FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2007
Media Contact: George Cagala, (760) 750-4012

CSUSM Commits to Voluntary System of Accountability Measures
 
California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) made an early commitment to a national initiative called the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA), providing data on student learning, student engagement, and enrollment and graduation.  CSUSM was one of 17 universities nation-wide and one of four CSUs that volunteered to pilot test the College Portrait “beta” template and to post the results as examples of what the College Portrait will look like across a variety of institutions. According to the Chancellor’s Office, each of the 23 CSU campuses will now develop a web-based template called the College Portrait that is designed to specifically communicate accountability data to the public.
 
Each College Portrait will provide information on student characteristics, including age and ethnicity, retention and graduation rates, financial aid, student experiences and perceptions, and student learning outcomes.  In addition, the CSU is adding a “public good” contributions page to each campus template.  Included in the CSU “public good” page is information on total degrees awarded, the contribution of CSU students to the workforce, number of Pell Grant recipients, average net tuition and fees paid per student, and the average loan debt for CSU bachelor’s degree recipients.  To view CSUSM’s VSA College Portrait template and “public good” page go to http://www.csusm.edu/ipa/reports/VSA/VSA_Final.pdf . 
 
“As a public institution, we are committed to transparency and demonstrating our contributions to those we serve,” said President Karen Haynes.  “The Voluntary System of Accountability is one piece of evidence of an accessible quality education.  It does not replace the daily demonstration of outstanding teaching and research by our faculty.”  
More than 80 higher education leaders from 70 public colleges and universities nationwide have contributed to the VSA. 
 
“As the largest public university system in the country, CSU has been a leader in this voluntary effort to ensure the transparency of information about how our students are  acquiring critical thinking, information literacy and communications skills,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed.  

Following the issuance of the Spellings Commission report in 2006, which suggested the possibility of a federal mandate on accountability for public universities, two of the largest higher education associations – the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) – immediately initiated an effort to provide clear, accessible information about students that would be useful to parents, students, future students, legislatures and the general public.  A key element is that the new modes of accountability are to be voluntary on the part of colleges and universities.
 
CSUSM joined CSU Long Beach, CSU Fresno and CSU Northridge that took a leadership role in the development of the VSA.

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