NC State has announced that PackWays for All: Learning by Doing has been selected as the university’s next Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) proposal. The QEP selection process has been directed by NC State’s 2024 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Reaffirmation Steering Committee.
“We are currently preparing for the 2024 SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation review, which includes the development of a five-year QEP,” said Fashaad Crawford, vice provost for assessment and accreditation. “PackWays for All: Learning by Doing certainly stood out as a plan that will enhance our overall institutional quality and effectiveness, improve student learning outcomes and set up our students for academic success.”
About PackWays for All: Learning By Doing
The selected proposal is a universitywide initiative that aims to equip students for a lifetime of success by increasing their awareness of, access to and participation in NC State’s wide variety of valuable experiential learning opportunities, also known as high-impact experiences. The initiative will have several components, including a PackWays for All online tracking platform, stakeholder advisory board and community of practice.
The platform will help guide data-driven decisions to identify and dismantle barriers that currently prevent some students from accessing the benefits of high-impact experiences. Frequent and intentional communication with students about these experiences is integral to their learning process, and will help generate student self awareness, as well as aid in program assessment efforts.
The QEP Planning Process
The QEP, an integral component of NC State’s SACSCOC Reaffirmation of Accreditation process, reflects and affirms a commitment to overall institutional quality and effectiveness, with a focus on student learning and student success. Additionally, the QEP is in alignment with the university’s strategic plan, Wolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary. The selected proposal specifically aligns with goals 3, 6 and 7.
The QEP topic selection process, carried out by the QEP Planning Team, reflects broad input from all campus constituencies including faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and staff. A strong set of options was submitted for consideration, and each one addressed critical needs and focused on valuable opportunities that NC State is committed to improving and investing in.
Overall, the QEP Planning Team evaluated seven QEP topic pre-proposals for appropriateness, alignment to the university mission and strategic plan, and feasibility of implementation. The planning team then reviewed input from the QEP Proposals Review Team, comprised of representatives from the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and Student Government, to select finalists for full proposal development.
“I want to give a big thank you to the forward-thinking and thoughtful proposal teams who made the effort to advocate for our students and our community,” said Crawford. “Though only one topic has been selected for the QEP, important issues highlighted in other QEP proposals will be addressed through initiatives as part of NC State’s strategic plan.”
Next Steps
Moving forward, the QEP Planning Team will work closely with the PackWays for All: Learning by Doing team to incorporate feedback from the community to further develop its implementation plan. This involves steps including the hiring of the QEP director, identifying key partners and stakeholders, refining program outcomes and learning outcomes, collecting baseline data, designing strategies, and connecting to existing or future programs/initiatives.
Members of the NC State community will have many opportunities to learn about the QEP planning and implementation timeline and progress.
“More importantly, we invite all of you to continue to engage with the process by offering your feedback, participating in its activities, and partnering with the QEP team,” said Crawford. “The vision for setting up students for a lifetime of success will change for the better the academic and personal lives of students across campus, and will signify a transformational shift in the way the university engages with students. The NC State community will be stronger because of the ways in which the QEP is carried out.”
Members of the campus community with questions regarding the QEP planning process should visit the QEP website or contact quality-enhancement-plan@ncsu.edu.
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