Over the years several efforts have been undertaken by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the General Assembly to encourage accountability by monitoring the performance of Virginia's higher education institutions. The 2006 General Assembly adopted Institutional Performance Standards (IPS) that are used to "certify" that institutions are meeting important objectives of the Commonwealth. According to the website of Virginia's Secretary of Education:

"Under the restructuring act, three levels of autonomy are available to all public institutions of higher education, with the level of autonomy depending on each institution's financial strength and ability to manage day-to-day operations. The act requires the institutions to develop six-year academic, financial and enrollment plans that outline tuition and fee estimates as well as enrollment projections, to develop detailed plans for meeting statewide objectives, and to accept a number of accountability measures, including meeting benchmarks related to accessibility and affordability. Financial incentives are available to schools which meet state objectives.
This legislation is the most sweeping change in Virginia's system of public higher education in decades.  In the effort to provide colleges and universities with more predictability and flexibility, the Governor and legislature worked to ensure that Virginians see tangible benefits, like improved access, affordability, and quality. In return for additional autonomy from the state, the institutions commit to continue participating in enterprise-wide government reforms, especially helping the state leverage its purchasing power and manage information technology in the most cost-efficient way."

http://www.education.virginia.gov/Initiatives/HigherEducation/Restructuring.cfm

View the standards here: http://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/ips_06.shtml

Of the 25 performance standards, JMU is required to report on 22. At this time JMU has performed exceptionally well on all standards for which it is responsible and for which SCHEV has created measures. Recently a PowerPoint presentation was given by Dr. Warner to the JMU Board of Visitors on JMU's performance. The PowerPoint presentation may be viewed here.

http://www.jmu.edu/jmuplans/ips/bov0108IPS.pdf