IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 5, 2007
CONTACT: Gordon Ovenshine:
Office: 724.738.4854
Cell: 724.991.8302
gordon.ovenshine@sru.edu

Site addresses Spellings’ Commission report

Slippery Rock University launches accountability Website

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University today launched a comprehensive institutional profile and accountability Website to provide potential students, parents, the public and policymakers with accessible, transparent information about the University.

           "The impetus for this site came from Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings’ Commission on the Future of Higher Education’s final report – A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of Higher Education,” said Robert Smith, Slippery Rock University president. 

           “Among a number of recommendations in the report, the Commission was very clear that colleges and universities must become more transparent about cost, price and student success outcomes, and they willingly share this information with students and families in a user friendly format,” Smith said.

           “While we have always made this information public, we wanted a more accessible and readable format.  Someone searching for the data would have to access several different University Websites,” Smith said. 

           The SRU Institutional Profile: Accountability 2008 site includes sections on: student demographics; first year students; transfer students; graduate students; core educational outcomes; campus engagement; costs and financial aid; the classroom environment; campus living; institutional success and getting to know the University.

           “These are useful, highly relevant data that enable the public to make an informed decision about whether or not Slippery Rock University  ‘fits’ their education wants and needs, where the University stands relative to its peers, and how well the University delivers on its promise to provide a Rock Solid Education,” Smith said.

           Data and text on the site also demonstrate how the University is responding to other recommendations outlined in the Commission Report, Smith said. 

           “The Commission Report calls for universities to ‘provide high-quality instruction while improving their efficiency in order to be more affordable to the students, taxpayers, and donors who sustain them.’ And it calls for a ‘higher-education system that gives Americans the workplace skills they need to adapt to a rapidly changing economy.’  The data show we are addressing these issues. Our academic programs are rigorously reviewed by their national accrediting agencies, our graduates are sought after in the marketplace and we are good stewards of our financial assets,” Smith said.

           Smith noted that the University was recently identified by Consumers Digest Magazine as one of the top five “best value” public universities in America for delivering a quality education at an affordable price.

          "At Slippery Rock University we pride ourselves on providing students with a comprehensive learning experience that purposefully combines academic instruction with hands-on learning opportunities. I’m confident that when people study the data included on this site, they’ll agree with us that it’s a great time to be at Slippery Rock University,” Smith said.

           The SRU Institutional Profile: Accountability 2008 site is at: www.sru.edu 

Slippery Rock University is Pennsylvania’s premier public residential university. Slippery Rock University provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that intentionally combines academic instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities that make a positive difference in their lives.