Academic standards and
quality assurance.
Academic standards and quality assurance provide the foundation for meaningful higher education at THE A.U., supporting purposeful curriculum, meaningful assessment, academic integrity, learner development, and continuous improvement.
ACADEMIC QUALITY
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
QUALITY ASSURANCE
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Quality begins with a clear academic purpose.
Academic standards and quality assurance are important parts of a strong higher education experience. Students need more than access to courses. They need clear academic expectations, purposeful programs, meaningful assessment, responsible learning, and appropriate support.
At THE A.U., academic quality is approached as an ongoing institutional responsibility. Curriculum, learning, assessment, academic integrity, student support, and continuous improvement work together to create a purposeful educational environment.
Our approach is designed to help learners develop knowledge, strengthen critical thinking, communicate effectively, and continue growing throughout their educational journey.
Academic quality is built into the learning experience.
Purposeful Programs
Academic programs should provide a coherent pathway through a field of study, with learning experiences organized around meaningful academic development.
Demonstrated Learning
Academic assessment provides opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, and academic progress.
Honest Achievement
Academic integrity protects the value of educational achievement by establishing expectations for honest, responsible, and original academic work.
Continuous Development
Quality assurance requires ongoing attention to academic practices, learner needs, educational processes, and opportunities for improvement.
Academic standards begin with purposeful curriculum.
Curriculum provides the academic structure through which students develop knowledge and understanding. A strong curriculum connects courses and learning experiences to a defined area of study and provides direction throughout an academic program.
At THE A.U., academic standards are reflected in the importance of purposeful study, appropriate academic progression, meaningful learning activities, and a clear relationship between learning expectations and demonstrated achievement.
QUALITY ASSURANCE IN CURRICULUM
Quality assurance means maintaining attention to whether academic programs remain purposeful, coherent, relevant, and aligned with the educational objectives of the institution.
Assessment connects learning with achievement.
Meaningful Learning
Flexible and self-paced learning gives students greater flexibility in how they approach their education while maintaining the importance of academic engagement, responsibility, and completion of applicable requirements.
Academic Assessment
Assessment provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned and how effectively they can apply knowledge, analyze information, and engage with academic material.
Academic integrity protects the value of achievement.
Academic integrity is a fundamental part of academic standards and quality assurance. A higher education credential should represent genuine academic achievement and responsible participation in the learning process.
THE A.U. expects students to understand and follow university requirements concerning honest academic work, originality, responsible use of sources, appropriate attribution, and ethical academic conduct.
Academic integrity is not simply a policy requirement. It is part of the responsibility that comes with pursuing higher education.
Quality assurance includes the experience surrounding learning.
Clear Expectations
Students should understand their academic responsibilities, program requirements, university policies, and expectations throughout their educational journey.
Academic Guidance
Clear information and appropriate guidance can help learners understand their academic pathway and take responsibility for their progress.
Learner Responsibility
Meaningful education depends on active participation, academic honesty, personal responsibility, and a commitment to continued learning.
Quality assurance is an ongoing process.
Academic quality is not static. Higher education continues to evolve as academic fields develop, learner expectations change, educational practices advance, and new approaches to learning emerge.
For THE A.U., continuous improvement means maintaining an ongoing focus on academic purpose, educational effectiveness, learner needs, and institutional responsibility.
A COMMITMENT TO IMPROVEMENT
Continuous improvement encourages the university to review academic practices, identify opportunities for development, and strengthen the educational experience over time.
Flexible education. Clear academic purpose.
THE A.U. combines online and flexible learning with a commitment to academic standards, quality assurance, learner responsibility, meaningful assessment, academic integrity, and continuous improvement.
Flexibility gives learners greater freedom in how they approach their education. Academic standards provide the foundation that gives that flexibility purpose and direction.
“Education should develop more than knowledge. It should strengthen the learner’s ability to think, evaluate, communicate, contribute, and continue learning.”
Five principles support academic quality.
Purpose
Academic study should have a clear educational purpose and direction.
Responsibility
Students share responsibility for engaging honestly and seriously with their education.
Evidence
Academic achievement should be demonstrated through appropriate learning and assessment.
Support
Learners should have access to clear academic information and appropriate guidance.
Improvement
Academic quality should continue to develop as educational needs, academic practices, and learner expectations evolve.
Continue exploring academic quality and student experience.
Academics
Explore THE A.U.’s academic structure, schools, and approach to higher education.
A modern approach to higher education.
The American University of Higher Education brings an online, flexible, and self-paced approach to higher education with its Washington, D.C. identity at the center.
The American University of Higher Education
1717 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
United States
+1 202-773-8688
Learn with flexibility.
Achieve with purpose.
Choose an academic environment where flexibility is supported by clear expectations, meaningful learning, academic integrity, and a commitment to academic quality and continuous improvement.
