2006 AQIP Quality Checkup Visit
AQIP Background
In 2001 Lansing Community College chose an alternative process for maintaining its accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. That process, called the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP), involves several steps that ultimately result in the creation of a comprehensive system of data-driven continuous quality improvement in all instructional and administrative areas of the College.
LCC has engaged in the following AQIP steps:
- In 2001 LCC was admitted to AQIP and its accreditation
status was extended to 2008-09.
- In 2002 and again in 2006, representatives of LCC's
Executive Leadership Team and AQIP Steering Committee
participated in a
Strategy Forum, which is a peer review process that
assists a college in selecting, critically examining, and
committing to Action Projects that drive quality
improvement.
- The College identified three Action Projects in
2002 and updated those projects in 2006 and 2007. Action
Projects are a means of focusing the institution on concrete
quality improvement projects. As one project is completed,
another takes its place. LCC's current Action Projects are
summarized below:
- Creating Continuous Process Improvement Systems. This involves creating a comprehensive system of data-driven continuous quality improvement that will comprise all instructional and service units of the College.
- Emergency/Safety Action Plan. The College will provide a comprehensive, strategic approach to safety and emergency issues, in such areas as emergency management, life safety systems, occupational health, environmental health, and management of vehicle fleet.
- Strategic Alignment Initiative. The goals are
to increase communication and awareness among all staff
and faculty about the College's Strategic Plan;
strengthen the sense of teamwork, collaboration, and
commitment necessary for successful implementation and
updating; increase opportunities to align Division
activities with the plan; and increase College
leadership's ability to address barriers to
implementation.
- A 93-page Systems Portfolio describing the
College's fundamental institutional systems was submitted in
May 2005. The Systems Portfolio describes the context,
processes, results and improvement in each of nine AQIP
categories: Helping Students Learn, Accomplishing Other
Distinctive Objectives, Understanding Students' and Other
Stakeholders' Needs, Valuing People, Leading and
Communicating, Supporting Institutional Operations,
measuring Effectiveness, Planning Continuous Improvement,
and Building Collaborative Relationships.
- A Systems Appraisal of LCC's Systems Portfolio was conducted by a team of Commission-trained, experienced reviewers knowledgeable about quality. A detailed Feedback Report was received by the College in October 2005. The report provides information on how the college can improve its processes and performance in each of the nine AQIP categories. AQIP expects organizations to demonstrate overall improvement from one Systems Appraisal to the next.
- In January 2006, the College held a forum to discuss and analyze the system appraisal feedback. The Executive Leadership Team, Academic Chairs, and other College leaders identified three areas of focus: Organizational Alignment, Evaluation and Data Decision Making, and College-wide Participation and Communication.
- November 29-December 1, 2006, the College had the
AQIP Quality
Checkup Site Visit. Two AQIP reviewers--Dr. Vaidehi
Rajagopalan and Michael White--assisted LCC in understanding
itself and taking actions that will move it toward
accomplishing its mission, vision and potential. Quality
Checkups are not visits an institution can "fail" (although
they could result in uncovering problems not identified
previously), so the climate surrounding them should be
positive.
Questions? Please contact Jason Mayland at (517) 483-1975 or maylaj@lcc.edu.
Quality, Planning & Economic Development
Washington Court Place
Phone: (517) 483-1975