Academic Planning and Improvement Process
APIP
What is APIP?
The St. Cloud State University Academic Planning and Improvement Process (APIP) is a campus-developed framework designed to foster an integrated and systematic relationship between assessment of student learning and academic program review; and strategic planning and resource allocation.
Outcomes, Guiding Principles, Alignment
Guiding Principles
The Academic Planning & Continuous Improvement Process should:
- Be comprehensive and fully transparent
- Involve faculty and staff
- Use data-driven and evidence-based decision making in conjunction with discipline-specific knowledge
- Support future growth that is responsive to student and external needs and demands
- Be implemented regularly and integrated with our planning and resource distribution processes
Alignment with Higher Learning Commission
St. Cloud State University’s Academic Planning & Continuous Quality Improvement Process is designed to support successful alignment with the criteria and expectation of the Higher Learning Commission, SCSU’s regional accreditor.
HLC Criterion 4. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
Core Component 4.A: The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs
4.A.1: The institution maintains a practice of regular program reviews.
Consistent with the HLC’s Pathway process, the Academic Planning & Continuous Quality Improvement Process will contain both a quality assurance component and a continuous improvement component. The Program Review self-study and report aligns with the HLC’s Assurance Process, including the expectation of evidence from assessment and evaluation, to support the arguments made in the self-study. The annual planning and reporting cycle supports the HLC’s Improvement Process, including the articulation of improvement initiatives in the annual planning documents, as identified through the assessment and evaluation.
Alignment with Minnesota State Board Policy
The 5-year Academic Program Review process is designed to comply with Minnesota State Board of Trustees Policy 3.36, which states:
Part 8. Academic Review. Each system college and university shall regularly review its academic programs for the purpose of academic planning and improvement. The chancellor may conduct statewide or regional reviews of academic programs or program clusters, report findings to the board and, when necessary, impose conditions on academic programs.