INSTITUTIONAL PORTFOLIOS
Definition:
Institutional portfolios are a compilation of several measures of an institution’s evidence that the
mission and learning outcomes identified by the institution are being realized. It is a tool that serves to
communicate learning outcomes to internal and external constituencies and it also serves as a learning tool.
Institutional portfolios demonstrate accountability to stakeholders and may be used as a vehicle for
institution-wide reflection, learning, and improvement.
Another definition: An institutional portfolio is a focused selection of authentic work, data, and
analysis that demonstrates institutional accountability and serves as a vehicle for institution-wide reflection,
learning and improvement.
Examples:
Categories of evidence include:
 Direct measures of learning such as: test results, evaluations of authentic performance, and
student portfolios.
 Other measures of attainment of value such as: retention; success in further study; graduates’
satisfaction with preparation for work and citizenship; graduates’ behavior as workers and
community members; employer satisfaction with graduates.
 Good practices: these are examples of practices that research suggests contribute to student
learning opportunities such as internships, undergraduate research, service learning, learning
communities and collaborative learning.
 Enabling environment such as: faculty development opportunities; administrative practices
that support the learning mission; availability of current technology; cross-functional
instructional teams; and a physical plant conducive to student learning inside and outside the
classroom including child care facilities and security measures.
Cost:
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Time commitment of staff.
Training of staff.
Needed staff skills sets such as web development if the institutional portfolio is electronic.
Upgrades may be necessary to the technology infrastructure to accommodate the components of
an electronic institutional portfolio. One institutional portfolio doesn’t take a lot of processing
power, but if students are also creating electronic portfolios as a component of the institutional
portfolio, then the current infrastructure may be stressed.
There could be some software costs as more staff may need html authoring software.
*Note: Many of the advantages and disadvantages listed for both Student & Electronic Portfolios
pertain to Institutional Portfolios.
Advantages:
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Gives the institution the opportunity to communicate its mission and outcomes.
Enables the faculty and staff of the institution to understand their teaching, research and service
activities in relation to the institutional mission.
Assists students and their families when making college choices.
Adds to the data already compiled on institutional effectiveness.
It is invisible to students, obviating the motivation and other significant problems with
standardized tests.
It can be minimally intrusive for faculty.
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It requires no special “sessions,” no sacrifice of class time, no external incentives for students to
perform well.
If the institutional portfolio is in an online format, reviewers could click until they saw evidence to
be satisfied about the particular area they are evaluating instead of progressing in a linear fashion
through the materials. Also, this online “mothership portfolio” would be conveniently available
for the institution’s employees to review.
Disadvantages:
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Security and privacy issues
Requires a considerable amount of time from faculty, staff and students
A monumental task
Implementation Suggestions:
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Articulating purpose and strategic approach early in the process are essential to a successful
development effort.
Involving a broad base of campus constituents increases the likelihood that the project will be
supported and useful. At the same time it tends to create burdensome expectations. The best
approach may be to incorporate a broad vision, while taking modest, incremental steps in scope
and involvement.
Institutions should develop their own models for organizing and presenting their portfolios.
Portfolios should contain summaries about what is being claimed and in what way.
Data and exhibits may be qualitative or quantitative.
The totality of the exhibits, no one piece of documentation, is the best indicator of institutional
effectiveness.
The contents of the portfolio are subject to verification, so backup documentation and activities
may be a part of the external review.
Might be a good idea to do a functional needs assessment to determine what skill sets would be
needed, who will develop the portfolio, who will analyze the content, what committee structures
and organizational responsibilities are needed.
Something to keep in mind once the new Student Information System is in place, is that an online
institutional portfolio could query the SIS automatically, thereby updating data in real time.
It is necessary to draw clear lines between electronic portfolio projects and other related campus
technology initiatives, such as the campus Web site, or the migration to a new operational
information system. Ultimately these projects may converge; that determination should be made
after the portfolio project has time to take shape in it’s own right.
The institutional portfolio project should not be approached as a marginal task which is added to
the responsibilities of existing faculty and staff.
Recommendation:
As far as Institutional Portfolios, PVCC is in good shape in three of the four categories of
evidence. We have been collecting data in the other measures of attainment. We are engaged in numerous
good practices. And, we can easily describe our college as one enabling student learning. Once we make
some decisions on direct measures of learning, we should be able to compile an impressive institutional
portfolio.
Bibliography/Resources:
Bordon, Victor and Timothy Thomas. “A Baker’s Dozen Lessons Learned About What it Takes to
Develop and Sustain Electronic Portfolios for Program and Institutional Assessment.” The Urban
Universities Portfolio Project. June 26, 2001. <http://www.imir.iupui.edu/portfolio/lessons.htm>
California State University, Sacramento <http://www.csus.edu/portfolio/>
Cambridge, Barbara, Margaret Miller and William Plater. Public Communication Through Institutional
Portfolios: Quality Assurance at Urban Public Comprehensive Universities: A Proposal to the
Pew Charitable Trusts. Indiana University Purdue University. November 17, 1997.
<http://www.imir.iupui.edu/portfolio/documents/final.pdf>
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) <http://www.iport.iupui.edu/>
Portland State University <http://www.portfolio.pdx.edu/> Provides source code for portfolio software.
Seybert, Jeffrey A. “The Institutional Portfolio: A Perfomance-Based Model for Assessment of General
Education.” Johnson County Community College.