II. Policy Audit item description

T E Agenda Item: II. N DATE: April 23, 2009 N SUBJECT: Making Opportunity Affordable - Tennessee Policy Audit E S ACTION RECOMMENDED: Endorsement S E BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Tennessee is among the eleven states selected E to participate in the 2009 “learning year” of Making Opportunity Affordable (MOA), a national Lumina-funded initiative designed to increase the certificate and degree productivity of state higher education systems. Tennessee’s H successful proposal was predicated on: framing the 2010-2015 Master Plan I around the need to increase educational attainment levels in Tennessee; tying G productivity goals to fiscal incentives in the public higher education funding formula and the Performance Funding program; and reaching out to under-H participating populations, particularly adult students. E R Each MOA state was required to complete a policy audit -- a systematic review of state policies and practices affecting student access, student success, and system efficiency and productivity. THEC engaged the National Center for E Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) for this work. Aims McGuinness, Senior Associate at NCHEMS, will present findings and D recommendations from the policy audit, which included data analysis and U compilation, document review, and extensive interviews with campus personnel, C the Tennessee Business Roundtable, Governor’s staff, and legislative leadership. The policy audit is a diagnostic ...