Ridgewater College's Continuous Improvement Program (AQIP)
*** ANNOUNCEMENT *** On October 26, 2009, the College was notified of the intention of the Higher Learning Commission to grant Reaffirmation of Accreditation. The recommendation is scheduled for action on the December 7, 2009 agenda of the Commission's Institutional Actions Council, after which the HLC's Board of Trustees will affirm the action. Thanks to all of you who have played a part in this important process! |
"Launched in 1999 with a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) infuses the principles and benefits of continuous improvement into the culture of colleges and universities by providing an alternative process through which an already-accredited institution can maintain its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools" (www.aqip.org) The Academic Quality Improvement Program is an alternative process through which an organization can maintain its accredited status with the Higher Learning Commission. Its goals are to infuse the principles and benefits of continuous quality improvement into the culture of the college in order to assure and advance the quality of higher education. What most distinguishes AQIP from traditional reaccreditation is its concentration on systems and processes. As of 2007, over 180 colleges and universities were in the AQIP program. Ridgewater was accepted into the Higher Learning Commission's AQIP program in November 2002, and as of late 2009, is in its seventh and final year of the seven-year accreditation cycle. Click here to read about the cycles and processes within the AQIP program. Click here to read about Ridgewater's action projects, both current and retired. Click here to find out who serves on the AQIP Steering Committee. Click here to find a glossary of terms and acronyms used in the AQIP program. Click here to find a timeline showing history of Ridgewater College's involvement in the AQIP program.
| 
