The clash of whether higher education should serve the public good or economic stimulation seems more alive than ever to some, and to others, it has come to an end. Not agreeing on the purpose of American higher education certainly makes it difficult to know whether educators are being responsible for delivering what is expected of them. Rather than reviewing the important debate that has already taken place, this chapter seeks to merge the two seemingly juxtaposed disagreements and discuss how bringing the two purposes together may influence how we examine accountability. As such, an inquiry model, including ways to gather and interpret institutional performance indicators for accountability is posited. Practical suggestions for implementation of this methodology are provided.