Higher Learning Commission

Member colleges and universities embrace the creativity and flexibility to approaching continuous improvement when it comes to HLC’s Quality Initiative, which institutions on the Open Pathway complete between years five and nine of their accreditation cycle.

Maryville University in St. Louis focused on assessing the impact and developing a future course of action for what is known as the Active Learning Ecosystem (ALE).

Begun by Maryville as part of the university’s strategic plan, ALE has aimed to open doors – and minds – to more creative teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom at Maryville since 2015.

Laura Ross, Maryville’s assistant academic vice president, and Sue Henderson, director of assessment and accreditation at the institution, were on the university-wide Quality Initiative team that spent nine months, beginning in 2021, reviewing data, including student survey results, and developing assessment to affirm that ALE is greatly valued.

“The idea that learning happens everywhere has been part of Maryville’s identity and mission for a very long time,” said Ross. “What we didn’t know was how ALE was actually working to engage students and our community.”

Their research resulted in the creation of new assessment tools that faculty and staff can use to make adjustments to coursework outside the classroom. This enables them to measure, reflect on and make revisions, including at early and midway-points, rather than when a course is over.

“The Quality Initiative has been a great opportunity to dig into something we may not have had time to otherwise do,” said Henderson, who is also the institution’s ALO.

The two enjoyed the project and Quality Initiative Process that made it all possible so much that they proposed – and were selected – to present on the topic during HLC’s 2024 annual conference.

“We wanted to let our colleagues at other universities know that the Quality Initiative can be useful and quite viable,” she added.  “This is not something you do just because you must.  It’s a labor of love and something that has meaning and can make a positive difference to your institution.”

For those embarking on a Quality Initiative, they suggest you:

• Start small with resources and people, providing appropriate support and resources along the way

• Rely on those with institutional knowledge, including those who have been early adopters of your project/topic at hand

• Leverage flexibility wherever possible

• Communicate and follow up with participants

• Pilot and reflect on steps being taken

• Allow for broad participation in stages, from a very small team to the entire community

While the university submitted its Quality Initiative report and received feedback from HLC staff for the final approved version in October 2023, the two believe there may be progress to talk about at Maryville’s upcoming comprehensive evaluation.

“We have clearly seen that students are more engaged because of ALE and our many active-learning activities. Moving forward, we hope to have more conversations regarding the merits of HLC’s Quality Initiative,” said Ross.