Improving Student Success in the
Sciences Here and Beyond
QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN (QEP) FOR IMPROVING LEARNING
IN THE SCIENCES
Leslie Parise, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine
Kevin Guskiewicz, Senior Associate Dean, Natural Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences
Background
Our 2016 reaccreditation from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
requires:
◦ Compliance Certification: Reports documenting Carolina’s compliance with
standards related to University’s mission and operations
◦ Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP): A 5-year, focused plan that:
◦ Makes a measurable improvement of student learning
◦ Is aligned with the University’s mission and strategic priorities
◦ Involves broad-based campus participation
Our Timeline
Sept. 15, 2015 – Reaffirmation document due
Nov. 20, 2015 – Feedback from off-site reviewers
March 1, 2016 – Focused report and QEP due
April 18-21, 2016 – On-site reviewers
May 15, 2016 – Receive report from on-site reviewers
Oct 15, 2016 – Respond within 5 months of committee report
Late Fall 2016 – SACSCOC BOT makes decision
Efforts that Informed the QEP Choice
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Prior strategic plans and working groups
Senior and alumni surveys
Curriculum reviews
Analyses of:
◦ transfer, first generation, low income, URM student
success, student progression, course-taking
patterns , selections of majors, flipped classrooms,
national studies on science graduates
What was learned (examples):
◦ 60% increase in intended/declared science majors since
2004
◦ Transfer student obstacles to completing a science major
◦ Course redesign helps all students and diminishes
achievement gaps in large gateway science courses
◦ Weaknesses in quantitative skills reported by alumni and
graduating seniors
◦ Science majors less likely to study abroad vs all other
groups
QEP Steering Committee Composition
Carolina Performing Arts
College of Arts and Sciences
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Art
Biology
Chemistry
Communication Studies
Computer Science
Exercise and Sport Science
Math
Public Policy
School of Journalism and Mass
Communication
School of Medicine
◦ Biochemistry and Biophysics
◦ Medicine, Burn Center
◦ Microbiology and Immunology
School of Pharmacy
School of Public Health
Undergraduates
Involvement of Campus Constituents
Groups consulted:
• Dean’s Council
• College of Arts and Sciences Administration
• Chancellor’s Advisory Committee
(students)
• College of Arts and Sciences Chairs
• Student Government Association
• Faculty Executive Committee
• Academic support services staff
(advising, retention, counseling)
• Provost’s senior staff
• SACS Leadership Team
• QEP Town Hall Meeting (March 17th)
• Study Abroad Office
• CreatorSpace Network
Proposed High Impact Practices –
“Transformative Experiences”
• Study abroad
• Dedicated interdisciplinary courses &
experiences
• High structure/active learning (e.g., flipped classes,
studio classes)
• Inclusion: Under-represented communities
• Undergraduate research
• First Year seminars
• Internships/capstone projects
• Learning communities
• Graduate students serving as research and
teaching assistants in classroom
• Co-curricular transcripts
• Entrepreneurship opportunities
• Maker Spaces
• Coordinated leadership program
• Service learning
High-Structure Active Learning Courses
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Expand large lecture classes in the sciences
using active learning techniques that have
shown to be effective at closing the
achievement gap for underrepresented
minorities and first-generation students.
• Redesign course-based laboratory
experiences to include more inquiry and
CURE (Course Undergraduate Research
Experiences).
Active learning in a large lecture Biology class
Biology 101
No longer an achievement gap
~24% of student are first generation
Represents “halving of achievement gap
~14% of students are black
These model predictions use student data for males in same term (Spring), with a combined SAT math and reading score of 1257 (the
mean score across the 6 terms).
Research Exposure Opportunities
• Provide more opportunities for research
experiences that provide course credit.
• Faculty mentored/directed research
• Industry-sponsored internships
• Study abroad
• Expand Carolina Research Scholars
Learning Communities.
• Stimulate innovations in Science,
Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math
(STEAM).
Fluids Lab experiment in Chapman Hall
Integrated First-Year Seminars
• Increase first-year seminars that
incorporate a STEAM theme.
• Provide opportunities for professional
school faculty to teach first-year seminars.
• Create a science writing seminar.
• Develop CreatorSpace/Maker Space
courses.
First-year seminar “Math, Art and the Human
Experience”
Study Abroad Opportunities
• Science majors are less likely to travel
abroad than other groups due to curricular
demands.
• Increase opportunities for students to
take science courses abroad.
• Increase opportunities for students to
conduct research abroad.
Geology students studying in Chile
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Opportunities
• Create opportunities to merge sciences
with arts, humanities and social sciences.
• Develop an Entrepreneur in Residence
Program.
• Use UNC campus CreatorSpaces to
generate new ideas
• Leverage local launch incubators such as
1789 Venture Lab.
BME student using 3-D printer to create a
prosthetic hand
Overarching Goals of our QEP:
Improving student success in the sciences…here and beyond
• Our QEP aims to equip our students with the ability to apply science
skills and knowledge to better solve real-world problems in the face of
changing societal contexts.
• We aim to foster awareness of what is currently missing from our
curricular and extracurricular offerings to students, and to fill this void.
• We aim to identify what achievements are possible with evidencebased teaching methods focused on high structure and active learning
both inside and outside the classroom.
Alternate title suggestion
CREATE. Engage. Bridge. CURE
Ensuring students thrive in science learning
QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN (QEP) FOR IMPROVING LEARNING
IN THE SCIENCES
Leslie Parise, Professor and Chair, School of Medicine
Kevin Guskiewicz, Senior Associate Dean, Natural Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences
Thank You
Questions?