Links to PDF Files

• Overview
• Category 1
• Category 2
• Category 3
• Category 4
• Category 5
• Category 6
• Category 7
• Category 8
• Category 9
• Glossary
• Index

AQIP Categories

The nine AQIP Categories provide a framework that colleges and universities can use to examine their key processes to make sure they are investing energy and resources in ways that will help achieve their goals.

Each AQIP Category deals with a related group of key processes and allows an organization to analyze, understand, and explore opportunities for improving these processes and the interrelationships among them. Because each Category analyzes processes present in all higher learning organizations, the Categories promote critical reflection that allows colleges and universities to share and learn from other organizations’ experience and insight.

AQIP expects each institution to use the Categories to structure its Systems Portfolio, an organizational resource that describes key institutional systems and their performance results. A repository for information that is shared throughout an institution, the Systems Portfolio becomes a key management and communication tool for continuous improvement.

Category Descriptions

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Category 5 
Category 6 Category 7 Category 8 Category 9 

Category 1 : Helping Students Learn
Category One identifies the shared purpose of all higher education organizations and is accordingly the pivot of any institutional analysis. This Category focuses on the teaching–learning processes within a formal instructional context, yet also addresses how the entire organization contributes to student learning and overall student development. It examines processes and systems related to:

• Learning objectives
• Mission-driven student learning and development
• Intellectual climate
• Academic programs and courses'
• Student preparation
• Key issues such as technology and diversity
• Program and course delivery
• Faculty and staff roles
• Teaching and learning effectiveness
• Course sequencing and scheduling
• Learning and cocurricular support
• Student assessment
• Measures
• Analysis of results
• Improvement efforts 

Category 2 : Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives
Category Two addresses the processes that contribute to the achievement of the major objectives that complement student learning and fulfill other portions of the mission. Depending on the organization’s character, the Category examines processes and systems related to:

• Identification of other distinctive objectives
• Alignment of other distinctive objectives
• Faculty and staff roles
• Assessment and review of objectives
• Measures
• Analysis of results

Category 3 : Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs
Category Three examines how the organization works actively to understand student and other stakeholder needs. It examines processes and systems related to:

• Student and stakeholder identification
• Student and stakeholder requirements
• Analysis of student and stakeholder needs
• Relationship building with students and stakeholders
• Complaint collection, analysis, and resolution
• Determining satisfaction of students and stakeholders
• Measures
• Analysis of results
• Improvement efforts

Category 4 : Valuing People
Category Four explores commitment to the development of faculty, staff, and administrators, since the efforts of all are required for success. It examines processes and systems related to:

• Work and job environment
• Workforce needs
• Training initiatives
• Job competencies and characteristics
• Recruitment, hiring, and retention practices
• Work processes and activities
• Training and development
• Personnel evaluation
• Recognition, reward, compensation, and benefits
• Motivation factors
• Satisfaction, health and safety, and well-being
• Measures
• Analysis of results
• Improvement efforts

Category 5 : Leading and Communicating
Category Five addresses how the leadership and communication structures, networks, and processes guide the organization in setting directions, making decisions, seeking future opportunities, and building and sustaining a learning environment. It examines processes and systems related to:

• Leading activities
• Communicating activities
• Alignment of leadership system practices
• Institutional values and expectations
• Direction setting
• Future opportunity seeking
• Decision making
• Use of data
• Leadership development and sharing
• Succession planning
• Measures
• Analysis of results
• Improvement efforts

Category 6 : Supporting Institutional Operations
Category Six addresses the support processes that help provide an environment in which learning can thrive. It examines processes and systems related to:

• Student support
• Administrative support
• Identification of needs
• Contribution to student learning and accomplishing other distinctive objectives
• Day-to-day operations
• Use of data
• Measures
• Analysis of results
• Improvement efforts

Category 7 : Measuring Effectiveness
Category Seven examines how the organization collects, analyzes, and uses information to manage itself and to drive performance improvement. It examines processes and systems related to:

• Collection, storage, management, and use of information and data at the institutional and departmental/unit levels
• Institutional measures of effectiveness
• Information and data alignment with institutional needs and directions
• Comparative information and data
• Analysis of information and data
• Effectiveness of information system and processes
• Measures
• Analysis of results
• Improvement efforts

Category 8 : Planning Continuous Improvement
Category Eight examines the planning processes and how strategies and action plans are helping achieve the mission and vision. It examines processes and systems related to:

• Institutional vision
• Planning
• Strategies and action plans
• Coordination and alignment of strategies and action plans
• Measures and performance projections
• Resource needs
• Faculty, staff, and administrator capabilities
• Measures
• Analysis of performance projections and results
• Improvement efforts

Category 9 : Building Collaborative Relationships
Category Nine examines the organization’s relationships-current and potential-to analyze how they contribute to accomplishing the mission. It examines processes and systems related to:

• Identification of key internal and external collaborative relationships
• Alignment of key collaborative relationships
• Relationship creation, prioritization, and building
• Needs identification
• Internal relationships
• Measures
• Analysis of results
• Improvement efforts