Accountability Report
Appendices
Office of the Provost Revised October 15, 1996
Professor Jere Bacharach, Director, The Henry M. Jackson School of
International Studies, Chair
Professor William Beyers, Department of Geography
Ms. Sheral Burkey, Associate Vice President for University Relations
Associate Professor John Butler, Department of Management & Organization
Regent Ann Daley
Professor Stephen Ellis, Chair, Department of Physics
Associate Professor Sharon Fought, Director, UW Tacoma Nursing
Associate Dean Debra Friedman, Undergraduate Education
Divisional Dean Arthur Grossman, College of Arts and Sciences
Mr. Phillip H. Hoffman, Assistant Director, Institutional Studies, Office
of Planning and Budgeting
Associate Dean Daniel Hunt, School of Medicine
Professor Theodore Kaltsounis, Faculty Legislative Representative
Associate Professor Nancy Kenney, Chair, Faculty Council on Academic
Standards
Professor Robert Lee, College of Forest Resources
Dean Gilbert Omenn, School of Public Health and Community Medicine
Associate Professor Alan Wood, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UW
Bothell
Associate Professor Shirley Yee, Director, Department of Women Studies
Dear Colleagues:
Thank you for your willingness to serve on the Provost's Committee on Accountability. The charge to this committee is to move the UW forward on the development and implementation of accountability measures acceptable both to the University academic community and to the legislature. This is no small task.
Let me offer some context for this charge. Increasingly the University of Washington is pressured to become accountable for the contribution it makes to state goals, for the money that it receives from the state legislature and for specifying how it intends to improve. This reflects a national trend in the relationship between state legislatures and public universities. Higher education is increasingly dependent upon the state for adequate and stable funding. Dependency and accountability go hand in hand: if the state is to provide us with resources, we have to provide measurable evidence that we are using those resources in the best interests of the state.
At the same time, our own aspirations, especially in times of budgetary constraint, require a more careful review of our goals and initiatives. Our first responsibility--with or without outside pressure--is to think hard about how well we are meeting our primary missions; to assess and review our work openly, and to focus on its integrity and quality. The true spirit of accountability is thereby achieved: to become accountable for that which we strive to accomplish.
I trust that the committee will turn its attention to a number of issues. Presently several mandated performance measures are required of all state four-year institutions. These include graduation rates, retention rates, degrees/FTE faculty, and faculty contact hours. Serious questions have been raised about the adequacy and relevance of some of these measures. While criticisms abound, however, the real question is what sorts of constructive alternatives can we offer that will meet state goals and, at the same time, advance instructional improvements.
The UW is also asked to report measures specific to its performance. Presently we report on grant and contract awards, and utilization of instructional resources. The committee should turn its attention to other desirable measures, especially those that reflect on the central missions of the University. Preliminary discussions of these matters in various groups across campus have identified a general sentiment to work toward better measures of research/scholarly contributions, educational quality, and student learning.
I would hope that the committee would identify both short-term and long-term plans for the UW with respect to accountability, and that these would serve to guide our institutional efforts in data collection and analysis. Even more important, these plans are likely to have a significant effect on our relationship with the HEC Board, other four-year institutions in the state, and with the state legislature.
Faculty, academic administrators, and academic and administrative support staff all have a stake in accountability. Therefore, I ask that the committee make a concerted effort to hold public forums and colloquia, to consider conducting focus groups, and to gather information from many sources. In general, the committee should seek the views of numerous members of the campus community, as well as those from the outside who might shed light on this important subject.
In addition to those listed above, the committee will include two additional faculty and three students. A report should be presented to me by May 15, 1997. Thank you very much for your participation in this important planning effort.
Sincerely,
Lee Huntsman
Acting Provost
LLH/cm
cc: President's Council
Accountability Report
Appendices
