1. October 15, 2015 QEP: PAST AND PRESENT AND FUTURE

2. Goals for October 15, 2015 Meeting 1)Learn about QEP Oversight Committee members’ skills 2)Understand expectations for QEP Oversight Committee members 3)Gain insight into QEP past, present and future

3. Lobo Stars: Enhancing Academic Learning Through Student Engagement at SRSU Featuring Outdoor Learning Pilots of Engagement Faculty Development Focusing on Critical Thinking Assessed by NSSE CAAP In-house Measures

4. Putting Your Words to Work at RGC Featuring Writing centers at each campus Adopted writing rubric for student compositions Focusing on Enhancing students’ written and oral communication skills Assessed by Smarthinking usage reports CAAP Writing Essay Test In-house Measures

5. Lessons Learned Ownership is critical—The SACSCOC On Site Committee found that students only has a vague awareness of the QEP and faculty felt they had had little opportunity to participate in planning (SRSU). Planning is essential—Dr. Wesley Wynne, who coordinated QEP at RGC, recommended, “Be sure the QEP has a precise focus and its goals are reasonably easy to measure conceptually with all data available.” The oral communication component was dropped. Overarching themes—(1) Conceptualization; (2) Methodology; (3) Manageability

6. Planning Begins with SACSCOC Compliance: CS3.3.2 The institution has developed a Quality Enhancement Plan that (1) demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP; (2) includes broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP; (3) Identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement.

7. SACSCOC Requirement: CR 2.12 The institution has developed an acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that includes an institutional process for identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment and focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution.

8. Consider Our Local Institutional Context Topic identification, plan design, and implementation approach must reflect: SRSU/RGC Mission Statement Assessment data Campus culture Strategic priorities Resources Research Relevant best practices

9. Institutional Context: Core Curriculum Core Curriculum Skill Objectives Cycle Team work (2014-2015) Communication (2014-2015) Empirical and Quantitative (2015-2016) Critical thinking (2015-2016) Social responsibility (2016-2017) Personal responsibility (2016-2017)

10. Institutional Context: Needs Assessment Top 5 Areas Identified as Greatest Need with Rationale 1)Writing 2)Reading 3)Research 4)Communication 5)Internships/Community Service Return Rates Combined 112/114 = 23% All faculty 59/122 = 48% All students 11/56 = 20% All staff & admin 52/362= 14%

11. Stage One: Conceptualization Collect ideas from all sources: forums, suggestion boxes, surveys, emails, institutional context, national context Build on existing strengths & structures Narrow ideas down to a selected topic Identify goals and articulate expected Student Learning Outcomes

12. Study Other Programs: USC Connect Goal: Integrative learning within and beyond the classroom Definition: Integrative learning is the active construction of knowledge across, within, and beyond the classroom experiences that can be applied to solve problems in new contexts.

13. University of South Carolina Strategy 1.Consensus and broad involvement 2.Building on existing strengths 3.Resource development 4.Official recognition and clear messaging 5.Support for key players (e.g. faculty, students) 6.Ongoing assessment and program change

14. Graduation with Leadership Distinction In... Community Service Global Learning Research Professional Engagement (Internships & Peer Leadership)

15. USC CONNECT Course work + Integrative learning + BTC

16. Graduation with Leadership Distinction Requirements Significant BTC Experience Enhancement Activities 6 credits Related Course Work Public Presentations/Publications E-portfolio emphasizing key insights, analysis, application to leadership (completed through courses or independently) GPA 3.0 or higher

17. Ongoing Assessment and Program Change Faculty, staff and student perceptions surveys focus groups/partner meetings Student learning e-portfolios integrative learning assessment

18. Additional Resources Irma J. Van Scoy, Executive Director, USC Connect, www.sc.edu/uscconnect List of Quality Enhancement Plans from SACSCOC http://www.sacscoc.org/documents/listofQEPs.pdf West Texas A & M University http://www.wtamu.edu/about/quality-enhancement-plan.aspx Texas Wesleyan University https://txwes.edu/academics/office-of-the-provost/sacscoc- accreditation-/quality-enhancement-plan/