Identifying a QEP Topic

1. Identifying a QEP Topic November 5, 2010

2. Comprehensive Standard 3.3.2 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 implementation of the QEP; and (3) identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement.

3. Core Requirement 2.12 The Quality Enhancement Plan. The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) describes a course of action for enhancing educational quality. Core Requirement 2.12 requires that an institution develop an acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan that focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning.

4. Meeting Sept. 24 • Possible topics identified. • Data collector for attempting to identify other topics • Today’s Meeting

5. Four Topic Areas + Others • Advising • Critical Thinking • Developmental Education • Distance Education • Others

6. Advising • Enhancing Our Students’ Experience Through Academic Advising • Develop a “First Semester” Experience

7. Enhancing Our Students’ Experience Through Academic Advising Strategy: Evaluate existing advising and revamp to improve. Consider who should advise, advising loads, professional development, policies, and procedures. Desired Outcomes: • Better student retention • Graduation rates improve • Course completion rates improve

8. Develop a “First Semester” Experience Strategy: Develop a comprehensive plan to increase retention and student success which includes requiring a “First Semester” Experience which includes one-on-one advising and the assignment of a faculty or staff mentor. A mandatory student life skills class which runs the full semester which teaches critical thinking skills, basic computer skills, stress management skills, conflict resolution skills, budgeting, study skills, and test taking.

9. Outcomes: • Better advising • Better retention rates • Better course completion • Higher graduation rates

10. PASS: Personalized Advising for Student SuccessElizabethtown Community and Technical College (KY) Strategy: To improve academic advising through three initiatives: (a) promoting student success through new student orientation, (b) improving advisor training through professional development, and (c) improving student success to personalized advising through the establishment of an advising center. Outcomes • Improved retention • Improved graduation rates

11. The Guided Plan for Success (GPS)Horry-Georgetown Technical College (SC) Strategy: To implement a proactive, goal-oriented advising process during the new student intake process in which students will develop personal academic plans, seek and utilize appropriate support services to address self-identified academic challenges, and apply their personal academic plans to achieve their academic goals. To accomplish this the college will implement orientation and success skills workshops, expand tutoring services, and overhaul advising through the development of new procedures and professional development. Outcomes • Improved retention and graduation rates

12. Statewide Data Of every 100 9th grade students in North Carolina: • 43 enter college the fall after graduating from high school • 11 graduate with a bachelor's degree in four years • 3 graduate with an associate's degree in three years   • 36% of North Carolina's young adults (ages 25-34) have a college degree.

13. More Data Much of the data is anecdotal such as discussions of students being placed in the wrong classes, students taking courses they don’t need to take, students taking courses out of sequence and students not knowing their advisor…. • RCC’s graduation rate 24% at 150 percent of program length ranks 37th out of 58 community colleges in NC. That number falls to 6% if only associate degree programs are considered. • Only 26% of 430 students surveyed indicated that they had talked to an advisor about career plans. • 56% of 430 students surveyed indicated that academic advising services were important to them. • However, graduates (100%) indicate that they are satisfied with academic advising.

14. Critical Thinking • Better Develop Critical Thinking Skills in RCC Graduates • Critical Thinking

15. Better Develop Critical Thinking Skills in RCC Graduates Strategy: Require students to engage in journaling or blogging during their time at RCC – self directed – encourages autonomous learning skills; self-reflection required of journaling will assist each student in the development of a personal statement of philosophy. At the conclusion of the student’s educational experience, a capstone essay will be required. Outcomes: • Students will develop critical thinking skills • Retention rates will improve

16. Seeking the OX: Developing Critical Thinking at LFCC (VA) Strategy: To promote cultural exchange through three goals: fostering awareness and understanding of CT among college employees in all disciplines, enhancing critical thinking skills in all courses and programs, and encouraging critical thinking practice outside the classroom. Outcomes: • One of six general CT learning outcomes will be placed in all courses. • The institution will implement a course-based assessment of CT using three nationally-normed instruments as well as faculty developed assessment tasks. • Promote a series of extra curricular activities to highlight CT outside the classroom.

17. Launching Better Learners through Critical ThinkingPatrick Henry Community College Strategy: Improve students’ critical thinking skills in every decision made in the academic and personal lives. PHCC will develop the students’ problem solving skills, as well as their abilities to use deductive and inductive reasoning to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of arguments, conclusions, and issues. Outcomes: • Students will be able to conceptualize and construct deductive and inductive arguments. • Evaluate the credibility of sources, information and opinion to determine when and what additional information may be needed. • Analyze common types of information, generalizations and reasoning. • Synthesize, make inferences, and actively apply learned concepts in different curricula contexts.

18. Probable Data Sources Data to support the topic is limited and dated. On the CCSSE that we administered at the time we went through accreditation last time: • 70% of students indicated that the college contributed to their knowledge to think critically and analytically. • 60% indicated that the college contributed to their ability to solve numerical problems. • 67% indicated that the college contributed to their ability to analyze the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory. • 53% indicated that the college contributed to their ability to make judgments about the values or soundness of information, arguments, or methods.

19. Developmental Education Titles Submitted: • By the Numbers: Developing students’ quantitative literacy • Developmental Math: The Key to Academic Success

20. Enhance Students’ Quantitative Literacy Strategy: Offer student workshops in financial literacy, math anxiety, and quantitative exercises and projects integrated into the curricula which reinforce math. Faculty will receive professional development and integration of quantitative exercises in curricula. Outcomes: • Students will improve quantitative literacy.

21. Math Up: A Plan for Student Success in MathematicsFlorida Gateway College (Formerly Lake City Community College) Strategy: Improve the quality of developmental mathematics courses by promoting student engagement. This strategy is based around the discourse theory or effective questioning in the classroom. Faculty will receive professional development on linking discourse theory with a newly created curriculum for each class in the sequence. Outcomes: • Course success • Better passing rates • A longitudinal study of persistence through the mathematics sequence

22. Multiply Your Options With MATHMiddle Georgia Technical College Strategy: The plan is built on three interventional programs: • Building Math Bridges: A program to contextualize the experiences of math students based on the five principles of the Math-in-CTE model. • Survivor Math: A program to support math learners through enhanced tutoring and support services, based in a new learning environment. • Lighthouse Program of Professional Development: A program to focus on professional development of the math faculty. Desired Learning Outcomes: • Students will demonstrate the mastery of the concepts in developmental math courses. • Students completing developmental math courses will demonstrate mastery of concepts in their core math courses. • Students completing developmental math courses will demonstrate mastery of mathematical concepts in the math portions of occupational courses. • Students completing developmental math courses will enter the workforce with appropriate math skills.

23. Data Statewide data indicates: • Of students who enter the lowest level of developmental mathematics only 8% will ever complete a college-level mathematics course. RCC Data (Fall 2010) indicates: • 74.6% of new students placed into Developmental Math • 19.5% placed into the lowest level Developmental Math • 35.2% of new students placed into Developmental English • 27.8% of new students placed into Developmental Reading • 76.9% of new students needed remediation in at least one area • 23.3% need remediation in three areas

24. Student Success Rates (C or Better) in Developmental Courses 2009-2010

25. Distance Education Suggested title • Enhance Distance Education by attaining a “real” classroom experience in online courses. Projects undertaken by other colleges. • Be Ready for Online Classes • Quality Assurance in Online Instruction for Student Success • Improving Student Success in Online Classes • Going the Distance: Improving Distance Learning in a Climate of Recovery, Regeneration, and Transformation

26. Enhance Distance Education by attaining a “real” classroom experience in online courses Strategy: Enhanced online learning can enrich any course and enhance student success. Utilize simplified software programs to enable both teachers and students to experience rich exchanges of information while actively communicating subject matter from multiple locations. A simplified, enhanced online learning system that emulates the classroom. Outcomes • Better online course completion rates

27. Data to Consider • The completion rates for online courses is 76.5% as compared to 84.3% for like courses offered in a traditional manner. • The passing rate of completers in online courses is comparable to that of those courses offered in a traditional manner. • On a recent survey of non-returners, four students commented that “RCC does not have enough online classes.” One student indicated that they were taking online courses from Stanley Community College because they had more offerings.

28. Other Suggested Topics • Becoming a More Sustainable Campus • Improving Writing and Speaking Throughout the Curriculum • Planning and Implementation of an Honors Program • Increasing Student Involvement and Engagement to Enhance Student Learning • Data to Inform (CCSSE) • Service Learning

29. Breakout Groups • Get with your group at your designated place • Goals: Choose a recorder and someone to report out for your group • Choose as many of these topic areas as you wish and discuss possible QEP projects related to the topic. • Come back together in 45 minutes and present a summary of your discussion.

30. Next Steps • A collector will be sent out next week for you to vote for a topic/topic area. • Depending on the results of the vote a runoff may be necessary.