Beginning in 2006 and continuing on an annual basis each August, the Planning and Research Office prepares and submits a State Agency Accountability Report to the South Carolina Budget and Control Board (SCBCB). The Agency Accountability Report is based on the Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence and is a concise, straightforward report on the College’s performance and as a self-assessment tool in ongoing efforts related to continuous improvement. The report is submitted to the SCBCB for review by the Governor and the South Carolina General Assembly and is published on the College’s web site. As part of the process in preparing the Agency Accountability Report, Aiken Technical College uses the accountability process to seek continuous improvement in programs, services and operations. This then serves as the foundation for the College’s institutional effectiveness process, which in turn requires a College-wide comprehensive planning and assessment process that identifies needed change and selects a direction for the College.