University Academic Council
The University Academic Council (UAC) is at the core of academic governance for the AIU System. It is responsible for reviewing and approving substantive changes to academic programs, curriculum, and policies that support the System’s mission. The UAC voting membership consists of appointed faculty from all member institutions, and stakeholders from across the System serve as ex-officio participants. The UAC is chaired by the Provost and meetings are facilitated by the UAC Secretary.
Library & Learning Services
This department offers a comprehensive collection of online resources tailored to the academic needs of AIU System students, faculty, and staff. Encompassing a wide range of materials, including full-text journal articles, electronic books, media items, and company profiles, the Summon discovery service provides easy access to the library's collections, streamlining exploration. The department also offers interlibrary loan services to graduate students attending California Southern University and Trident University International, providing access to additional materials to support their research endeavors.
A team of professional librarians supports users with personalized assistance in research methodologies, citation styles, and information literacy concepts. Whether through one-on-one consultations, workshops, online tutorials, or the 24/7 live chat service, our librarians strive to empower users with the skills and knowledge to navigate the scholarly landscape.
Additionally, the department provides synchronous third-party tutoring services and asynchronous assistance through various online resources, reinforcing learning outcomes and supporting students striving for academic excellence.
Curriculum & Assessment
This department supports the development of curriculum and assessment for AIUS by working closely with the member institutions to offer support and assistance for program development and course revisions. The department works with the deans and faculty to set the rules and methods for developing curriculum based on innovative pedagogical practices, and is responsible for ensuring consistency in the methodology, standards, and framework for curriculum development across all schools and colleges within the system. It is also responsible for maintaining consistent policies and methodology for assessment of both curricular and co-curricular activities, direct measures of student learning, and provides guidance on effective and psychometrically sound assessment measures and instruments. It may also recommend changes in assessment processes based on a review of the usefulness of assessment strategies, reporting strategies, and feedback processes to ensure that assessment data are used to inform decision-making at all levels aimed at improving student success.
Faculty Training & Development
This department is committed to learner success and satisfaction and dedicated to academic excellence. Helping faculty to engage in ongoing learning and professional development is critical for student success. Our goal is to have faculty provide quality curriculum to learners and utilize teaching methods that inspire students to persevere and achieve their academic goals. To accomplish this, we provide monthly professional development and training opportunities that inspire excellence and innovation in teaching, learning and scholarship. Our faculty development professionals work to develop new teaching methods, improve research skills, and increase knowledge of new technologies. Such activities include technology training sessions, academic workshops, book clubs, conferences, webinars, and faculty mentoring.
Academic Operations
This department provides support to the System’s Academic Leadership team for the management of faculty, maintenance of faculty records, and provides oversight over faculty credential management. It is also responsible for managing faculty letters of appointment.
Institutional Effectiveness (IE)
This department oversees continuous-improvement initiatives for the System. Continuous improvement ensures that System departments and programs routinely examine the quality of their operations and gauge constituent satisfaction. These efforts allow the System to identify opportunities for modifications and enhancements designed to result in a better student experience.
The IE team operates a reporting protocol in which progress toward objectives may be tracked and measured. Additional functionalities of the continuous-improvement process include indirect assessment via student surveys. Some continuous-improvement work is managed directly by the IE team; others involve the IE team in a consultancy or supportive role. IE may also be described as a System-wide culture of systematic self-reflection, evidence-based decision making, and continuous improvement.
Policy & Program Management
This department provides oversight of all System and institutional academic policies and procedures, adherence to internal academic and System governance processes including review and approval of new programs and changes to existing programs, management of the University Catalog for each member institution, and Registrar services. Registrar services includes oversight to the awarding of academic credentials, credits, and degrees; all decisions and evaluations regarding student academic progress and performance and the completeness and integrity of student records.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
AIUS has a standing committee known as the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB exists for the protection of human subjects and requires those students and faculty conducting research involving human subjects to submit their research proposals for review prior to data collection. Among others, the charge of the IRB is to ensure adherence to federal, state, and local regulations; as well as established ethical principles including respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, as enunciated by the Belmont Report and recognized by the U.S. Department of Health Sciences. The AIUS IRB is registered with the Department of Health and Human Services of the Federal Government (IORG0010545 and IORG00013557; FWA00029425 and FWA00032542).