October 2004 Strategy Forum Academic Quality Improvement Program The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

PURPOSES OF STRATEGY FORUM Support your institution in adding value for your students and stakeholders Stimulate your institution to refine its Action Projects and strategies for accomplishing them Get everyone started on using the System Portfolio to appraise and improve your institution Clarify what AQIP will expect of participating institutions for the next 3-5 years

BROADER, LONG-TERM GOALS Inspire, encourage, and celebrate quality pioneer institutions that stretch for outstanding performance in pursuing their goals Nurture personal and organizational learning about quality by sharing knowledge, experience, needs, and goals Foster community and collaboration among those working to deepen their institutions' commitment to quality

THE STRATEGY FORUM FLOW  Thursday: BIG picture  Stakeholders, Alignment, Vision  Friday: FOCUS  Systems Thinking, Analysis, Measures  Saturday: SYNTHESIS  Planning and Communicating for Success

WHAT MAKES A GOOD ACTION PROJECT? Have beginnings, middles, and ends Are focused, but strategic Will be engaging and involve a significant number of people. Will create infrastructure and capacity for future improvements and result in culture change.

AQIP ACTION PROJECTS Tentative agreement on the Action Projects that will serve as institutional rallying points for the next three years -- due three months from today –January 13, Includes at least one Project primarily related to the Helping Students Learn, AQIP Criterion 1 Incorporates institutional resolve to communicate your goals and maintain clear focus on your improvement Specifies process and outcome measures which your institution will track and report for the goals it selects

WHAT ARE WE DISCOVERING ABOUT OUR ACTION PROJECTS? Have we selected the right vital few? Importance to our mission and purposes Appropriate level of focus Pragmatic for early successes Value with respect to establishing a quality culture What else have we learned? About AQIP About our institution About how we function as a team

WHAT PROCESSES ARE INVOLVED IN YOUR PROJECT? 4.Valuing People 5.Leading and Communicating 6.Supporting Institutional Operations 8.Planning Continuous Improvement 9.Building Collaborative Relationships 7.Measuring Effectiveness 1.Helping Students Learn 2.Accomplish ing Other Distinctive Objectives 3.Understand ing Students’ and Other Stakeholder Needs

Systems Appraisal Annual Update System Portfolio Strategy Forum

NEXT STEPS Taking Action: Committing to your Action Projects Taking Stock: Building your Systems Portfolio

SUBMITTING ACTION PROJECTS Declaration of commitment to Action Projects, measures, and performance targets due January 13, Projects, goals, and measures can change, but institution should explain the rationale for and effect of changes, both for AQIP and others.

UPDATING ANNUAL PROGRESS Simple, brief updates, flowing naturally from an institution’s quality improvement activity, due beginning of autumn (September 14). Share Action Project changes, completions, launches, and problems with AQIP when they occur. If progress slows or stops, AQIP will consult with an institution for additional information and a course of action.

GETTING ORGANIZED TO IMPLEMENT YOUR PROJECT A Project can be thought of as a “one- time” Process Systems thinking and tools can be applied to Projects InputsStakeholders Indicators ProcessesOutputs

SYSTEMS APPROACH TO A PROJECT PLAN How much detail is necessary? Useful? For what purpose?

ACTION PLANS Many tools, of varying formality are available, all of which: Ensure that everyone has a common understanding of expectations Provide a way to check that all necessary tasks, inputs, outputs, contingencies are identified Ensure that appropriate resources are assigned Allow you to track progress and rapidly identify issues

ITERATE Start from the beginning and work forward Start from your target end-point and work backward

NEXT STEPS Communicating with Stakeholders Increasing buy-in; reducing skepticism Refining and planning Action Project Beginning your Systems Portfolio …