Quality Enhancement Plan - Topic Selection

Purpose

In the 2018-2019 academic year, members of the Freed-Hardeman University community will be working to select a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) topic. The university community is undertaking this work because of its commitment to improving the educational experience at FHU and to comply with SACSCOC expectations for reaffirmation.The intention of this work is to select a topic that addresses needs which are articulated by the campus community and are identified through analysis of collected data.

"The Quality Enhancement Plan is an integral component of the reaffirmation of accreditation process and is derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation processes. It reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue that the institution considers important to improving student learning outcomes and/or student success.

The institution has a Quality Enhancement Plan that

(a) has a topic identified through its ongoing, comprehensive planning and evaluation processes;

(b) has broad-based support of institutional constituencies;

(c) focuses on improving specific student learning outcomes and/or student success;

(d) commits resources to initiate, implement and complete the QEP; and

(e) includes a plan to assess achievement."

-Taken from SACSCOC 2018 Resource Manuel for The Principles of Accreditation

Please see The Principles of Accreditation for more information regarding this standard.

Topic selection process

QEP Topic Proposals

Careers:

This QEP topic seeks to enhance career services and internships. The goal is to better assist student with identifying, exploring, and utilizing their God-given talents for His glory.

Click here to view the full proposal.

Wellness:

This QEP topic seeks to enhance the mental wellness of our students. The goal is to inspire and empower our students to thrive in a challenging world.

Click here to view the full proposal.

Members of the University's Topic Selection Committee (TSC) will work to facilitate the selection of a QEP topic. The committee offers the following narrative to outline the initial steps of its work.

The TSC will solicit initial feedback from the campus community via a QEP Topic Application.
The Committee will review data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE). The Committee will work with the Director of Institutional Research to identify and analyze existing institutional data that will inform needs related to student education and success.
The TSC will conduct surveys and focus groups as needed to best determine the campus needs and opportunities related to student education and success.
Following a period of information gathering, the TSC will meet with the Reaffirmation Leadership Team to discuss topics for further development. Ideally, from this process, abstracts of outstanding topics will be developed by the Committee. The TSC will then solicit additional input from the campus community to further refine the top QEP topics.

QEP Topic Application

The QEP Topic Application provides members of the campus community with an initial opportunity to share their ideas about suitable QEP topics. This application is the first in what the TSC plans to be a series of opportunities members of the campus community will have to voice opinions related to the QEP topic.

The TSC provides the following prompting questions for consideration as potential QEP topics are developed. It is important to note that an application DOES NOT need to address all of these questions. The individual or individuals submitting the application should do so with the understanding that there may be follow-up discussion with the TSC as needed.

What kinds of knowledge and skills are important to the future success of FHU students?
What perceived impact does the proposed topic have on the overall student population and/or individual students?
What types of experiences could most enhance any aspect of student learning and/or student success at FHU?
What does a "quality" experience include for students at FHU?
What are the goals of the proposed QEP topic and how could their achievement be measured?

Click the following link to access the topic application: QEP Topic Application

Topic Selection Committee Updates

Date	Title	Description
5/1/19	Topic Proposal Presentation	The TSC chair met with the Leadership Team to discuss the topic proposals and recommend that the campus community vote to choose the area of emphasis for the QEP.
4/19	Topic Proposal Development	Wellness held a stakeholder meeting. Proposals for both Careers and Wellness were drafted and reviewed. The TSC affirmed that we have two viable QEP topic areas from which to choose.
3/19	Topic Proposal Development	Each subcommittee invited stakeholders to participate in discussions about the proposed topics. Careers held three stakeholder meetings. Wellness developed and conducted a survey of faculty, staff, and students to establish baseline and need data for that topic.
2/19	Topic Proposal Development	The TSC divided into careers and wellness subcommittees. Each subcommittee held a meeting with members of the Office of Institutional Research to see what data we had and what we still needed. A survey of program coordinators was conducted to determine a baseline for internship participation.
1/24/19	Charge from Leadership Team	The Leadership Team asked the TSC to focus the topic development in two areas: Career Services with an emphasis on Internships and Wellness with an emphasis on Mental Health and possibly Spiritual Health. The TSC also received a template form in which to prepare summaries of the need for each topic and potential enhancements that could be made in each topic area.
12/12/18	Meeting with Leadership Team	The QEP TSC recommended the QEP topic area be one of the following based on an initial review institutional data and survey data: Careers, Wellness, Diversity, Spiritual Development
11/9/18	QEP TSC Meeting	Review survey and institutional data to determine topics to recommend to Leadership Team
10/22/18	QEP Survey	Survey of faculty, staff, students, and alumni to determine support of proposed QEP topics
10/4/2018	QEP TSC Meeting	Discuss other institutions for methods of collecting additional feedback from campus community, identify components of a QEP survey to rank proposed topics
9/27/2018	QEP TSC E-mail	Further refine topics and themes, review other institutions for methods of collecting additional feedback from campus community
9/21/2018	QEP TSC Meeting	Discuss data, discuss QEP topics submitted to webpage, and begin to align topics into themes and identify supporting data
8/31/2018	QEP TSC Meeting	Review data from Office of Institutional Research and assign data to committee members for review
8/28/2018	Meeting with President Shannon	Review QEP TSC with President Shannon
8/21/2018	Convocation	Introduce the campus community to the QEP Topic Selection process
8/15/2018	QEP Topic Selection Committee (TSC) Meeting	Discuss vision, webpage, topic application, and topic evaluation guide
8/1/2018	QEP Topic Selection Committee	Finalize Topic Selection Committee members

Topic Selection Committee Members

If you have questions or comments about the QEP topic selection process, please email qep@fhu.edu. Additionally, the members of the QEP Topic Selection Committee are available to speak with you.

Members of the QEP Topic Selection Committee:

Dr. Doug Burleson

Dr. Stark Davis

Dr. Ryan Hysmith

Dr. John McLaughlin

Dr. Sarah Pierce

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the QEP?

QEP stands for "Quality Enhancement Plan." In its final form, it will outline an area of emphasis that the university community has identified to improve student education and/or student success.

Is the QEP required for reaffirmation?

Yes.

Has the QEP topic already been selected?

No. The QEP Topic Selection Committee will be working through the 2018-2019 school year to facilitate and encourage discussion regarding possible QEP topics. It is important that the TSC hears from members across the campus community about possible topics.

Why should I care about the QEP?

Ultimately, the focus of the QEP is our students. As a member of our campus community, it is likely you are already committed to providing a quality experience for our students and you value continuous improvement at the University. The development of a QEP provides us with the opportunity to commit and focus our efforts on a big idea that will improve student education and student success.

When does the QEP topic have to be selected?

The Leadership Team has requested that our topic be selected by April 2019

CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Rachel Salmon
Associate Professor; QEP Chair

ANS-123
731-989-6560
rsalmon@fhu.edu

Quality Enhancement Plan - Topic Selection

Purpose

Topic selection process

QEP Topic Proposals

QEP Topic Application

Topic Selection Committee Updates

Topic Selection Committee Members

Frequently Asked Questions

CONTACT INFORMATION

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