Measuring What Matters
Higher education has no shortage of data. The more important question is whether institutions are measuring what truly reflects student success.
This October, the Presidents Forum is exploring how colleges and universities can look beyond traditional metrics to better understand whether learners are persisting, completing, advancing in their careers, and seeing meaningful value from their education.
Moving Beyond Traditional Metrics
Enrollment and completion remain important, but they do not tell the whole story. Institutions also need to understand how well their programs serve working adults, military-connected learners, first-generation students, and others whose pathways may not follow a traditional timeline.
Measuring what matters means connecting institutional data to the outcomes students experience. It means asking whether programs create clear pathways, whether support systems help learners overcome barriers, and whether education leads to real opportunity.
Policy Updates
The Forum continues to monitor federal developments that could shape this work. The National Defense Authorization Act remains under consideration, including provisions related to Military Tuition Assistance.
The public comment period for the Department of Education’s proposed Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization regulations has also closed. The Forum is now watching for the final rule and preparing to help members understand what it may mean for accreditation, transparency, and institutional practice.
Turning Listening Into Action
The Forum has completed its Innovation Blueprint listening sessions with institutional members and collaboration partners. Those conversations have helped clarify the priorities, challenges, and opportunities that should guide the next phase of the work.
Members and partners will build on that foundation when the Forum gathers in Dallas in November. The focus will be on turning shared insights into practical action—and ensuring innovation is measured by the outcomes it creates for learners.
The Bottom Line
Better measurement is not about collecting more data. It is about focusing on the information that helps institutions make better decisions, demonstrate impact, and deliver stronger outcomes for students.
Transcript
Hi, everyone. Here’s a quick look at what’s happening at the Forum in October.
On the policy front, the National Defense Authorization Act is still under consideration, including provisions related to Military Tuition Assistance. We’ll continue monitoring its progress and keep you updated.
The comment period for the Department of Education’s proposed AIM regulations has closed, and we’re now waiting to see what is included in the final rule.
Our communications theme for October is “Measuring What Matters.” We’ll explore how institutions can look beyond traditional metrics to better understand student success and demonstrate their impact.
Finally, thank you to everyone who participated in our Innovation Blueprint listening sessions. We’ve now completed the partner sessions, giving us clear priorities to build on. And we look forward to turning those conversations into action when we gather in Dallas in November.