QEP Overview

What is a QEP?

As part of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) re-accreditation process, a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a carefully designed and focused university-wide initiative to improve student learning. The selection of Eastern's QEP topic is an important decision the University will make together as faculty, staff, and students pursue one clear objective: to enhance student learning on our campus. A series of steps in the coming months will lead us to the final selection of our QEP topic. Watch for more information during the next few days on how you can contribute to this critically important process. Contact Onda Bennett onda.bennett@eku.edu for additional information, or visit www.sacs.eku.edu and select Quality Enhancement Plan.

Why is a QEP Important?

One of the most important decisions that will be made on our campus during 2005 will be choosing the topic of our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). SACS requires that the topic selected for a QEP be creative and vital to the long-term improvement of student learning. SACS also requires evidence that developing the QEP has engaged the entire university community in the process. While a QEP is a required element in SACS reaffirmation, more importantly our QEP process will provide an opportunity for everyone to talk and work inclusively to positively enhance student learning. Keep watching for information on how you can be involved in determining the QEP @ EKU. For additional information contact Onda Bennett onda.bennett@eku.edu or visit www.sacs.eku.edu and select Quality Enhancement Plan.

How Will We Select Our QEP Topic?

EKU's QEP topic will be determined by answering the question, "What do we want our students to know, to do, and to value when they graduate from Eastern Kentucky University?" In preparation for this important process, the QEP Committee has been gathering preliminary data since February and will soon begin collecting additional data from you that will help answer this question. Your responses will guide the QEP development process by focusing the University's attention on the highest priority for student learning outcomes. In accordance with SACS requirements, a QEP must contain specific well-defined goals that are related to an issue of substance and depth which lead to observable results. Your input is critical in shaping the future of our University. Details will follow soon on how you can be involved. Contact Onda Bennett onda.bennett@eku.edu for additional information, or visit www.sacs.eku.edu and select Quality Enhancement Plan.

Overview of the QEP Research Plan

	Research Step	Description	Data Collected	Date
1	Create a list of desirable knowledge, skills, behaviors, and values	Gather information from faculty, staff, and research sources to identify the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and values we would like our students to possess at graduation	Faculty and staff focus groups	2/2005
2	Articulate a set of distinct, clearly defined, student learning domains	Consolidate and refine focus group results, and applying relevant literature, articulate distinct, clearly defined, student learning domains		3/2005
3	Collect campus input to evaluate the student learning domains	Collect detailed information to evaluate our students' current levels of proficiency in each domain and recommended, future priorities	Faculty survey; staff and student focus groups; university-wide assessment results	4/2005
4	Establish campus-wide, student learning priorities	SPC establishes learning priorities based on Step 3 results, reported by the QEPC		4/2005
5	Develop alternative QEP topics	Planning groups will develop alternative QEP topics based on the adopted, learning priorities		8/2005
6	Engage the campus in discussion and debate of the merits of each alternative QEP topic	Initiate a broad, inclusive, campus-wide dialogue about the relative merits of the alternative QEP topics	Series of campus-wide forums; comments submitted to the SACS web site	9/2005
7	Select the topic that will be the focus of Eastern's QEP	SPC selects the focus of EKU's QEP after reviewing Step 6 results and recommendations from the QEPC and SACS Leadership Team		10/2005
8	Obtain individual and/or interdisciplinary proposals	Review proposals regarding learning outcomes, action initiatives, and key performance indicators		2/2006
9	Finalization and approval of the QEP	Write and review QEP by university community; approval of budget.		9/2006
* SPC = Strategic Planning Committee; QEPC = Quality Enhancement Plan Committee