Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) About Us | AQIP Logo

The College of Nursing is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The College participates in the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) as the process to maintain accreditation with the HLC. Through AQIP, the College works to incorporate principles and practices of quality improvement into its culture to strive toward a higher level of quality in higher education.

AQIP's Principles of High Performance Organizations underline all of AQIP's elements, activities, and procedures. They represent the values that participating colleges, universities, and AQIP itself strive to embody.

 

  • A mission and vision that focus on serving student's and other stakeholders' needs
  • Broad-based faculty, staff, and administrative involvement
  • Leaders and leadership systems that support a quality culture
  • A learning-centered environment
  • Respect for people and willingness to invest in them
  • Collaboration and a shared Institutional focus
  • Agility, flexibility, and responsiveness to changing needs and conditions
  • Planning for innovation and improvement
  • Fact-based information-gathering and thinking to support analysis and decision-making
  • Integrity and responsible institutional citizenship

Through AQIP the College works on action projects that are derived from the College's Strategic Plan. These Action Projects move the College forward on improvement of processes. The College also completes a Systems Appraisal. This appraisal provides an opportunity for the College to evaluate its processes, results, and use of data and results in decision making and planning for improvement. The HLC has identified nine categories for appraisal: Helping Students Learn; Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives; Understanding Student and Stakeholder Needs; Valuing People; Leading and Communicating; Supporting Institutional Operations; Measuring Effectiveness; Planning Continuous Improvement; and Building Collaborative Relationships. Every 7 years, the College hosts a Quality Checkup visit that is the final step in the cyclical process of achieving reaffirmation of accreditation. In October 2009, the College hosted a successful Quality Checkup Visit.