As part of the Higher Learning Commission’s Academic Quality Improvement Project (AQIP), participating institutions submit a Systems Portfolio every four years.  LSC’s most recent Systems Portfolio was submitted November 1, 2013. AQIP’s official response to the Systems Portfolio is in the form of a Systems Appraisal Feedback Report.

A Systems Portfolio describes the institution’s processes, results, and improvement in each of six (formerly nine) AQIP Categories:

AQIP Category One: Helping Students Learn

HELPING STUDENTS LEARN focuses on the design, deployment, and effectiveness of teaching-learning processes (and on the processes required to support them) that underlie the institution’s credit and non-credit programs and courses.

AQIP Category Two: Meeting Student and Other Key Stakeholder Needs

MEETING STUDENT AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDER NEEDS addresses the key processes (separate from instructional programs and internal support services) through which the institution serves its external stakeholders in support of its mission.

AQIP Category Three: Valuing Employees

VALUING EMPLOYEES explores the institution’s commitment to the hiring, development, and evaluation of faculty, staff, and administrators.

AQIP Category Four: Planning and Leading

PLANNING AND LEADING focuses on how the institution achieves its mission and lives its vision through direction setting, goal development, strategic actions, threat mitigation, and capitalizing on opportunities.

AQIP Category Five: Knowledge Management and Resource Stewardship

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP addresses management of the fiscal, physical, technological, and information infrastructures designed to provide an environment in which learning can thrive.

AQIP Category Six: Quality Overview

QUALITY OVERVIEW focuses on the continuous quality improvement culture and infrastructure of the institution.  This category gives the institution a chance to reflect on all its quality improvement initiatives, how they are integrated, and how they contribute to improvement of the institution.