The Rocket

Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: News

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Slippery Rock University has introduced a new accountability Web site to provide prospective students and others with a variety of information about SRU.

"The Accountability Web site provides a concise one place location for all of the outcomes and the current data regarding the institutions profile," said SRU President Robert Smith.

The main purpose of the SRU Institutional Accountability 2008 Web site, which is found on the SRU homepage, is not only to benefit the school but to help prospective students gain information easily, Smith said.

"The Web site will be able to help students when they are trying to decide what schools they would like to visit," said Rita Abent, executive director of university public relations.

The Web site includes sections on: student demographics, first year students, transfer students, graduate students, core educational outcomes, campus engagements, costs and financial aid, the classroom environment, campus living, institutional success and getting to know the university.

"The Accountability Web site is helpful for current students because it makes it easy to find information," said 18-year old student Luke Norris.

A perspective student will be able to look at different colleges information, it helps to narrow the down the choices, Abent said.

"The site was started when the U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings challenged all of the colleges and universities around the country to make a Web site that was easy to get around and easy for the public to find all the information they might want to know about that school," Smith said.

All the data has been available before, it was just not as easy to find unless you knew where to look for it, Smith said.

Picking a school is personal, it needs to be able to fit in with your needs and who you are, Abent said.

"It looks useful if you're looking to attend SRU," said Kelly Hospodar, 20-year old elementary education major

The Web site will not only benefit perspective student, though they are the target but others as well.

"Legislators want to know what the school does with its tax dollars and if they are being used wisely," Smith said. "That can all be found on the Accountability Web site."

Current students can look at what the top majors are, the costs of the school and they can make a clear planning guide to their future, Abent said.

"It helps people understand the quality of the institution," Smith said. "And I am all about making your degree more famous."

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