The Quality Enhancement Plan seeks continuous improvement relative to two Student Learning Outcomes:
- Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills that develop their academic perseverance.
- Students will describe an enhanced sense of belonging within the College.
Interventions are planned and implemented in Perspectives (our first-year seminar), Advising, Campus Resources, and Engagement (PACE).
Evaluation Plan and Measures:
QEP Leadership, will coordinate and collect data at various points of the year, including a biannual of plan project areas, annual administration of NSSE, and course data collected from the AAC&U Lifelong Learning VALUE rubric. The QEP/PACE Ambassadors and a group of volunteer faculty and staff will complete the rubric, and each will be double-scored in order to ensure inter-rater reliability. Assessment methodology, measures, and targets may be adjusted over the course of the Plan as deemed necessary by the Institution.
KPIs:
1. Associated Competencies with PRSP course—Increase understanding of someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from their perspective.
2. Design interactions for students to understand available engagement opportunities.
3. Develop common PRSP activities (engagement with reflections)
4. Expand outreach from Student Success and Advising Center.
5. Create campus traditions for first-year students
6. Expand outreach from student resources across campus.
Baseline measure (for each KPI):
1. NSSE 2e: Tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective.
2. Data from NSSE
3. Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning Rubric (AAC&U) scoring for PRSP course
4. Hire one budgeted position in the Student Success and Advising Center prior to July 1, 2024. Move two grant-funded advising positions to budgeted positions after August 1, 2024. Hire new half-time adviser.
5. Plan and implement First Chime, our new student convocation.
Current/most recent data (for each KPI):
1. Data is forthcoming; however, National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) survey results have been received. NSSE results reflect a two-percentage point decrease in first-year students who “Tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from their perspective” (2023: 72%; 2024: 70%). However, NSSE results reflected an increase in other indicator items for first-year students that are a focus of the Perspectives course core components. Indicator items reflecting an increase include:
- “Effective Teaching Practices”
- “Learning Strategies (alignment with campus resources)
- “Using Learning Support Services” (alignment with campus resources)
- “Providing opportunities to be involved socially” (alignment with engagement)
- “Attending campus activities and events” (alignment with engagement)
2. The Modern Campus App, DSConnect, underwent a soft launch in Spring 2024 and a full rollout in the fall.
3. A common presentation and lab component pertaining to engagement/service learning has been developed. The corresponding reflection assignment has also been developed. The AAC&U Lifelong Learning VALUE Rubric will be marginally modified to assess the reflection.
4. The Student Success and Advising Center has hired an assistant director and transitioned one position to an adult learning coordinator. All previously grant-funded positions have been transitioned to the institutional budget.
5. Freshman Convocation, called “First Chime,” was planned and implemented, with 1,194 student check-ins. This was regarded by incoming students as part two of freshman orientation. This occurred on the eve of the start of fall classes.
Goal or targets (for each KPI):
Among the two Student Learning Outcomes, there are actions with measurable associated competencies across each area of Dalton State’s QEP, known as PACE (Perspectives, Advising, Campus Resources, and Engagement). For example, we seek to expand outreach from the Student Success and Advising Center. One of the competencies associated with this action item is that survey data will indicate an increase in the frequency with which advisers discuss academic progress (45% of students indicate quite a bit or very much in year one and 55% in year five). There are a total of six action items, and associated competencies, that support the two student learning outcomes. Some have baseline targets with relatively incremental increases by one percentage point per year. Some targets will be established when baseline data of new strategies are collected in year one.
Time period/duration: Five years
QEP Leadership has implemented a reporting structure in which each area coordinator completes a biannual report. The results of these reports facilitate conversations and modifications surrounding the Plan and are used for further reporting to the Institution, for System initiatives, and for the Interim Report to SACSCOC.
Each focus area/meta-major now has a QEP/PACE Ambassador who serves in a leadership role for the faculty who teach Perspectives in their area. These ambassadors are charged with collaborating with other faculty to develop common elements for the focus area (i.e. conducting research in STEM). Ambassadors are led by the Senior QEP/PACE Ambassador, who focuses on campus-wide leadership of faculty teaching Perspectives.
Data collected from Advising and Campus Resources reflections through the AAC&U Lifelong Learning VALUE Rubric data produced no statistically significant findings. QEP Leadership assessed the issue and is moving forward with rubric calibration training in alignment with AAC&U’s recommendation.
This year, the Institution will need to plan for additional hires in Student Success and Advising. The Center will need to conduct searches and complete and onboard new hires.
QEP Leadership, in consultation with the QEP Steering Committee and various units across campus, will need to plan the implementation of action items for Year 2:
1. Create First-year traditions, which are linked to the Perspectives course
2. Design interactions for students to understand available engagement opportunities.
3. Develop common PRSP activities (engagement/service learning with reflections)
4. Conduct VALUE Rubric calibration training, as discussed as an adjustment.
1. Faculty participation in a freshman convocation at a busy time of year (beginning of the semester).
2. Faculty and administrative mindset surrounding benefits and staffing of the Perspectives course.
3. Faculty and administrative mindset surrounding content and class time dedicated to presentations on advising, campus resources, and engagement.
4. Staffing presentations on advising, campus resources, and engagement/service learning.
Help tell the story of the efficacy of a freshman seminar course, especially one that has an academic subject that incorporates components that address student success.
