|
Academic Quality Improvement Program/AQIP
Definition of Terms
ACCREDITATION—Accreditation by
nationally recognized agencies provides objective, public assurance that
an institution has been found to meet clearly stated requirements and
criteria and that there are reasonable grounds for believing that it
will continue to meet them. Accreditation results in an evaluation of
the entire institution in terms of its mission. The accrediting agency
establishes standards, or criteria, to assess the formal educational
activities of the institution. Also evaluated are governance and
administration, financial stability, student personnel services,
institutional resources,
student academic achievement, institutional effectiveness, and
relationships with constituencies inside and outside the institution.
AQIP—The Academic Quality
Improvement Program (AQIP) is a reaccreditation process used by the
Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges
and Schools that is structured around quality improvement principles and
processes and involves structured goalsetting, networking, and
accountability activities.
ACTION PROJECTS—AQIP Action
Projects should create a foundation for an institution’s improvement
initiatives and demonstrate the vitality of its commitment to quality.
AQIP institutions commit to 3-4 projects that will move it closer to
being the institution it wants to be. At least one action project must
relate directly to Helping Students Learn. Action projects should:
- Make a serious and visible
difference to institutional performance
- Embody challenging but do-able
goals
- Stretch the institution in new
ways – to learn and to excel
- Focus on both efficiency and
benefits to students and other stakeholders
Action Projects for Moraine
Valley Community College—The following three Action Projects
were submitted by Moraine Valley Community College to the Higher
Learning Commission in April 2005. These Action Projects were derived
from the college’s Strategic Priorities.
- Institutional Effectiveness
– To improve our institutional effectiveness efforts by integrating
the following major college processes at all levels of the
organization, departmental and college wide: assessment of student
academic achievement, strategic and annual planning, budgeting, and
performance evaluation.
- Improving Student Learning,
Student Development and Student Success
- Maximizing student
access to education—To improve access to educational
programs and services by: 1) maximizing utilization of on- and
off-campus facilities, and 2) effective scheduling of programs,
services and courses in response to student and community needs.
- Improving retention and
success in online learning—To examine factors that
affect the progress and success of students enrolling in online
and Web-assisted courses, and identify components for successful
delivery of online courses, certificate and/or degrees.
- Improving student
success in Developmental Education—To develop a plan to
identify, assess, place and establish support mechanisms for
students in developmental education.
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Reviewing college
practices and processes to better address and infuse diversity
throughout the institution—To improve the college’s
responsiveness to our changing community by integrating
diversity and inclusion into appropriate college processes.
- Diversity recruitment
and retention of faculty and staff—To improve the
college’s responsiveness to our changing community by
implementing new faculty and staff recruitment strategies.
- Infusing diversity into
the classroom and curriculum—To improve the college’s
responsiveness to our changing community by integrating
diversity into the curriculum and classroom.
ACTION PROJECT TEAMS—Seven teams
were formed in fall 2005 to work on the Action Projects identified
above. Each team was charged with examining internal and external
resources and then developing a plan with recommended next steps.
ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT—Each
September, we submit a progress report on each of our Action Projects to
the Higher Learning Commission. These reports include:
- progress made based on timelines,
goals and measures
- problems and challenges we
encountered
- outstanding successes and
discoveries made
STRATEGY FORUM—The Strategy
Forum provides an institution with a supportive, facilitated peer review
process that will stimulate and assist it in selecting, critically
examining, and committing to selecting Action Projects that will drive
quality improvement. Each AQIP institution participates in a Strategy
Forum once every four years.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES—Major areas
of institutional focus that comprise the college’s Strategic Plan. The
college’s AQIP Action Projects originated from the following strategic
priorities and the goals and action steps associated with them.
- Emphasize and promote student
success
- Enhance community awareness, connections and
partnerships
- Embrace diversity
- Plan, achieve and manage growth
- Build organizational capacity
through continuous improvement
SYSTEMS APPRAISAL—The Systems
Appraisal process involves five or more reviewers trained by the Higher
Learning Commission that review the institution’s Systems Portfolio.
This team of reviewers will produce an Appraisal Feedback Report that
assesses the maturity of, and identifies strengths and opportunities for
improvement within, each of the AQIP nine characteristics. This Systems
Appraisal will occur within the 8-10 weeks following submission of our
Systems Portfolio.
SYSTEMS PORTFOLIO—The Systems
Portfolio is designed to present an overview of our institution that
explains the major processes, programs and services we use to accomplish
our mission. AQIP institutions are required to assemble a Systems
Portfolio every four years and answer questions under nine AQIP
characteristics that deal with a) how we do things, b) what results we
get, and c) how we can improve. Those nine characteristics are:
1. Helping Students Learn
2. Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives
3. Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs
4. Valuing People
5. Leading and Communicating
6. Supporting Institutional Operations
7. Measuring Effectiveness
8. Planning Continuous Improvement
9. Building Collaborative Relationships
SYSTEMS PORTFOLIO TEAM—The
Systems Portfolio Team is formed to complete the Academic Quality
Improvement Program (AQIP) Systems Portfolio for reaccreditation as
required by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The Systems Portfolio
Team includes two lead co-chairs and sub-group co-chairs for each of the
nine AQIP characteristics. These nine sub-groups, with five to six
members each, will document the college's work under the nine AQIP
characteristics. The lead co-chairs and subgroup co-chairs will combine
the materials submitted by the nine subgroups into the Systems Portfolio
to be submitted to the HLC by May 2008.
TEAMS—Moraine Valley’s practice
is to form teams, sometimes called task groups, to work on a specific
project or charge. Typically, the responsibility of these teams includes
developing goals, objectives, action steps, outcomes and timelines. For
AQIP, the college has formed teams comprised of staff and faculty
members college-wide to work on our AQIP Action Projects and on our
Systems Portfolio. |
