AQIP? Where Do We Fit? Presentation for 2008 Kansas Library Conference Robert Kelly, Hutchinson Community College

Purpose Explain AQIP, its processes and products Demonstrate how library services can appear in the Systems Portfolio Spur dialog regarding the role of libraries in campus accreditation processes Offer tips and suggestions for being relevant

What Is AQIP? Alternative Quality Improvement Program Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) launched in 1999 Alternative reaccreditation process to NCA’s PEAQ (Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality)

HLC Accreditation Programs AQIP Focuses on how learning outcomes were determined and how the school knows the outcomes are being properly assessed Continuous improvement Reaccreditation Program 7-year Cycle 9 Criteria PEAQ Focuses on identifying learning outcomes 10-year Cycle 5 Criteria

Kansas AQIP Schools Fort Hays (2000) Cowley CCC (2001) Fort Scott CC (2001) Hutchinson CC (2001) Garden City CC (2003) Independence CC (2003) Southwestern (2003) Tabor (2003) Butler CC (2004) Dodge City CC (2004) Highland CC (2004) Johnson CCC (2004) Allen CCC (2005) Friends (2005) Seward CCC (2005) U. of St. Mary (2005) Barton CCC (2007) Pratt CC (2007)

KAQIP HLC encouragement for collaboration KAQIP helps KS institutions move to AQIP reaccreditation processes Offers training Chris Crawford, FHSU Craig Mosher, Highland CC

NCA Accreditation Criteria Mission and integrity Preparing for the future Student learning and effective teaching Acquisition, discovery, and application of knowledge Engagement

AQIP Categories Helping students learn Accomplishing other distinct objectives Understanding students and other stakeholders Valuing people Leading and communicating Supporting institutional operations Measuring effectiveness Planning continuous improvement Building collaborative relationships

Criterion 1Criterion 2Criterion 3Criterion 4Criterion 5 1. Helping Students LearnXX 2. Accomplishing Other Objectives XX 3. Understanding Students and Other Stakeholders XX 4. Valuing PeopleXX 5. Leading and CommunicatingXX 6. Supporting Institutional Operations XX 7. Measuring EffectivenessXX 8. Planning Continuous Improvement XX 9. Collaborative RelationshipsXX NCA Criteria and the AQIP Categories

AQIP Core Processes Strategy Forum Action Projects Annual Update Systems Portfolio Systems Appraisal Quality Checkup Reaffirmation of Accreditation

AQIP Quality Improvement Cycle Action Projects Systems Portfolio Systems Appraisal Strategy Forum

Action Projects Capella University Library Services Quality Improvement Project The project will: 1) increase the quality of our service level to learners, 1) increase the quality of our service level to learners, 2) introduce new content to support Information Literacy and, 3) integrate our Library Systems with our new enterprise system software. Pueblo Community College Revitalizing PCC’s Library The project will: 1) research available models of library revitalization, 1) research available models of library revitalization, 2) develop a model that meets the needs of PCC, 3) identify funding sources, and 4) launch the revitalization.

Systems Portfolio Institutional overview 9 sections devoted to AQIP categories 4 parts to each section Context for Analysis Context for Analysis Processes Processes Results Results Improvement ImprovementIndex

Systems Portfolio Context – Questions explaining how a particular system of an institution is realized Process – Questions that ask how an institution has designed and deployed processes that help it to achieve its goals

Systems Portfolio Results – Questions that ask about the performance of institutional processes, whether their performance results meet requirements of stakeholders Improvement – Questions that ask how the institution promotes systematic improvement of processes and performance in each Category

Systems Portfolio Questions 3P2 – How do you build and maintain a relationship with your students? 3R2 – What are your results for the building of relationships with your students? 6P1 – How do you identify the support service needs of your students? 6I1 – How do you improve your current processes and systems for supporting institutional operations

Systems Appraisal Feedback Report SS – Summary of outstanding strengths S – Important achievements or capabilities on which to build O – More attention may result in significant improvement OO – Outstanding opportunity for improvement

Where do Library Services Fit?: The Systems Portfolio

Overview

Hutchinson CC “Through informal processes student needs and requirements have been identified with input from faculty, student services staff, and students themselves. They include:”

Category 3 Understanding Students and Other Stakeholder’s Needs

Cowley CCC

Cowley CCC – Feedback

Fort Hays State U. 3P7 – Determining, Measuring and Analyzing Student and Stakeholder Satisfaction Result Table 3-2 denotes ongoing use of library satisfaction surveys with current students

Fort Hays State U. Feedback 3P7 S – “The Assistant Provost for Quality Management maintains an inventory of sixteen survey instruments including the student and other stakeholder satisfaction surveys, teaching evaluations, and NSSE freshman and senior surveys, which provide satisfaction benchmarks with other institutions.”

Fort Hays State U. 4R1 – Valuing People Results “The University, in addition to Forsyth Library, …have achieved the Kansas Award of Excellence for commitment to quality.”

Fort Hays State U. Feedback

Category 6 Supporting Institutional Operations

Hutchinson CC 6R1 – What are your results for student support service processes?

Hutchinson CC

Hutchinson CC Feedback 6R1 SS Results for HCC’s responses to student concerns with financial aid, computer labs, campus parking, and library services show improvement in student support services. 6R2 OO While the general results provided show good progress in key student and administrative service processes, there was a lack of evidence related to key data for most of the key student and administrative support service areas delineated in Figures 6C1-1 (Key Student/Administrative Support Processes) and Figure 6C2-1 (Support Services for Other Distinctive Objectives).

Fort Hays State U. 6C1 – Student and administrative support service processes.

Fort Hays State U. Feedback 6C1, 6I2 – There is a level “…playing field for on- campus and off-campus students by making the same information available to all students.”

Madison Area TC 6P5 – Student and administrative support service processes Figure 6.5. lists that MATC Libraries gather statistics on the number student visits, student use of databases, and student help questions

Madison Area TC Feedback 6P5 O – “MATC collects large amounts of data from a variety of sources in connection with its support services. However, development of more targeted data analysis processes may provide the College an opportunity to focus on the most critical areas in need of improvement.”

Category 7 Measuring Effectiveness

Cowley CCC 7C1 – Collecting Data and Access to Information Mention of Follett Automation System 7P1 – Processes: Selecting, Managing and Using Information and Data Included as part of student services usage reports for persistence and success rates

Cowley CCC Feedback

Hutchinson CC 7C1 – Collecting Data and Access to Information Use of Sirsi library automation system and access to other library collections

Hutchinson CC Feedback 7C1 S – “HCC has developed a centralized information system that has the ability to secure data, provide back-up for college files, and provide access to appropriate users which aids in guaranteeing access to data for informed decision making.”

Index Hutchinson CC Criterion 3 – Student Learning and Effective Teaching. The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.

Comments, Suggestions, Tips Libraries are their own action project Support institutional goals, including action projects Campus involvement Gather data with a purpose Noel-Levitz – be careful Noel-Levitz – be careful Graduate exit surveys Graduate exit surveys Service specific evals (e.g. instruction) Service specific evals (e.g. instruction) NCES comparative data NCES comparative data

Comments, Suggestions, Tips Link data to processes. Frequency of collection Frequency of collection Comparative data Comparative data Evidence Evidence Use charts, graphs, diagrams, and the like to break things up and make more visual Link comments to data AQIP Categories continuously change Collaborate

Resources – HLC’s Alternative Quality Improvement Program. Introduction to AQIPIntroduction to AQIP, Higher Learning Commission, Introduction to AQIP Crawford, Chris and Craig Mosher. “Building Your AQIP Systems Portfolio.” Fort Hays University, Fort Hays, KS. PowerPoint. 4 Dec 2007.