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Kirkwood Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC is an independent corporation and one of two Commission members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), which was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditation agencies in the United States. The Higher Learning Commission accredits, and thereby grants membership in the Commission and in the North Central Association, to degree-granting educational institutions in the North Central region: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Kirkwood embraces the philosophy, principles, and practices of the Higher Learning Commission’s, Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP). The College was approved to participate in this form of continuous improvement accreditation in 2006 integrating its own Kirkwood Quality Improvement Program (KQIP). Developed by the HLC, this approach informs and sustains the College’s self-assessment by placing strong emphasis upon performance data and progress evidence. Thus, Kirkwood’s strategic and operational improvements are systematically aligned and integrated into the accreditation self-assessment process. To ensure the College continues to advance its mission, vision, and priorities in a manner aligned with the Higher Learning Commission, the College engages in a reaffirmation procedure every seven years to demonstrate it is meeting or exceeding the Higher Learning Commission's accreditation standards and expectations. Kirkwood relies upon five core AQIP processes to demonstrate it is meeting the ongoing requirements of the Commission’s criteria for accreditation. These processes are: Action Projects, Systems Portfolio, Systems Appraisal, and the Strategy Forum. Additional information about the HLC's Academic Quality Improvement Program can be found on the AQIP website. For more information, contact Alan D. Rowe at (319) 398-7611. Updated 4/29/10:js |
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