美国高校院校研究回应公众问责的经验与启示——以加州大学院校研究为例

The Experience and Implications of Institutional Research on Responding to Public Accountability in Higher Education Institutions in the United States——A Case Analysis of the University of California

美国高等教育领域的问责起源于基础教育的质量问责,其目的是增强高校办学透明度、发现存在的问题和确定需要改进的领域,最终提升自身治理效能和院校绩效。院校研究为强化美国高校回应公众问责发挥了巨大作用,其主要做法包括:为全国性信息公开化平台提供数据、编撰所在高校的问责报告、开发所在高校的信息公开化平台以及为媒体和相关利益人开展问责提供数据。加州大学院校研究回应公众问责是其决策服务功能的重要组成部分,核心价值是从回应外部质疑的“被动问责”转向“主动问责”,也就是通过常态化的自评,定期将结果向社会公布。这种转型不仅是高等教育问责态度的转型,更是高校办学质量主体角色的彰显,反映出高校具备接受社会监督的意愿、承担办学责任的勇气和改进质量的决心。以此为借鉴,助力高校实现“主动问责”,中国需制定信息公开化的法律;高校须完善数据管理制度,塑造质量责任主体意识以及通过院校研究呈现办学绩效数据、提升回应公众问责效能的环境,开发整合型的数据系统。

The accountability in higher education in the United States originated from the quality accountability of basic education.It aims to enhance transparency of higher education,identify prob⁃lems,determine areas for improvement,and ultimately strengthen effectiveness of governance and in⁃stitutional performance.Institutional research plays a critical role in achieving these goals.It provides data for various types of national accountability systems,produces annual accountability reports,devel⁃ops web-based information platforms to publicly disseminate institutional data,and responds to ac⁃countability questions from media and other external stakeholders.These responsibilities undertaken by institutional research are part of its function to serve decision making in its university.The core val⁃ue of these responsibilities is a transformational change from“passive accountability”in response to“active accountability”to external questions that is to publicly disseminate results based on normal⁃ized self-evaluation of institutional effectiveness and performance.This transformational change is not only a change of attitude toward institutional accountability,but more importantly,it highlights institu⁃tion’s role in ensuring institutional quality.Achieving this transformational change,however,requires an institution’s willingness to accept social supervision,endurance to assume accountability for institu⁃tional quality,and determination to improve quality.In order for institutional research to help achieve the goal of“active accountability,”it is very important to establish the law of national information dis⁃closure and institutional data governance policies,create an environment where colleges and universi⁃ties are willing to take accountability for its performance,disclose data of institutional performance and improve effective responses to questions about institutional accountability from the public through in⁃stitutional research,and develop an integrated and powerful data system.