NC State’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Packways: Learning by Doing, focuses on increasing student access to and participation in High-Impact Experiences (HIEs). These immersive, sustained opportunities allow students to deepen and apply knowledge in and beyond the classroom. The initiative, which closely aligns with the university’s strategic plan Wolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary, aims to equip students with tools for lifelong learning through experiences like undergraduate research, study abroad, internships, service learning and student employment. Packways helps students connect these experiences to their personal and professional goals by focusing on critical reflection skills and fostering a sense of belonging.
Following Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) approval of the Packways QEP in March 2024, work on the initiative moved from proposal to pilot year activities. Interim Director Holly Hurlburt transitioned to QEP advisor when NC State hired full-time QEP Director Rebecca Sanchez to oversee implementation.
Professional Development, Student Engagement and Reporting Efforts
In collaboration with the Office for Faculty Excellence, the Office of Equal Opportunity and DELTA, the Packways team created a professional development series for faculty, staff and advisors featuring workshops on HIE best practices, lowering barriers to participation, and critical reflection techniques. The first two cohorts have completed this training series and are developing or modifying HIEs for their students. In the coming weeks, we will assess the first round of student critical reflections on their high-impact experiences, providing valuable data for impact and continuous improvement.
Student engagement efforts, led by Packways Student Engagement Liaison Chess Miller, have taken center stage during this initial phase. Maintaining a focus on student voice and choice is fundamental to the Packways approach, and a series of student focus groups has helped us understand their perspectives and needs. The newly established Student Advisory Board has collaborated with the Packways team to design and implement a multi-pronged communication campaign targeting first-year and transfer students. Communications interns Haley Pearce and Anna Czarkowski, in conjunction with Sa’Tia Brown (DASA) have created engaging content highlighting the value of HIEs (e.g., study abroad and undergraduate research) and are working with communications professionals across campus to share this content.
The Packways team, including Graduate Research Assistant Radja Chinoun, also worked with Institutional Strategy and Analysis and the Division of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA) to revise existing surveys to better align with reporting needs and surveyed colleges and departments about their HIE practices and preferences. In addition, the team explored technology platforms to track HIE participation and help students document their reflections. Working groups comprised of members of the Packways Steering Committee, professional development participants, and campus partners are working on focused topics for Packways next steps, including website updates, student enrichment funds, student employment, assessment and advising.
Lessons Learned and Looking Forward
The pilot phase has established a strong foundation for this campus-wide effort, and Packways is prepared to adapt and expand in the Launch Phase (AY 2025-27). Lessons learned in the pilot have informed our future direction. For example, insights from student focus groups have led to adjustments in communication and implementation plans, and exploration of faculty/staff needs and assessment options has led to the development of the Packways Recognized HIE approach – faculty and staff who complete the professional development series and agree to share student reflections receive this recognition and associated incentives. A third professional development cohort is registered for May, and additional cohorts will be available beginning in the fall semester.
Next steps include updating the Packways website with more detailed information for different stakeholders (student-facing content will be available in June), recruiting and training additional faculty/staff cohorts, implementing the Packways Champions student ambassador program, launching mini-grant opportunities to provide funding for students and faculty/staff, and engaging in targeted outreach to incoming students through events such as Experience NC State, New Student Orientation and Wolfpack Welcome Week. The initiative will continue building its community of practice, bringing together faculty, staff and advisors across campus to promote awareness of, access to and critical reflection of these transformative experiences that prepare NC State students for lifetime success and impact.
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