Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

The concept of quality enhancement is at the heart of the Commission's philosophy of accreditation. Each institution seeking reaffirmation of Accreditation is required to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Engaging the wider academic community and addressing one or more issues that contribute to institutional improvement, the plan should be focused, succinct, and limited in length. The QEP describes a carefully designed and focused course of action that addresses a well-defined topic or issue(s) related to enhancing student learning.

The plan is directly related to institutional planning efforts and is selected through ideas generated from a wide range of constituents. The focus of the QEP is on improving institutional/ student performance, with a clear relationship between the activities of the QEP and the improvement of student learning.

To ensure the success of the QEP, a very detailed budget is developed to demonstrate institutional commitment to the effort. Detailed timetables are established that clearly indicate that the QEP can realistically be implemented and completed in five years.

Review of the QEP by SACSCOC is based on the institutional process used to develop the plan, the focus of the plan, the institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the plan, broad-based involvement in the development and implementation of the plan, and the assessment of the plan.

The QEP developed by the University in the 2010 SACSCOC accreditation cycle was Critical Thinking: Learning to Make Informed Decisions. This project was designed to change student behavior in critical thinking through instructional practices integrated into the curriculum and in assessment activities within selected courses. It was evaluated through direct and indirect measures (including surveys of key student groups and focus groups).

Current QEP

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) begins with a review of institutional data to identify barriers to student learning or success within the university. As of spring 2018, 33% of A&T students were earning a D, F, or W (withdraw) in general education math courses. Data from across the institution indicates that students who fail their general education math courses are less likely to complete their degree than peers who pass these courses. They are also less likely to complete their degree in four years, investing more time and money into the same degree as their peers.

Focus group data conducted on the math faculty at A&T point to attendance as a primary cause of students not passing these courses. Students who regularly attend courses tend to pass. Data provided by general education math faculty who have kept meticulous attendance records from 2011-2019 corroborate this sentiment; a sample of this data is provided visually below for MATH 101.

Now it’s time to decide how to best address attendance. A survey conducted Spring 2019 on students in general education math courses indicated that the math faculty are doing extremely well communicating the material effectively and building rapport with their students, but some students are still not committed to attend class. So, what is the best intervention? Please, share your ideas at the links below: