2106 Reaffirmation QEP Committee Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 19 President’s Conference Room Cope Administration Building Members Present Carol Boraiko, Scott Boyd, Michelle Boyer-­‐Pennington, Bud Fischer, Terry Goodin, Tim Graeff, Ronda Henderson, Neyland Hopkins, Marva Lucas, Sheila Otto, Dianna Rust, Rebecca Smith, Jason Vance Members Absent or Excused Dwight Brooks, Jeff Gibson Ex-­‐Officio Members Present Chris Brewer Faye Johnson Others Present Lexy Denton Call to Order Dianna Rust, committee chair, called the meeting to order at 2:00 pm in the President’s Conference Room, Cope Administration Building. Members signed the roll upon arrival. Introductions The committee welcomed Chris Brewer who is replacing Jeff Hoyt as the ex-­‐officio member from the IEPR office. QEP Webpage Launch The QEP webpage was launched on Tuesday, March 18 and announced to the MTSU community via an email from President Sydney McPhee. The webpage contains essential requirements and definitions of the QEP as well as a feedback form. Committee members were encouraged to visit the page and ask others within their departments to explore the page and offer feedback, suggestions and topic considerations. Review of Brainstorming Themes After review of the brainstorming materials, Dianna Rust presented 4 common themes as possible topics. Committee members were asked to offer thoughts and suggestions on the proposed ideas as well as suggest additional topic ideas. Proposed Topic Review Connecting College Learning Experiences to Career • General education courses that are college themed such as ENGL 1010 or 1020 for business majors • UNIV 1010 and 2020 redesigned for greater career focus • UNIV 1010 and 2020 themed for meta majors/colleges; etc. Discussion included that this fits what is happening in K-­‐12 educators with creating an academic language focus. Deepening EXL to Freshman and Sophomore Years • Increase general education and introduction courses that incorporate EXL-­‐experiential learning Discussion included offering internships, lab and research opportunities, study abroad, and service learning activities as part of the program. It was mentioned that one issue is that internships are typically not completed until upper division. It was also suggested that problem-­‐
based courses with businesses as sponsors could also be an EXL experience. Linked / Connected Classes • Faculty would be assisted in developing classes that are linked/connected by common content or focus • Focus could be in areas such as career exploration/readiness; globalization; service learning experience; etc. (Heritage theme was also suggested). • Example UNIV 1010 content linked to general education courses, introduction courses in discipline, etc. Discussion included the possibility of cross-­‐campus team teaching, enhancing critical thinking through problem-­‐based curriculum by sector/industry sponsors, increasing co-­‐curricular requirements, and increased faculty training as part of the program. Academic Engagement in General Education • Course development for high engagement • Incorporating engagement pedagogies • Co-­‐curricular tie ins Discussion included creating a non-­‐credit hour program requirement (i.e. Music Department example), creating a ‘Passport’ experience in which students would participate in numerous educational opportunities on campus, and encouraging a more gen ed study abroad programs. The suggestion was made to carry the program for two semesters. Also that faculty training would be important part of the program. Additional Topic Suggestions It was proposed to grow the idea of academic engagement to include both academic and non-­‐
academic offerings on campus. By creating a ‘Passport’ experience that includes non-­‐academic programs, students may feel more confident in their overall college experiences. Passport to Learning • Redesign UNIV 1010 and other Gen Ed classes to promote high on-­‐campus engagement • Increase first and second year student career readiness opportunities • Students could begin building an ePortfolio and document these experiences and the learning The suggestion was made that the QEP could work to change the culture of MTSU students. Because many MTSU students do not remain on campus, much of the ‘College Experience’ is lost. A member mentioned creating an MT geocaching app to document students visits. The First Generation Freshman Experience • Revise UNIV 1010 specifically themed for 1st generation • Create a co-­‐curricular program targeting students and parents/family members Topic Proposal Surveys A survey as part of the QEP will be conducted to gather input on the perceived value of the proposed topics. As determined by the topic discussion at this meeting, the survey will include the 6 six proposed ideas and descriptions. Respondents will be asked to rank their opinion on the value of each topic as well as choose their top selection. They will also have space to make comments and suggestions. Committee members were provided with a sample copy of the survey that will be used to gather data from faculty, staff, administrators and students. It was suggested that recent alumni be surveyed to determine areas in which they feel MTSU may have served them better. The suggestion was also made to incentivize students for a greater response rate. $200 was approved to offer students a chance to win one of four (4) $50 gift cards. It was decided that instead of sending one survey to all target groups, three separate surveys will be distributed: faculty/staff/administrator/community members, graduates within the last three years, and current students. All surveys will be sent by email on Friday, March 28 with an end date of Thursday, April 10. Data will be provided to the committee members on Monday, April 14 so they will have a chance to review before the meeting on the 16th. Announcements The April 2nd meeting has been cancelled. The next QEP committee meeting will be held Wednesday, April 16th in the Faculty Senate Chambers (JUB 100). Committee members have been asked to use this time to talk to constituents and peers about the proposed ideas and submit feedback to QEP@mtsu.edu. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 pm.