MEETING DATE: August 28, 2013

TOPIC: AQIP Update

Accreditation:

Our regional accrediting agency is the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Collegesand Schools (NCA). The HLChas two methods of accreditation: Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality (PEAQ) and Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). Colleges may choose to be accredited by one or the other, and Terra is an AQIP institution.

The AQIP cycle is seven years long. It starts with an extensive application procedure to become an AQIP institution and then proceeds through annual cycles of review with Action Projects, a Quality Checkup Visit at about half-way during years three or four, an extensive Portfolio review the year following the site visit, and a reaffirmation of commitment to AQIP principles at the end of the cycle. Terra is one of the original charter members in the AQIP process. Provided below is a brief description of the cycles and a timeline associated for each of them.

Strategy Forum:

From February 27 to March 1, 2013, a team of administrators, faculty, and staff attended the AQIP Strategy Forum at the Q Center in St. Charles, Illinois. The team consisted of Jerome Webster (President), Lisa Williams (Vice President for Institutional Advancement), Jack Fatica (Vice President for Academic Affairs), Andy Carroll (Dean of Engineering Technologies and Mathematics), John Thiels (Director of the Academic Service Center), Susan Kajfasz (Nursing faculty), and Michael Kapper (Coordinator of Institutional Research). During the three day workshop, the team identified specific opportunities for improvement, brought to light by the Systems Appraisal Feedback Report (AQIP, 2012), and developed ideas for addressing those opportunities. In this process, the team created an additional, short-term Action Project dealing with improving the College’s systematic processes and procedures. This project, “A Case Study in Documenting Human Resources Policies, Practices, and Procedures” is designed to be a brief study of systematizing documented college procedures in support of a longer term Action Project dealing with the same issues on a College-wide basis. Dr. Michael Kapper is the champion for this project, and he is joined by two additional members of the Strategy Forum team (Carroll and Thiels) as well as two members of the College’s Human Resources staff (Nanci Kosanka and Lindsey Griffin) as the project team. The project is slated to be completed by September 15, 2013.

Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Council (PIE):

The overall AQIP processat Terra is governed by a committee of employees called the Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (PIE) Council. Currently, the Council has 21 members: Christina Bratton, Andrew Carroll, Jack Fatica,Michael Geronimo (student), Cindy Hall,Michael Kapper, Mary Keiser, Lisa Kirchner, Heath Martin, Randall McCullough, Steven Mohr, Holly Penhos, Elaine Rosengarten, Michael Shirtz, Steven Stauffer, Lyn Sullivan, Kristen Taylor, John Thiels, Kim Vogelpohl, Jerome Webster and Lisa Williams. The Council is co-chaired by Lisa Williams and Randall McCullough.

Action Projects:

The college currently has five AQIP Action Projects in progress. In addition to the HR Case Study project (mentioned above) that grew out of the AQIP Strategy Forum, there are four longer-term (1- to 2-year) projects currently underway. “Bringing Assessment of Student Learning into Everyday Campus Culture,” championed by Michael Kapper, is a two-year project that will wrap up in 2013. “Revitalization and Implementation of Program Review,” championed by Jack Fatica, is a one-year project that will conclude in 2013. “Tracking Implementation of Vision 2016” is a one-year project championed by Lisa Williams and concluding in 2013. Finally, “Improve the College’s Systematic Processes with a Focus on Communication” is a two-year Action Project which will continue into 2014, championed by Lisa Williams. With four of our five Action Projects retiring in 2013, we will be choosing three new projects by November 2013. Additionally, the current (and retiring) projects will be updated on the AQIP Website in September 2013.

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