AQIP:“Academic Quality

Improvement Program”Same Great

Quality,Less Filling.

The Higher Learning Commission (NCA)Accreditation Processes

What is AQIP?PTC’s accrediting body is the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).The North Central Association (NCA) is that portion of the Higher Learning Commission that approves degree granting institutions like PTC.The accreditation program within the HLC that Pulaski Technical College (PTC) follows is the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP).

What is AQIP? (cont.)

An accreditation process that requires the use of Continuous Improvement principles.

A program that relies on data and outcome measures.

A participatory process that involves internal and external constituents.

The foundation is fact-based decisions, working with diverse groups, resolving conflicts, and using quality based tools to build consensus.

Steps in the AQIP Process

AQIP is a 7-year process.

PTC was admitted to AQIP in September 2008.

AQIP Timeline

1. Application to Join AQIP

2. Strategy Forum -Year 1

3. Action Projects – starting in Year 2 and ongoing

4. Annual Updates on Projects – starting in year 3 and ongoing

5. Systems Portfolio-Year 4

6. Systems Appraisal (Feedback report on Portfolio) -Year 4

7. Site Visit -Year 6

*PTC’s last site visit occurred in October 2012.

8. Reaffirm Accreditation -Year 7

9. Recycle steps 2-8

New AQIP Timeline

The new AQIP schedule of activities will be as follows: Strategy Forum in Spring 2014 (2013-14)Systems Appraisal in Fall 2016 (2016-17)Strategy Forum in Fall 2017 (2017-18)Checkup in Spring 2018 (2017-18)Reaffirmation of Accreditation in Fall 2019 (2019-20)

Key Components of AQIP

Strategy ForumA supportive, facilitated peer review process to help an organization select, critically examine, and commit to a set of Strategies and Action Projects that will drive quality improvement. The Strategy Forum helps the organization address the AQIP Categories that are most vital at the time.

Action Projects/Annual UpdatesAction projects focus and highlight PTC’s efforts in undertaking specific improvement initiatives that provides the Higher Learning Commission with evidence that the institutions are seriously committed to a regimen of continuous improvement.A minimum of 3 action projects must be active at anytime during the AQIP process and one must focused on the AQIP Category: Student Learning.Action projects may be short-term (1 year or less) or multi-year. For multi-year action projects, AQIP recommends that they do NOT exceed 3 years.Action project updates must be reported annually

•Systems Portfolio

(Report that describes systems and processes at NWACC within the nine AQIP categories, that emphasizes howwe do business).

•Systems Appraisal

(Feedback report on NWACC’s Systems Portfolio from trained AQIP peer reviewers).

Key Components of AQIP (cont.)

Systems Portfolio & Systems AppraisalAQIP calls upon institutions to undergo a Systems Appraisal every 4 years.

– This is an opportunity for an institution to get expert, objective, third-party feedback on its strengths and opportunities for improvement from a team of higher educators and others experienced in continuous quality improvement and systems thinking.

– The process begins when an organization submits its Systems Portfolio for review, and ends 12 weeks later with the delivery of a 35-45 page Systems Appraisal Feedback Report.

Our next system appraisal will occur in 2011-2012.The Systems Appraisal is based on a Systems Portfolio assembled by the institution. The Portfolio presents an overview of the institution and answers explicitly all of the questions under each of the nine AQIP Categories.

Key Components of AQIP (cont.)

Quality Checkup & Reaffirmation of AccreditationAQIP requires a site visit to each institution conducted by two or more trained evaluatorsQuality Checkup visits occur in the two-year period before an organization’s scheduled Reaffirmation of Accreditation.The Quality Checkup team produces a report summarizing its findings by addressing the institution’s compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation, noting any areas that require additional clarification before Reaffirmation of AccreditationReaffirmation of Accreditation is the summative review ending each seven-year period of participation in AQIP where an AQIP Reaffirmation Panel examines the college to determine if there is satisfactory evidence of compliance with Criteria for Accreditation.

HLC Five Criteria for Accreditation

Criterion One: Mission and Integrity. The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.

Criterion Two: Preparing for the Future. The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.

Criterion Three: Student Learning and Effective Teaching. The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.

Criterion Four: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge. The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.

Criterion Five: Engagement and Service. As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.

HLC Assumed Practices

Foundational to the Criteria and Core Components is a set of practices shared by institutions of higher education in the United States.  Unlike Criteria and Core Components, these Assumed Practices are (1) generally matters to be determined as facts, rather than matters requiring professional judgment and (2) unlikely to vary by institutional mission or context.

A. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct

B.  Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support

C. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement

D. Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness

AQIP Categories

AQIP Categories

AQIP puts forward nine Categories to help analyze and improve the systems essential to all effective colleges and universities.

The name of each AQIP Category refers to a group of related processes

Each Category allows an organization to analyze, understand, and explore opportunities for improving these processes thru Action Projects

AQIP Category 1

HELPING STUDENTS LEARN focuses on the design, deployment, and effectiveness of teaching-learning processes that underlie your organization's credit and non-credit programs and courses, and on the processes required to support them.

AQIP Category 2

ACCOMPLISHING OTHER DISTINCTIVE OBJECTIVES addresses the key processes (separate from your instructional programs and internal support services) through which you serve your external stakeholders — the processes that contribute to achieving your major objectives, fulfilling your mission, and distinguishing yours from other educational organizations.

AQIP Category 3

UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS' AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS' NEEDS examines how your organization works actively to understand student and other stakeholder needs.

AQIP Category 4

VALUING PEOPLE explores your organization’s commitment to the development of your faculty, staff, and administrators.

AQIP Category 5

LEADING AND COMMUNICATING addresses how your leadership and communication processes, structures, and networks guide your organization in setting directions, making decisions, seeking future opportunities, and communicating decisions and actions to your internal and external stakeholders.

AQIP Category 6

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS addresses the organizational support processes that help to provide an environment in which learning can thrive.

AQIP Category 7

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS examines how your organization collects, analyzes, distributes, and uses data, information, and knowledge to manage itself and to drive performance improvement.

AQIP Category 8

PLANNING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT examines your organization’s planning processes and how your strategies and action plans help you achieve your mission and vision.

AQIP Category 9

BUILDING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS examines your organization’s relationships – current and potential – to analyze how they contribute to the organization’s accomplishing its mission.

AQIP Systems Portfolio

What is the System’s Portfolio?

A 75-100 page public portfolio describing PTC’s fundamental institutional processes and systems.

The Portfolio covers the nine AQIP Categories, describing processes, results, and improvement questions in each category, and shows evidence that the institution continues to meet the HLC’s five Criteria for Accreditation.

Once created the Systems Portfolio is continually updated to reflect changes in the institution's systems and processes.

The Portfolio is a valuable resource for both internal and external audiences, including specialized accrediting organizations, state higher education agencies, prospective employees, and other stakeholders.

Components of the System Portfolio

Institutional Overview-Is a brief description that summarizes what is most important to PTC and the key factors that influence PTC’s overall direction.

Nine Categories (P,R, & I Questions)-Each of the Categories deals with a related group of processes, and allows an organization to analyze, understand, and explore opportunities for improving these processes. The Helping Students Learn section will occupy twice the space of any of the other eight categories in your portfolio.

Self Evaluation-For each category, PTC will self identify which systems are strong and healthy, distinguishing them from the ones that present opportunities for improvement.

Questions