Two representatives from the Higher Learning Commission’s Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) will visit Northern from March 25-27. The Higher Learning Commission is a branch of the U.S. Department of Education.

The purpose of the visit is to provide a quality check of programs and projects across campus and to act as a preparatory visit for NMU’s 2009 reaccreditation assessment.

While here, the representatives will meet with 18 groups comprised of administration, faculty, students and staff to discuss the different quality improvement projects being done across campus to ensure Northern’s reaccreditation.

“This is really just a check-up in terms of all the quality initiatives that we’ve established since 2006,” said Cynthia Prosen, the associate provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at Northern.

On Wednesday, March 25 at 4:15 p.m. in the Mead Auditorium, the AQIP representatives will participate in an open campus forum where students and faculty can discuss such things as the quality of a Northern education and the strengths and weaknesses of the university.

Prosen believes that Northern is “absolutely” prepared for the visit because programs to ensure a high quality of learning have been in place for years.

“A lot of people on campus have been working hard for years on quality improvement projects, and we’re looking forward to talking to these visitors when they arrive.”