Quality Enhancement Plan Archive

The Quality Enhancement Plan or QEP is a significant part of SACS accreditation standards. It involves both a core requirement (2.12) and a comprehensive standard (3.3.2). It is a major institutional initiative intended to improve student learning.

It includes an institutional process for identifying key issues emerging from an institutional assessment and focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution (CR2.12).

The QEP is to demonstrate institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the project; include broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the project; and identifies goals and a plan to assess project achievement (CS 3.3.2).

FGCU successfully completed its first QEP in 2010. It focused upon student learning outcomes of ecological perspective and civic engagement. The life of the second QEP will cover the period 2015 -2019 but will require several years of preparation and review. Hence the need to begin the process during the 2011-2012 academic year.

QEP Topics Submitted to SACS by Other Institutions

• http://sacscoc.org/2007TrackBQEPSummaries.asp
• http://sacscoc.org/2008TrackBQEPSummaries.asp
• http://sacscoc.org/2009TrackBQEPSummaries.asp
• http://sacscoc.org/2010TrackbQEPSummaries.asp

Florida Gulf Coast  University is committed to enhancing student learning through developing a  Quality Enhancement Plan that is inclusive, assessable, and mission-driven. To  that end, we have created a Quality Enhancement Plan Development Committee  (QEPDC) that includes membership from a wide variety of constituencies on  campus and that understands the importance of reaching out to the entire  university community in the development of our plan. 

The QEPDC is responsible for developing a Quality Enhancement Plan for FGCU that will meet the following criteria:

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; and 
   
   
3. identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement.

The QEPDC may organize its work in any way necessary to achieve these goals. It should periodically inform the campus community of its progress, solicit its input, and devise a timeline that will ensure compliance with the submission date set by the Commission on Colleges of SACS.

A two-phase selection process is being employed to identify the next Quality Enhancement Plan topic.

Phase 1

A broad solicitation of ideas will occur during the month of September and into mid-October. Using the template provided on this website (link), individuals or groups will be invited to suggest an appropriate topic(s) each to provide the following information:

1. What the proposed topic is designed to address and what it is intended to achieve.
2. The topic’s relationship to the university’s mission and to the university strategic plan.
3. What university student learning outcomes or general education competencies the topic will address.

The QEP Selection Committee will review all the suggestions received during the last two weeks of October. The topics will be reviewed against the three criteria above and whether or not the topic has a broad base of support across the university. At its discretion, the committee may recommend one or more ideas be combined into another topic. The committee will recommend no more than four suggested topics be advanced to develop more complete proposals for consideration in the second phase of the selection process. The committee will determine who will be invited to submit the more detailed phase 2 proposal based upon the nature of the topic and the willingness of the individual(s) to complete the work by the specified deadline.

Phase 2

In this phase of the selection process, a more detailed yet concise description (no more than 4-5 pages) of the proposed QEP topic will be developed for submission. The criteria to be addressed will include the following:

• The use of institutional data/assessment in development of the proposed topic.
• How the proposed topic will make a significant contribution to student academic success and achievement of student learning outcomes.
• A description of the resources that will be needed to implement the proposed topic and their likely return on the institution’s investment .
• The likelihood of project goals being achieved within four years of implementation.
• The proposed topic’s links to institutional mission and the goals of the university strategic plan.
• The potential for assessment of project goals through quantitative and/or qualitative measures.
• The magnitude of support within the university community for implementation of the proposed topic.

The deadline for the submission of these proposals will be January 13, 2012. The committee will review the proposals using the above criteria. The committee will make its recommendation of two potential topics to the Provost no later than the end of February. A final decision on the choice of a topic will occur in March 2012.

Phase 2 will culminate with the selection of a new QEP topic and the naming of a team in April 2012 to develop a full QEP proposal for implementation during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years.

Academic Year 2012-2013

• Fall 2012 – Review of Literature, selection of possible models
  • Process will occur in Working Groups that could include faculty, staff, and students who are not on the QEP Committee
  • Sharing and feedback could occur in Department, College, and other meetings (faculty senate, student government, administrative councils)
• January/February 2013 – Open meetings to share with the university community
  • While open sharing will happen continuously (through meetings with interested groups, through updates on our website), these will be formal forums to discuss our findings and get feedback
• March/April 2013 – Selection of models for use at FGCU and draft of Working Groups’ sections of QEP
• Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 – Draft of Institutional Background, QEP Selection Process, Overview of Assessment at FGCU

Academic Year 2013-2014 

• September 2013 – Review of initial draft of FGCU QEP by QEP Committee
• October 2013 – Draft the “focus” of the plan, the implementation process, and the budget
• November/December 2013 – Open meetings to share initial draft of FGCU QEP with the university community
  • In addition to open, formal meetings, specific targeted meetings might occur with Colleges, Departments, Faculty Senate, Student Government, etc.
• Spring 2014 – Revisions to FGCU QEP, additional sharing, if necessary, and submission to Provost and VPAA
• Summer 2014 – Draft QEP reviewed by Council of Deans, Council of Chairs, and other administrative units

Academic Year 2014-2015

• Fall 2014 semester – Sharing of administrative feedback with university community, if necessary, and final revisions made to QEP and shared with all faculty, staff, and students
• January 2015 – FGCU Quality Enhancement Plan submitted to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• March 2015 – SACS on-site visit

The memership of the QEP Development Committee (QEPDC) is as follows: