Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

Pursue Truth: Read Responsibly. Think Critically., is intended to address information fluency by increasing students' ability to read critically.

Information fluency is the ability to interpret, communicate, problem-solve, and create across a variety of situations in a media-rich, data-driven, global information ecosystem.

Since critical reading is an essential vehicle for evaluating information in various formats, solving problems, and creatively integrating knowledge into a wide range of contexts to achieve information fluency, faculty workshops and a Community of Practice will be launched to cultivate these critical reading abilities in students.

Accreditation

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires institutions at reaffirmation to develop a QEP.

The QEP Must:

  1. Focus on a specific topic

  2. Be formed and endorsed by the campus community

  3. Emerges from Institutional Assessment

  4. Have clear goals for student learning outcomes

  5. Assessed for its effectiveness and efficiency

Development Process:

  1. Gather data from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and employers

  2. Collaborate with Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment

  3. Compile the data and write a QEP report to submit for evaluation

Resources

QEP Plan's Accomplishments

Highlights and accomplishments from the previous QEP plan.

Faculty Workshops

Apply year-round for spring and summer workshops.

2023 Subcommittee Charge & Membership

QEP Committee Members help with the research and development of a new Quality Enhancement Plan student learning initiative as part of the SACSCOC accreditation and reaffirmation process. Members of the committee include representatives from each of the six colleges as well as the University libraries.

Key:

  1. * Member of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Team
  2. * Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Leads
  3. *** Community of Practice (CoP) indicates a collaborative community to enhance skills for teaching Information Fluency and Critical Reading.

Charge:

  1. Identify disciplinary definitions of Information Fluency (IF) and Critical Reading (CR)
  2. Clarify the relationship between IF and CR specifically how CR contributes to/facilitates IF
  3. Identify top experts in IF and CR and assist in identifying potential QEP consultants in these areas
  4. Write QEP document section pertaining to topical research

Members:

  • *Lucy Wittkower (Chair), Library
  • Joleen Mclnnis, Library
  • Elizabeth Vincelette, English
  • Stacie Ringleb, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • **Yvette Pearson, Philosophy & Religious Studies
  • Vic Colaizzi, Art

Charge:

  1. Identify other communities of practice
  2. Identify resources needed to develop an IF-CR-related Cop
  3. Identify assessment plan(s) for determining effectiveness of CoPs
  4. Develop interactive online resource to facilitate collaboration

Members:

  • Cheryl Honeycutt (Chair), QEP Team, Nursing
  • Jaewan Yoon, QEP Team, Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Vanessa Panfil, Sociology and Criminal Justice (2022 only)
  • **Yvette Pearson, QEP Lead, Philosophy & Religious Studies

Charge:

  1. Host faculty forums to introduce QEP topic to university stakeholders and gather feedback during forums
  2. Find and review similar QEPs at other institutions to assist in determining potential QEP evaluator
  3. Share findings with Topical Research Committee
  4. Review workshop and CoP committee proposals

Members:

  • Brendan O'Hallarn (2021 Chair), Public Affairs & Media Relations
  • *Yuping Liu-Thompkins (2022 Chair), Marketing
  • *Rod Graham, Sociology & Criminal Justice
  • *David Gauthier, Biology
  • *Marissa Jiminez, QEP Advisory Board
  • Caitlin Chandler, University Communications
  • Tyler Miller-Gordon, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
  • Amy Matzke-Fawcett, Arts & Letters Communications
  • **Remica Bingham-Risher, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment

Charge:

  1. Determine tech needs specific to QEP
  2. Write QEP document section pertaining to uses of technology to facilitate successful deployment of QEP

Members:

  • Megan Mize (Chair), Center for High Impact Practices
  • Alison Lietzenmayer, Communications
  • Ann Kumm, English Language Center
  • *Helen Crompton, Teaching & Learning
  • Christine Nickel, Center for Learning & Teaching
  • Rachel Crockett, Information Technology Services
  • *Vukica Jovanovic, Engineering Technology
  • Noah Glaser, STEM Education & Professional Studies
  • **Remica Bingham-Risher, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment

Charge:

  1. Develop Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
  2. Develop university assessment plan for QEP implementation

Members:

  • *Dan Richards (Chair), English
  • Kelsey Orsini, Student Representative
  • Kelsey Kirland, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
  • Lauren Eichler, Philosophy & Religious Studies
  • Wie Yusuf, Public Service
  • David Shirley, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
  • **Remica Bingham-Risher, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment

Charge:

  1. Review and analyze institutional data
  2. Review findings and conclusions from Topical Research and Outcomes and Assessment committees
  3. Assist in development of rollout and structure of faculty workshops
  4. Review budget and resource needs to support workshops (e.g., faculty stipends)

Members:

  • *Elko Klijn (Chair), Management
  • *Jennifer Kidd, Education
  • *Anne Perrotti, Communication Disorders & Special Education
  • Kristi Costello, English
  • Mary Beth Pennington, Director of Writing Placement & Support
  • Ann Kumm, English Language Center
  • **Yvette Pearson, Philosophy & Religious Studies
  • **Remica Bingham-Risher, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment

Charge:

  1. Research similar QEP projects at comparable institutions
  2. Write QEP document section pertaining to budget and related resource needs

Members:

  • **Yvette Pearson (Chair), Philosophy & Religious Studies
  • **Remica Bingham-Risher, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
  • Megan Corbett, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment

Charge:

  1. Compose the final QEP narrative
  2. Compile component narratives provided by other QEP committees

Members:

  • *Yvette Pearson (Chair), Philosophy & Religious Studies
  • Kelsey Orsini, Student Representative
  • **Remica Bingham-Risher, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
  • David Shirley, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
  • Megan Corbett, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment

More 2023 QEP Information

Â鶹´«Ã½ Designs its Second QEP

Â鶹´«Ã½ news article about the new QEP process, which coincides with Â鶹´«Ã½'s reaffirmation process.

QEP Townhall

Click download to read the QEP Town Hall document. 

April QEP Townhall

Click download to get information from the April QEP Town Hall. 

Leadership & Guidance Team

Assists Committee Members to look at the impact of the previous QEP on teaching and learning at Â鶹´«Ã½, serve as ambassadors for the QEP process to campus constituents, help solicit potential QEP topics from colleagues in their colleges/units, identify a new topic and design an implementation plan.

QEP Director Picture

"I'm excited to see how we can continue to shape and shift student learning. I'm personally interested in reflection as a means of processing experiences, as I've seen just how asking others to reflect on their learning can help them evaluate and apply what they've experienced. I've worked with faculty who've taken part in the QEP: Improving Disciplinary Writing Workshops and Action Projects to help design assignments that prepare students for life beyond Â鶹´«Ã½, that ask them to imagine how what they've learned in their courses will be useful to them well beyond their time with us. I'm excited and hopeful that our next QEP will continue to use the faculty development model that's been so successful and broaden the scope of our student learning endeavors. We're building from the ground up, so I look forward to what our campus community will develop together."

Yvette Pearson

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the faculty lead for this grassroots initiative to develop Â鶹´«Ã½'s (Â鶹´«Ã½) next QEP. As someone who benefited from Â鶹´«Ã½'s first successful QEP, Improving Disciplinary Writing, I am excited about augmenting our ability to collectively enhance students' learning experiences. I look forward to exploring the many possible ways of addressing students' most urgent learning needs with colleagues across the university and to fostering university-wide collaboration as we develop and implement our QEP for 2023."

QEP Director Picture

"I'm excited to see how we can continue to shape and shift student learning. I'm personally interested in reflection as a means of processing experiences, as I've seen just how asking others to reflect on their learning can help them evaluate and apply what they've experienced. I've worked with faculty who've taken part in the QEP: Improving Disciplinary Writing Workshops and Action Projects to help design assignments that prepare students for life beyond Â鶹´«Ã½, that ask them to imagine how what they've learned in their courses will be useful to them well beyond their time with us. I'm excited and hopeful that our next QEP will continue to use the faculty development model that's been so successful and broaden the scope of our student learning endeavors. We're building from the ground up, so I look forward to what our campus community will develop together."

Yvette Pearson

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the faculty lead for this grassroots initiative to develop Â鶹´«Ã½'s (Â鶹´«Ã½) next QEP. As someone who benefited from Â鶹´«Ã½'s first successful QEP, Improving Disciplinary Writing, I am excited about augmenting our ability to collectively enhance students' learning experiences. I look forward to exploring the many possible ways of addressing students' most urgent learning needs with colleagues across the university and to fostering university-wide collaboration as we develop and implement our QEP for 2023."

Additional Accreditation Resources

Contact

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