APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University will join nearly 600 other private colleges and universities around the country Wednesday, Sept. 26 in the launch of a new web-based tool designed to assist families in their college searches.
U-CAN — the University and College Accountability Network — was developed by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) in Washington, D.C., to help meet the challenge and responsibility of educating students, as well as their families, even before they decide which college to attend.
The first national consumer information tool developed by either private or public colleges, the U-CAN web site — www.ucan-network.org — will be operational Sept. 26.
U-CAN’s goal is to provide detailed information on individual institutions to objectively assist high school students in selecting a college or university that best fits their intellectual, professional and extracurricular interests, their values and personality and their financial circumstances.
The web site’s content and design are completely driven by consumer comments drawn from focus groups conducted in cities across the nation with prospective students and parents from all backgrounds who indicated what they most need to make an informed college choice.
“Lawrence University is delighted to participate in and contribute to U-CAN,” said President Jill Beck. “As an institution devoted to helping individuals realize their full potential, we especially appreciate how this new tool can help students find schools that best suit their own unique sets of interests and abilities.”
U-CAN consists of hundreds of institutional profiles presented in a concise, consumer-friendly common format. Each profile includes comparable data and targeted links to that institution’s own web site for more detailed information on specific aspects of the institution.
The development of U-CAN grew out of a growing concern among American families, members of Congress and the U.S. Department of Education about the need for better and more transparent college consumer information.
