges and UniversitiesThe American Association of State Colleges and Universities is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees...
- College Portrait of Undergraduate Education
- Collegiate Learning AssessmentCollegiate Learning AssessmentThe Collegiate Learning Assessment is a standardized testing initiative in United States higher educational evaluation and assessment. It uses a "value-added" outcome model to examine a college or university's contribution to student learning which relies on the institution, rather than the...
- ACTACTACT may refer to:* Australian Capital Territory, the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia* ACT , a college placement exam in the United StatesIn aviation:...
- Educational Testing ServiceEducational Testing ServiceEducational Testing Service , founded in 1947, is the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing and assessment organization...