29:
281:
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The program took a collaborative approach with "Strategy Forums" where groups of institutions shared their insights about the "Action
Projects" they undertook to address various challenges. The records of Action Projects were stored in an online network that other participants could access and use as
320:
In order to elect participation in AQIP, institutions were required to be accredited for ten years and to have demonstrated established foundations in "expected practice" under traditional pathways. Numerous factors might have made an institution ineligible for the optional pathway, including recent
303:
AQIP originally focused on 9 categories of activity that lent themselves to self-assessment and continuous improvement, improved and refined in 2008. The guidelines identified ten core principles—Focus, Involvement, Leadership, Learning, People, Collaboration, Agility, Foresight, Information, and
234:
The Higher
Learning Commission has five major criteria for accreditation. They are: (1) Mission, (2) Ethics, (3) Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support, (4) Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement, and (5) Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness.
251:
and recommended that the agency consider "limiting, suspending, or terminating the organization's status." Although the OIG reaffirmed their recommendation that the department consider sanctions for the HLC the following year, adding critical reviews of HLC's accreditation of
260:, the Department of Education did not withdraw or limit HLC's accreditation authority. Six years later in 2015, the OIG-ED again criticized HLC, this time with an audit on the review process the HLC used while considering colleges' proposals for competency-based credentials.
316:
Known as the "AQIP Pathway", AQIP was one of three options (including
Standard and Open Pathways) that institutions accredited by the Higher Learning Commission were able to pursue for reaccreditation. Linnea Stenson served as director of the program from 2015 to 2021.
308:
guidance for future improvements. At the end of the review cycle institutions were responsible for preparing a "Systems
Portfolio" that required them to answer specific question about processes, results, and improvements for each of the 9 AQIP categories.
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843:
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Integrity—that high performing organizations use to guide their operations, and required institutions to develop their own projects to apply those principles tho their own activity and measure their success.
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The
Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) was developed as the "Academic Quality Improvement Project" beginning in 1999 by Stephen Spangehl at the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) (then the
884:
1044:
899:
321:
change in control, substantive change, sanction, monitoring, or if the accreditor had serious concerns about the institution's conduct or commitment to required accreditation activities.
1049:
874:
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894:
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859:
124:
1080:
1100:
1034:
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989:
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223:
39:
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At the end of academic year 2019–2020, HLC officially phased out AQIP as an accreditation pathway, leaving only
Standard and Open Pathways as re-accreditation options.
879:
1090:
1039:
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969:
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979:
293:
1004:
527:
762:
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292:). The project was funded by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The project was inspired by Spangehl's experience as an examiner for the
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in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States:
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is a set of policies and procedures that institutions can follow in order to maintain accreditation by the HLC.
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recognize the commission as an institutional accreditor. HLC grew out of the higher education division of the
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484:
517:
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485:"Inspector General warns accreditor over online college, raising fears among for-profit institutions"
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248:
28:
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Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
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354:"Accreditation in the United States: regional and national institutional accrediting agencies"
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336:(accrediting agency for primary and secondary schools that evolved from the NCA).
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247:(OIG-ED) criticized the Higher Learning Commission's oversight of
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Council on
Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
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832:
518:"Inspector General keeps the pressure on a regional accreditor"
106:
1050:
WASC Accrediting
Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
980:
Joint Review
Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
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Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
1045:
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
1005:
National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences
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632:"AQIP and Accreditation: Improving Quality and Performance"
806:
https://download.hlcommission.org/HLCResourceGuide_INF.pdf
658:"Principles and Categories for Improving Academic Quality"
900:
Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training
930:
Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
1000:
Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
895:
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
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Educational organizations based in the United States
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Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
243:
In 2009, the Office of the Inspector General of the
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91:
81:
71:
61:
53:
45:
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1035:Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
1010:National Association of Schools of Art and Design
890:Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
290:North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
224:North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
40:North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
880:Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
386:"Regional accrediting organizations 2009-2010"
1055:WASC Senior College and University Commission
990:Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools
935:Association of Institutions of Jewish Studies
844:
203:. The headquarters of the organization is in
8:
1040:Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
985:Middle States Commission on Higher Education
749:
747:
585:. Higher Learning Commission. Archived from
21:
950:Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation
910:American Board of Funeral Service Education
675:"AQIP Categories and Items - 2008 Revision"
1030:New England Commission of Higher Education
1025:National Association of Schools of Theatre
851:
837:
829:
391:Council for Higher Education Accreditation
220:Council for Higher Education Accreditation
27:
20:
16:U.S. university accreditation organization
1081:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago
995:Midwifery Education Accreditation Council
970:Distance Education Accrediting Commission
925:Association for Biblical Higher Education
755:"Choosing a Pathway | Accreditation"
1101:1895 establishments in the United States
1020:National Association of Schools of Music
1015:National Association of Schools of Dance
740:from the original on September 30, 2023.
296:, and sought to apply the principles of
860:Postsecondary institutional accreditors
765:from the original on December 11, 2023.
457:(Alpha revision ed.). March 2018.
345:
294:Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
284:Former regional accreditation territory
920:American Podiatric Medical Association
630:Spangehl, Stephen D. (April 1, 2012).
609:"About the Higher Learning Commission"
418:"About the Higher Learning Commission"
563:from the original on February 4, 2019
483:Kelderman, Eric (December 17, 2009).
464:from the original on February 4, 2019
428:from the original on February 4, 2019
366:from the original on February 4, 2019
359:United States Department of Education
216:United States Department of Education
7:
1091:University and college organizations
530:from the original on October 8, 2018
497:from the original on October 8, 2018
270:Academic Quality Improvement Program
264:Academic Quality Improvement Program
254:American InterContinental University
777:"Institutional Change - Monitoring"
663:. Higher Learning Commission. 2005.
940:Association of Theological Schools
14:
965:Council on Occupational Education
960:Council on Chiropractic Education
730:"Staff Liaisons | About HLC"
553:. Assessment and Accountability.
915:American Osteopathic Association
516:Kelderman, Eric (May 27, 2010).
226:(NCA), which dissolved in 2014.
549:Fain, Paul (October 5, 2015).
57:Higher education accreditation
1:
1096:School accreditors in Chicago
636:Planning for Higher Education
523:Chronicle of Higher Education
490:Chronicle of Higher Education
258:The Art Institute of Colorado
864:U.S. Department of Education
680:. Higher Learning Commission
611:. Higher Learning Commission
448:"Criteria for accreditation"
245:U.S. Department of Education
1117:
975:Higher Learning Commission
759:Higher Learning Commission
734:Higher Learning Commission
455:Higher Learning Commission
422:Higher Learning Commission
230:Criteria for accreditation
117:Higher Learning Commission
22:Higher Learning Commission
870:
700:"AQIP Pathway - Pathways"
26:
905:American Bar Association
298:Total quality management
125:institutional accreditor
781:Accreditation Processes
704:Accreditation Processes
583:"AQIP Pathway Overview"
551:"Caution on competency"
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589:on September 19, 2017
300:to higher education.
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249:for-profit colleges
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1086:School accreditors
862:recognized by the
398:on August 31, 2009
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87:Board of Directors
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66:Chicago, Illinois
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822:Official website
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783:. Archived from
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708:the original
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189:South Dakota
177:North Dakota
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92:Affiliations
62:Headquarters
18:
567:February 4,
534:February 4,
501:February 4,
468:February 4,
432:February 4,
402:November 1,
370:February 4,
312:Modern Form
36:Predecessor
1070:Categories
341:References
173:New Mexico
83:Main organ
791:April 19,
714:April 19,
239:Criticism
197:Wisconsin
161:Minnesota
46:Formation
763:Archived
738:Archived
561:Archived
528:Archived
495:Archived
459:Archived
426:Archived
364:Archived
334:AdvancED
328:See also
218:and the
209:Illinois
185:Oklahoma
169:Nebraska
165:Missouri
157:Michigan
141:Illinois
137:Colorado
133:Arkansas
123:) is an
276:History
205:Chicago
201:Wyoming
145:Indiana
129:Arizona
102:Website
54:Purpose
199:, and
153:Kansas
678:(PDF)
661:(PDF)
462:(PDF)
451:(PDF)
793:2022
716:2022
686:2017
617:2017
595:2017
569:2019
536:2019
503:2019
470:2019
434:2019
404:2009
372:2019
268:The
256:and
214:The
181:Ohio
149:Iowa
115:The
96:CHEA
49:1895
121:HLC
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