WRITING FOR THE REAL WORLD: STRENGTHENING WRITING AND CAREER KNOWLEDGE QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN (QEP) “ Do the Write Thing !”

ACCREDITATION AND QEP Every ten years, each regionally accredited college or university engages in the renewal of institutional accreditation. Miami Dade College, accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC), is scheduled for reaffirmation in 2015.

ACCREDITATION AND QEP A major part of the reaffirmation process is the development and submission of a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to SACS-COC.

QEP The QEP is a five-year action and implementation plan that will enhance student learning and further strengthen MDC's educational model.

QEP QEP identifies an area of student learning and develops strategies to strengthen performance in that area. In addition, the selected QEP topic complements and expands the reach of the strategies currently in place under MDC's Student Achievement Initiatives (SAI.)

QEP TOPIC SELECTION The process of selecting a QEP topic started in September 2012 with the appointment of the QEP Topic Selection Team. Ideas for the QEP topic originated directly from the research and feedback provided by the student body and the entire College community.

QEP TOPIC SELECTION Comprehensive College Surveys Six-month Process of Data Analysis Town Hall Meetings Discussions on all MDC Campuses Focus Groups

QEP TOPIC SELECTION At the end of this process, the QEP topic selected was : "Writing for the Real World: Strengthening Writing and Career Knowledge" The QEP has been titled: “ Do the Write Thing !”

QEP TOPIC “Do the Write Thing" will focus on improving student-writing skills, particularly in areas that will ultimately increase students' preparation and competitiveness as they enter a workforce that expects effective writing skills.

QEP GOAL Enhance workforce readiness through the skill of writing.

QEP Student Learning Outcome QEP Operational Outcome 1. Students will compose academic, discipline, and career-specific writing. 1a. Instructors will teach writing as a process that includes brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. 1b. Instructors will teach students to locate, evaluate, manage, and synthesize information. 1c. Instructors will teach students rhetorical structures and writing standards appropriate to the students' chosen field.

QEP Student Learning Outcome QEP Operational Outcome 2. Students will demonstrate career knowledge through written responses to co-curricular activities. College employees will work together to organize career-related co- curricular events and activities to be embedded in the curriculum with a written component.

QEP Student Learning Outcome QEP Operational Outcome 3. Students will evaluate their writing performance and workforce readiness Instructors will design a portfolio project or a capstone course that requires students to reflect, in writing, upon their work.

QEP STRATEGIES I.Design and implement a professional development program that provides training for faculty, staff and tutors on high impact practices that focus on career-specific writing growth. II. Implement changes to the curriculum in QEP- related courses.

QEP STRATEGIES III. Build capacity of campus academic support resources. IV. Expand co-curricular opportunities that enhance students’ writing skills and career knowledge.

QEP IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE The proposed QEP will be implemented within the next five years after approval and it will be initiated with the School of Justice.

QEP TIMELINE Our QEP Document will be submitted to SACS – COC by: September 8, 2014 On-Site Reaffirmation Committee visit is scheduled for: October 21-23, 2014.

QEP ON - SITE REAFFIRMATION COMMITTEE VISIT On-site visit will include: Presentation to introduce the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to Reviewers. Interviews as requested with students, faculty, staff, and administrators to discuss the campus buy-in and feasibility of the QEP.

QEP ON - SITE REAFFIRMATION COMMITTEE VISIT We are proud of what we all do at MDC. When we say “students first” we mean it. Our objective with our QEP, titled, “Do the Write Thing”, is to help our students be more competitive, more competent and better prepared for long term success. As members of the SACS committee approach us about our QEP we all know we “Do the Write Thing” and we wouldn’t mind conveying it to them.