College of Saint Mary maintains its accreditation status with the Higher Learning Commission through the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP).  This means that CSM uses strategies and processes to examine and improve its current methods.  The strategies and processes are collectively known as continuous quality improvement.  The CSM community believes that infusing quality improvement into our culture is a critical step in improving our performance to better serve our students, employees, and community. 

  

As an AQIP institution, CSM completes three distinct cycles simultaneously.  Each cycle has a different duration and sequence. 

  

Action Cycle: This one year cycle drives continuous improvement.  CSM has at least three action projects in process at all times.  

  

Action projects: 

·         Focus on improving processes 

·         Stretch CSM in new ways 

·         Involve several departments  

·         Are carried out by a team from a different areas 

·         Is short term with a beginning and an end (about one year) 

·         One project must address the AQIP category of "helping students learn" 

  

These projects are published in the AQIP Web Site Project Directory, updated in the fall, and reviewed by peer reviewers who provide feedback. Additional information about CSM's quality improvement projects can be found at the link on the left side of this page. Improvements from these action projects are incorporated into systems portfolio with is part of the Strategy Cycle. 

  

Strategy Cycle:  This four year cycle includes three steps. 

1.     CSM completes and submits the systems portfolio to AQIP.  The systems portfolio describes key systems and processes used to achieve goals and the results from measuring the effectiveness of the processes.  Please click here to see CSM's systems portfolio.  

2.     Peer reviewers provide actionable feedback to CSM in the systems appraisal.  This feedback gives CSM an objective review upon which we build our future improvement projects. 

3.     A team of CSM leaders attends a strategy forum where they spend time using the above feedback to shape new strategies, align systems, and create specific action projects. 

  

Accreditation Cycle:  The goal of the seven year cycle is reaffirmation of accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.  It includes a check-up visit and a decision to reaffirm CSM's accreditation status.  The visitors review the action projects, the systems portfolio, and the systems appraisal, and evidence from the check-up visit to confirm that CSM is improving its performance and meets accreditation criteria. 

  

CSM's AQIP Timeline  

  

November 2004	CSM is officially accepted into AQIP.
Spring 2005	CSM faculty and staff participate in community forums to determine important processes that could be improved.
May 2005	CSM team attends first strategy forum and identifies four action projects.
2005- present	Three action projects are on-going.  Information on all projects is on the AQIP Action Project Directory.
November 2008	AQIP systems portfolio is submitted.
March 2009	CSM receives systems appraisal.
November 2009	CSM team attends AQIP Strategy Forum.
2010	AQIP reviewers visit CSM to examine evidence of continuous quality improvement.
2011	AQIP determines reaffirmation of accreditation