Notes from AQIP on

Category 9, Building Collaborative Relationships

AQIP has reviewed the Notes presented here to make sure they conform to AQIP and HLC policies, and to ensure they present sensible strategies and useful practices for Systems Portfolios. Every organization preparing a Systems Portfolio is not obligated to follow the advice presented here, but organizations can be confident that heeding this advice will not mislead them. Notes pages are locked, and only AQIP can change them.

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Category 9, Building Collaborative Relationships

Systems, Activities, and Processes it might include

Building Collaborative Relationships examines your institution's processes and systems related to:

• Identifying key internal and external collaborative relationships
• Alignment of key collaborative relationships
• Creating, prioritizing, and building relationships
• Identifying the need for collaborations and partnerships
• Building internal relationships

Address specific relationships with educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations.

Also, address the nature of the relationship (existing or emerging, feeder or receiver, community support, outsource, etc.).

Activity that promotes internal collaboration among individual employees is best addressed in Category 4, Valuing People. Describe here activities that promote internal relationships among groups -- different departments, units, etc.

External collaborative partners might include organizations that are the sources of your entering students (high schools, community colleges, places of work); organizations that are the destination of your exiting students (4-year institutions, graduate schools, places of work); suppliers such as food services, book suppliers, and student recruiting services; external agencies such as state coordinating boards or state, local, or national governments; religious organizations; other institutions or consortia of institutions; etc.

Involvement of external collaborative partners in planning processes may also be addressed in Category 8, Planning Continuous Improvement.

For 9R1 through 9R2, address historical trends and patterns, as appropriate.