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AQIP ... FAQ
Why is accreditation important to the College?
How does AQIP differ from the former process?
Who does the re-accreditation?
What is expected of me as an employee?
Why is AQIP important to students?
When does the process begin? End?
What other institutions are participating?
How is AQIP different than the old process PEAQ?
How do I find out the meaning of an AQIP term?
AQIP stands for Academic Quality Improvement Program. It is a continuous quality improvement model and is an alternative to the traditional 10-year self-study for re-accreditation. It involves a structured set of goal-setting, networking, and accountability activities. It will help Columbus State define current and future initiatives, focus on priority action projects, and identify process improvement opportunities.
Accreditation provides assurance to the public (in particular to prospective students) that the college meets the agency’s requirements and criteria. Accreditation tells students (and their potential employers) they can have confidence in a Columbus State diploma.
Why is accreditation important to the College?
Accreditation provides both public certification of acceptable institutional quality and an opportunity and incentive for self-improvement.
How does AQIP differ from the former process?
AQIP is future-oriented with the focus on the institution continually improving performance. It is structured around quality improvement principles and processes. Re-accreditation is integrated seamlessly with improvement based on an institution’s own priorities. The previous process was based on site visits and evaluations of the college's existing programs.
Who does the re-accreditation?
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools does the accreditation.
What is expected of me as an employee?
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Learn continuous improvement tools
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Use them in your work
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Discuss ideas for continuous improvement with your supervisor
Why is AQIP important to students?
AQIP will help the college serve students better through enhanced efficiency via process improvement and it will support cost effectiveness, thus keeping tuition as low as possible.
When does the process begin? End?
The AQIP process has already begun.
Once started, the process never ends. It is cyclical and continuous. As Action Projects are completed and institutionalized, the college identifies new ones needing focused attention.
What other institutions are participating?
As of Autumn 2008, 22 Ohio colleges and universities are participating in AQIP, including Lorain County Community College, Terra Community College, Sinclair Community College, Kent State University, Ohio University, and Lake Erie College.
How does this benefit me?
The AQIP system benefits anyone associated with Columbus State. Employees, both academic and administrative, have the opportunity to participate in identifying processes needing improvements, helping to change those processes, identifying ways of measuring college performance and progress toward targets, becoming more empowered as knowledge and involvement increases. By anticipating needs rather just reacting to needs, each employee can enhance the productivity and effectiveness of the college by reducing re-work and frustration. It is anticipated that these efforts will result in a more positive, efficient, and effective college environment. Our students and our relationships with others such as vendors, business and industry, K-12 and universities, and our community in general will be enhanced as their experiences with the college become a consistently exceptional positive experience. By focusing on outcomes, whether academic or administrative, we can identify targets and focus our attention and resources to achieving those outcomes.
History of AQIP: Columbus State has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1971. Since 1999 there have been two methods for accreditation: Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) and the Program for Educational Assessment of Quality. Columbus State has been selected to participate in a new process, AQIP, to assess ourselves and select areas for improvement.
New methodology: AQIP is a different method of accreditation than Columbus State has used in the past. AQIP will judge the college based on its plans for continuous improvement. Columbus State is one of 22 colleges in Ohio selected to retain its accreditation through the AQIP program.
Columbus State's previous accreditation plan was called Program for Educational Assessment of Quality (PEAQ), which evaluated the college on its existing programs.
AQIP terms can be found on the AQIP Glossary page
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