The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) require that its member institutions develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) in order to be reaffirmed for accreditation at the institution's decennial review. The QEP is a document that recognizes keys issues identified by institutional assessment which focuses on addressing an academic need for the institution that would lead to an improved performance of students. Furthermore, the QEP must have measurable student learning outcomes that are aimed at accomplishing the institution's mission. Also, the institution must include both a means of assessing its progress and offer evidence that the college has the capability of realizing its goals and prove its capability to initiate, implement and complete the QEP.
The Texas College QEP focuses on the improvement of writing that:
The QEP covers a five-year period (2015-2020), during which time institutional assessments will be conducted addressing students’ performances, to establish if learning outcomes leading to writing improvements are being achieved. This action is in accordance with Section 2.12 of the Core Requirements for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Texas College’s QEP topic is titled “TC! Don’t Talk About It, Write About It.” The QEP focuses on improving students’ writing skills through a series of interventions that will eventually lead to increased retention and graduation rates. The identification of writing as a focus skill was derived from the assessment of entering freshman students ‘competences and a series of discussions with the faculty about identifying challenges to students learning and academic performances on the college level. A broad-base Focus Group, consisting of faculty, academic support staff, and administrators, was created to analyze data regarding students’ writing skills.
QEP Goal #1:
To develop students’ ability to apply the rules of standard written English in writing assignments such as essays and research papers.
QEP Goal #2:
To increase effective writing that addresses purpose, audience, and voice at the college level.
QEP Goal #3:
To master the writing process as recursive: drafting, writing, revision and editing, enforced through Learning Communities.
Texas College’s QEP topic is titled, TC! Don’t Talk About It; Write About It, and focuses on improving students’ writing skills through a series of interventions that will eventually lead to increased retention and graduation rates. The identification of writing as a focus skill was derived from the assessment of entering freshman students’ competences and a series of discussions with the faculty about identifying challenges to students’ learning and academic performances on the college level. A broad-based focus group, consisting of faculty, academic support staff, and administrators, was created to analyze data regarding students’ writing skills.
