The University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN)

Sponsors:

National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU)

Funded by NAICU; no external support

Roland King, Vice President for Public Affairs

The University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN) is designed to give prospective students and their families concise, web-based information on individual colleges and universities in a common format. U-CAN includes only private not-for-profit institutions; In addition to providing consumer information, U-CAN also includes information deemed important by policymakers for purposes of accountability.

The types of collected information and the design of the college and university profiles were shaped by focus groups held across the nation with students and parents from diverse backgrounds. Feedback collected through follow-up consumer focus groups, site user surveys, and other means is continually assessed.

NAICU coordinates a grassroots communication effort that supports activities by participating institutions to reach out to local high schools, parents, news media, and community groups. NAICU also markets U-CAN through targeted ads on Google and Facebook, as well as a presence on Wikipedia and social networking sites.

Launched September 2007, U-CAN now has 812 institutions signed up to participate, with 704 of those having published profiles available on line.  More than 1 million visitors had viewed over 2 million pages on the U-CAN site, as of December 31, 2009.

The initial system was further updated in September 2008, with the addition of two major upgrades: a significantly enhanced search function, and a new directory of online resources designed to provide guidance on preparing for college, searching for and selecting the best college fit, and navigating the admissions and financial aid processes.

The web site is updated annually, most recently in late 2009. The next update will occur in fall 2010.

www.ucan-network.org/