Whether public or private, American colleges and universities are confronting increasing demands to prove that they are delivering the educational quality they promise. Bully for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities for developing a clever, web-based way to publicly report and track performance on a variety of measures.

The MnSCU "accountability dashboard," available at www.mnscu.edu (click on "accountability" on the right side of the page), reports on such things as graduation and license-exam passing rates and employment of graduates in fields related to their study. It offers both systemwide and individual campus information.

The dashboard is still a work in progress; several dials are blank. But the at-a-glance assessments already featured are bound to attract attention and imitation.

Initial needle readings on the MnSCU dashboard pointed to a problem area that will be no surprise to Minnesota higher ed consumers. Tuition at the state's two-year colleges ranks among the highest in the nation compared with similar institutions. The needle on the affordability dial points to "needs attention" -- presumably, the attention of Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Legislature.