Oregonian
April 10th, 2015
A state higher-education commission passed sweeping reforms Thursday designed to fund public universities based partly on how many Oregonians they graduate, instead of the number they enroll.
In a unanimous vote in Salem, Oregon's Higher Education Coordinating Commission adopted an innovative "outcome based" approach that will reward access and completion of degrees instead of filling classroom seats.
A complex funding formula, to be phased in during four years, creates incentives for student retention and boosts funding for universities that award degrees to minorities, low-income students, rural residents and veterans. Until now, the state system rewarded universities mainly for enrolling students, regardless of how many dropped out or took more than four years to finish college.