Quality Enhancement Plan
The Three Proposals
Reminder What is a QEP?
1. Part of the SACS reaffirmation process
2. Core Requirement 12.12
3. “It is an opportunity and an impetus for
the institution to enhance overall
institutional quality and effectiveness by
focusing on an issue or issues the
institution considers important to
improving student learning.”
QEP Requirements
1. Must be focused on and clearly linked
to the improvement of student learning
2. Must have well-defined, achievable,
and measurable outcomes
3. Based upon documented research and
best practices
4. Include 5-year plan of action
SACS Advice
“To achieve the strongest possible
focus, an institution must be willing to
experience substantial ambiguity and
maintain flexibility in thinking during
the creative process.”

Since our College Wide Focus Groups
we have narrowed our topic selection to:
1. Critical Thinking
2. Study Skills/ College Skills
3. Writing
First Presenting Team
Critical Thinking
A Critical Thinking
QEP
QEP Team:
Anne Jones, Paul Leslie,
Jay Pitzer, Beth Spangler,
Rich Weldon, Shirley Von Beck
Critical
Thinking
Homo sapiens (the species that thinks)
“Thinking about how you think as you are thinking”
aka:
 Analytical, Socratic, scientific, systematic, multidimensional, data-based thinking
 Open-mindedness
 Conscious (purposeful) behavior
Critical Thinking is…
…the ability to explain, analyze and synthesize information…
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Active
un-Biased
Creative
Dialogical
Evidence-based
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Critical Thinkers…
 Read closely for significant information
 Adopt or reject ideas according to
internalized values
 Transfer learning to new situations
 Actively discuss concepts and ideas
 Analyze their own thought processes
 Are life-long learners
Why Choose Critical Thinking?
 Most popular among ATC focus groups
 Most popular among similar colleges
 Most popular among employers
 Encompasses all other topics
 Most fundamental to learning
 Most immediate application
 Least expensive to implement ($0)
Supporting Data
Best Practices & Resources
 Buford College, Cape Fear, Howard College,
Lord Fairfax CC, Kentucky Wesleyan,
Nashville, SW Texas, Tidewater CC, Wake
Tech, Walters State CC, Wilkes CC, and many
more…
 Paul/Elder Model, Foundation for Critical
Thinking, Stevens and Levi, IBM, Apple,
Southwest, Saturn, many more…
Benefits/Outcomes
Improve student:
 Engagement
 Persistence (graduation & retention)
 Employability
Improve students’ abilities to:
 Link classroom skills to the
workplace
 Explain, analyze, and synthesize
what they read, hear, see, do.
 Make educated choices and decisions
Implementation Plan
1. Theme: Planning & Baseline data
2. Staff Development: Rubrics/Tools
3. Walk the Talk: adopt & promote CT
principles & tools campus-wide
4. Wider application: integrate CT into
advising, tutoring, analyze data
5. Celebrate and broadcast success
Professional Development
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Critical Thinking Workshops
Critical Thinking Competencies
Share What Works!
Campus Mentors
Rubrics and Tools
Why Choose Critical Thinking?
 Most popular among ATC focus groups
 Most popular among similar colleges
 Most popular among employers
 Encompasses all other topics
 Most fundamental to learning
 Most immediate application
 Least expensive to implement ($0)
Supporting Data
Why Critical Thinking?
 Think about it…
 Why not?
Critical Thinking
  Questions
Next Team 
Study Skills/ College Skills
Team: Thomasina Hughey, Elisha Chrzan,
Jean Fishel, and Mike Bond
Study Skills/ College Skills
“Skills for College…Skills for Life.”
This proposal aims to improve student
study skills and student success in college.
This goal shall be accomplished via a
two-pronged approach that focuses on:
1.
Systematic improvements in the College
Orientation/Skills Curriculum at Aiken Technical College
2.
Strategic professional development activities related to
learning strategies, study skills, and student success
skills for faculty, staff and students.
If we can provide individuals with many of the
skills they will need to succeed in college…
We can provide them with many of the
skills they will need to succeed in life.
Benefits, Goals and Student Learning
Outcome Improvements
1.
Examine and modify the current College Skills
course (COL 103) at Aiken Technical College based
on best practices and feedback from stakeholders
(e.g., faculty, staff and students).
2.
Develop and begin to offer a one credit hour study
skills course (COL 104 – Study Skills) as an option
for students at Aiken Technical College.
3.
Increase the number of students enrolling in and
benefiting from College Orientation courses by
promoting the courses.
4.
Review/clarify the policies and criteria for requiring
the COL 103 course.
Benefits, Goals and Student Learning
Outcome Improvements continued
4. Improve student success in coursework at Aiken
Technical College (i.e., improved withdrawal rates,
GPA, retention, graduation rates).
5. Increase the percentage of full-time faculty who are
teaching College Orientation courses at Aiken
Technical College.
6. Educate all faculty and staff in relation to College
Orientation curriculum, various learning strategies,
and study skills
Plan Implementation Year One
Data indicate that many individuals at Aiken Technical
College believe that improving the learning and student
success skills of students is one of the best ways to improve
student success and retention to graduation.
Year One
 Hire a full-time College Skills Coordinator
 Evaluate the College Orientation (COL) curriculum and
COL 103 learning outcomes
 Recruit and train part-time and full-time faculty members to
instruct College Orientation (COL) courses.
Plan Implementation: Year Two
 Begin to deliver the new and improved College
Orientation (COL) courses to students at Aiken
Technical College.
 Conduct a college-wide education and publicity
campaign regarding the new and improved College
Orientation (COL) courses.
 Provide professional development training for
faculty and staff in regards to learning strategies
and study skills.
 Conduct focus groups to measure/assess
improvements made to the College Orientation
(COL) courses.
Plan Implementation
Years Three - Five
 Continue to publicize the new and revised
College Orientation (COL) courses and
related learning outcomes.
 Implementation and ongoing assessment via
performance indicators and focus groups.
 Conduct COL faculty meetings for
continued improvement.
Division Involvement and
Professional Development
 Education and Training Division will teach the COL courses
 Student Services will provide orientation
 Administrative Services will provide financial framework to
support any necessary training, advertising and marketing
these initiatives
 Ongoing faculty training will be implemented in:
 study skills (i.e., theory and practical application)
 various learning strategies
 related college success skills (i.e., time management, stress
management, etc..)
“Skills for College…Skills for Life”
is the best QEP For ATC!
 Faculty/Staff Focus Groups (75%) reported that improved
“study skills” was an effective way to improve student success
and that getting students to take, or even requiring students to
take a College Skills course would be an effective way to
improve student success at ATC.
 Thus, it is apparent that there is much room for improvements in
student graduation and retention rates at Aiken Technical
College. One way to improve graduation and retention rates
may be through improving student awareness and knowledge of
learning strategies, study skills, and college success skills.
Study Skills/ College Skills
  Questions
Next Team 
Writing
Team:
Patrick Green, Rebecca Guthrie, and
Kathryn Fowler
Writing
Initiative 1
Subject specific writing in non-English
courses
• Minute Papers
• Journal Entries
• In-Class Essays
Writing
Initiative 2
One-hour capstone writing course
• For all degree-seeking students
• Specific to field of study
• E.g. “Writing for Health Professionals”
Benefits, Goals and Student Learning
Outcome Improvements
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Communicate effectively in formal and informal written formats
2. Recognize and correct basic grammar and mechanical errors
3. Discuss concepts and issues related to their field of study and
compose writings that present their understanding and analysis
of the concepts and ideas
4. Produce writing that is clear, concise, and controlled
5. Use an appropriate formal documentation system
6. Integrate material from previous courses and experiences.
Plan Implementation
Year 1
• Intensive faculty professional development
• One course per department/discipline will adopt subject
specific writing assignments
• First one-credit capstone course will be offered to
students
Plan Implementation
Year 2
• Ongoing Professional Development
• Additional courses to offer writing assignments
• Additional department to offer writing capstone courses
• Research conducted to ensure the efficacy of the initiatives
Plan Implementation
Year 3 and beyond..........
• Ongoing Professional Development
• Two courses in each department/discipline will offer
writing assignments
• All departments will offer writing capstone courses
• Research conducted to ensure the efficacy of the initiatives
Division Involvement and Professional
Development
Division Involvement
• Implemented across all academic areas
• All divisions to assist in design and implementation
• Student Affairs assistance in research and writing
assignments
Professional Development
• Assessing writing assignments for content and grammar
• Developing writing assignments that enhance student
learning
• Teaching writing to learn
Why Writing?
• Focus Group Data
• Writing identified as a barrier in 11 of the 17 focus groups
• 5 focus groups considered writing to be one of their top three
barriers
• CCSSE Data
• Only 58% of students feel they can write clearly and effectively
• Job Preparation
• Success at other schools
• Southwestern Community College (Sylva, NC), South
College (Knoxville, TN), and George Washington University
(Washington D.C.)
Writing
  Questions
QEP Steering Committee
QEP Comrades
 Janet Amos 
 Bruce McCord 
 Rachel Miller 
 Father Gregory Rogers 
 Charles Welch 
Next Steps
1. Faculty  Paper vote
2. Students  Electronic vote
3. Once topic is selected, an implementation team
will be put together to advise on the QEP and
represent their constituencies.
4. February 1  QEP Preliminary Draft is due
5. June  QEP Final Report Due
We thank you all for traveling the road with us
and look forward to our continued QEP journey.
Questions . . . . . .