ERIC Number: EJ1157649
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Sep-7
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0010-0889
EISSN: N/A
Maintaining the Access Mission: Open Access Universities and the Challenges of Performance-Based Funding
Mathuews, Katy; Pulcini, Brad
College and University, v92 n3 p45-48 Sep 2017
For the purposes of this article, open access universities are defined as bachelor's degree-granting institutions that do not restrict admission on the basis of ACT/SAT scores, high school grade point average, and the like. Typically, the mission of an open access university is to provide all students with the opportunity to pursue a degree. The access mission, however, often requires the provision to students of focused support such as developmental coursework and college readiness counseling. The mission of open access institutions is challenging. It becomes even more challenging when performance-based funding is introduced. Performance-based funding rewards improved student success measures such as retention and graduation rates, not necessarily the authenticity of student support. In order to maximize allocations under the performance-based funding model, open access universities have turned to various methods to improve metrics--for example, decreasing time to degree completion, increasing admission standards, and recruiting higher-performing students. All of these are arguably in conflict with the mission upon which open access institutions are founded. Consequently, the focus shifts away from increasing student success through authentic support such as summer bridge programs, developmental support programs, and tutoring. Maximizing performance-based funding formula allocations, however, does not have to exclude authentic support to at-risk students. This article contends that open access universities do not have to abandon their mission in order to achieve desirable funding results. By adopting methods that offer authentic student support, open access universities can maximize performance-based funding formula allocations while remaining true to their mission.
Descriptors: Open Universities, Financial Support, Educational Finance, Funding Formulas, Resource Allocation, Academic Achievement, At Risk Students, Remedial Programs, Institutional Mission
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). One Dupont Circle NW Suite 520, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-293-9161; Fax: 202-872-8857; e-mail: pubs@aacrao.org; Web site: http://www.aacrao.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ohio; New York (New York)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A