Standard 2 — Institutional Design, Quality Assurance and Effectiveness

The institution engages in mission-driven institutional evaluation and planning that explicitly focuses on advancing academic excellence and innovation while respecting individual rights for open inquiry. The institution integrates strategic planning, academic assessment, program review, student achievement, student experience, resource allocation, enterprise risk, and regulatory compliance within a coherent institutional evaluation system. The institution regularly practices a self-reflective system of meta evaluation. The institutional effectiveness planning process enlists participation of internal and external constituents and fosters innovation for the advancement of organizational performance and academic excellence. The institution administers effective systems of managing enterprise risk, internal controls, and regulatory compliance.

The institution’s organizational structure supports achievement of its mission, with governance and leadership maintaining responsibility for quality throughout the organization using relevant qualitative and quantitative evidence to evaluate institutional performance, identify areas requiring attention, allocate resources, and verify the effectiveness of improvement actions. The governing board is comprised of individuals with a range of backgrounds that reflect the mission and academic offerings of the institution who collectively demonstrate integrity in decision-making independent of excessive political and cultural pressures.

Financial resources are managed transparently and ethically and demonstrate stability and adequacy that allows the institution to fulfill its mission and deliver a student experience that is commensurate with the student investment of funds, time, intellect and spirit. Physical and technological resources are evaluated and renewed to provide excellence in delivery of education and enhancing student experience, remaining sufficient and sustainable to support institutional mission, educational quality, student success, and responsible operations.