The AQIP Pathway was introduced in the late 1990s as an option for institutions to maintain their accreditation with HLC. Like the other Pathways for Reaffirmation of Accreditation, it is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement, but with an added emphasis on helping institutions achieve continuous quality improvement.

During an evaluation of the pathways in 2017, HLC noted a sharp decrease in the number of institutions choosing to participate in the AQIP Pathway. While HLC and its Board of Trustees are fully committed to continuous quality improvement efforts, this has signaled that HLC must rethink the way it supports such efforts. Therefore, HLC has begun the process of phasing out the AQIP Pathway and transitioning current AQIP institutions to other pathways.

Transition Details

Institutions will transition off the AQIP Pathway during the next two academic years, and HLC will work with institutions to make that process as smooth as possible. The timing will depend on where an institution is in the AQIP Pathway cycle. In June 2018, HLC provided personalized transition maps to institutions on the AQIP Pathway.

To allow institutions to focus on their transition to a different pathway, HLC will be making the following changes to the AQIP Pathway requirements and supporting systems:

Regular Monitoring

Institutions will continue to undergo the regular monitoring required for maintaining their accreditation with HLC. This includes an annual Institutional Update, which is reviewed by HLC to monitor organizational health, comply with certain federal requirements and identify any changes that may require HLC follow up. HLC will also apply change processes as appropriate to planned institutional developments, and will monitor institutions through reports, visits and other means as it deems appropriate.

Annual Action Project

Action Project Updates will no longer be required. The Action Project Network and Action Project Directory Archive, which hosted Action Project information, were taken offline in January 2019. Institutions that transition to the Open Pathway are encouraged to consider adapting their Action Project to use as a Quality Initiative.

Strategy Forums

HLC will no longer offer Strategy Forums. HLC is developing new resources to support continuous quality improvement for all institutions in HLC’s region.

Systems Portfolios and Appraisals

Institutions that submitted a Year 3 or Year 7 Systems Portfolio in summer 2018 will have their appraisals go forward as normal. Year 3 and Year 7 Systems Appraisals also will continue as scheduled in 2018–19. Institutions with an appraisal currently scheduled for later years will transition in 2018–19.

In the appraisal process, institutions complete Systems Portfolios to demonstrate that the Criteria for Accreditation are being met. The institution provides evidence on how it plans, implements, reports and utilizes data for the AQIP Pathway Categories and also includes evidence related to the Criteria for Accreditation. A peer review team conducts a Systems Appraisal to evaluate these materials and recommends whether the institution should continue in the cycle and whether any monitoring is required.

Comprehensive Evaluation and Comprehensive Quality Review

Year 8 comprehensive evaluations will continue as scheduled in 2018–19 and 2019–20. Year 4 Comprehensive Quality Reviews also will occur as scheduled in 2018–19. If a Year 4 Comprehensive Quality Review is assigned following a Systems Appraisal in 2018–19, the institution will complete that review before transitioning out of the AQIP Pathway.

In both types of reviews, institutions are evaluated to ensure they are meeting the Criteria for Accreditation, pursuing institutional improvement and complying with certain requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education. The Year 8 comprehensive evaluation leads to an action regarding the reaffirmation of the institution’s accreditation.

Policies

Appendix B: Policies Related to the AQIP Pathway
The policies in this appendix remain in effect for institutions on the AQIP Pathway only as long as necessary to complete AQIP Pathway evaluations begun under these policies and for the institutions to transition to another pathway. Once the transition occurs, policies applicable to that pathway will apply, in addition to all other HLC policies then in effect.