Frequently Asked Questions

To join AQIP for reaccreditation purposes, an institution must be accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and have had two comprehensive visits.

Institutions need to have an understanding of AQIP and continuous quality improvement (CQI) to apply. This is essential because AQIP is not a traditional method for maintaining accreditation and institutions must understand these differences and what the requirements of AQIP and CQI are to participate fully and successfully.

The best ways to learn more about AQIP and CQI are by reading some of the resources on quality and by being active in AQIP. To find titles that deal with CQI, contact AQIP for a bibliography, visit the local library’s business section, or search online for articles.

In order to participate in the AQIP process, the institution does not have to be a member of AQIP or the Higher Learning Commission. Anyone with an understanding of CQI is welcome to apply to become a Peer Reviewer for AQIP. These individuals perform a variety of functions in different AQIP processes, ranging from reviewing Annual Updates and Systems Appraisals to facilitating Strategy Forums. These opportunities are a great chance to learn more about AQIP first hand.

Applicants should fully understand what AQIP is and what will be required. Applicants will also need to make sure that the institution is committed to undertaking AQIP at all levels. Prior to admission, the institution will need to either perform or have concrete plans to perform some sort of self assessment.

The pre-application phone call with the AQIP staff is intended to answer some questions the Commission has about the institution and application and answer any questions that you may have about AQIP. This call usually takes between 30 minutes and an hour.  Some institutions choose to have only the leader of their AQIP effort on the phone and others like to have a committee participate. The choice is yours, but you will need to make sure that the key individual or individuals in your upcoming AQIP initiative are present.

The self assessment requirement means that the applying institution has critically examined itself and received outside feedback on the assessment. AQIP also wants preliminary evidence that the applying institution knows what examining itself from a “process focus” means and that it has begun to identify potential Action Projects. This does not have to be completed before admission, but a concrete plan must be in place to allow for participation in a Strategy Forum within 12 months of admission. Self assessment can include a variety of different options. Applying for state or national quality awards, having a consultant visit, or a recent comprehensive visit from the Commission can all fulfill this requirement.

The institution’s application is forwarded to the AQIP Admissions Panel. Each panel member individually reviews the application and prepares a recommendation to be considered by the entire panel. Once consensus is reached on a final recommendation it is forwarded to the Commission’s Institutional Actions Committee (IAC) for approval.  If the Admission Panel’s recommendation is approved, it is then sent to the Higher Learning Commission’s Board of Trustees for validation.  At that point, the institution is formally notified of its acceptance.

Most importantly, the Admissions Panel wants to see that all the questions have been answered completely. Make sure to address all of concerns raised in any previous comprehensive visit, no matter what their status. The Panel also wants to see the real level of understanding and commitment to quality at the institution, and that the institution would be a good fit for AQIP and benefit from participating.

This process has three possible outcomes. First is acceptance into the program. Second is deferral. When this option is selected by the Admissions Panel, they hold the application pending receipt of additional materials and information. If an application is deferred, the applicant will be contacted and told what other information is required to move the application forward. When those materials are provided, the application goes back to the Panel in the next cycle. The third is to be declined. Feedback on why the application was declined and general advice on how to proceed will be provided.

If accepted, the institution will be required to send a team of seven to eight members to a Strategy Forum within one year. This event takes place three to five times a year in Lisle, Illinois, outside of Chicago, and helps prepare institutions for AQIP and the quality process.