Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)
Topic Proposal
The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is part of the reaffirmation of
accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission
on Colleges (SACS COC). The QEP
involves developing and assessing a strategy that NOVA will use to enhance
the quality of student learning.
According to SACS COC, student learning addresses knowledge, skills,
behavior, and values. The QEP
should complement NOVA’s mission and the Strategic Vision 2015.
The topic should be creative, specific, and significantly impact the
greater student body’s learning experience.
NOVA must be able to implement and assess the QEP.
Proposals are due by November 30, 2009.
Please submit your proposal by e-mail to QEP@nvcc.edu or directly to
Alison Thimblin, Special Assistant for the Quality Enhancement Plan (AN
Campus, CM 308).
Title of proposed QEP:
First Year Experience
Description: How is the proposed topic transformative in terms of student learning? What student learning outcomes are addressed?
The First Year Experience (FYE) will transform student learning by helping to prepare students for college success during the critical first year at NOVA. A premise of FYE is that preparation for college success must focus not only on academic skills, but also on non-cognitive capacity. NOVA faculty and students identify the following as major barriers to success for students: lack of information about policies, procedures and resources at NOVA; unclear expectations about the requirements for college success; unclear personal goals; poor study skills; and poorly developed critical thinking skills. (AtD focus group data). FYE will promote explicit coordination of traditional student services and academics to ensure maximum student success. Students participating in FYE will be provided with specialized support in making the transition from high school to college by learning NOVA policies and procedures and gaining a clear understanding of college-level academic expectations. Additionally, they will develop improved time-management, goal-setting and study skills. They will be encouraged to develop plans for the future, to take responsibility for their academic performance and to feel confidence as college students. Students will have skills for success reinforced in their FYE courses. As a mechanism for creating a cohort of students connected to the institution, they will be encouraged to become engaged in a wide-range of student activities.
The following student learning outcomes are addressed:
Students will be familiar with college policies and procedures
Students will be familiar with and be able to use campus, college, and
community resources
Students will explore goal-setting and begin to clarify their own goals
Students will develop academic plans
Students will develop time-management and study skills
Students will evaluate career choices
Students will become aware of expectations for college success
Students will learn mechanisms for establishing personal responsibility
for academic success
Students will be engaged in development of critical thinking required for
college success
These learning outcomes are related to the following general goals identified by the college: personal development and critical thinking.
Congruence with
Mission and Strategic Vision 2015:
NOVA's mission is to respond to the educational needs of its dynamic and
diverse community through an array of comprehensive programs and services
that facilitate learning and workforce development in an environment of open
access and through lifelong educational opportunities.
FYE will offer students entering from high school a comprehensive program designed for student success. This supports the following strategic goals of the college (Gateway to the American Dream: Strategic Vision 2015): to increase completion of developmental courses, increase retention, increase graduation rates, and increase transfer rates. In addition, it supports the following recommendations of the VCCS Developmental Task Force ( Sept, 2009): development of an appropriate student development course for students who test into developmental courses to be taken in the first semester and involvement of students placed in developmental courses in support services.
Method:
How do you envision NOVA
carrying out your proposal?
FYE will be available to first-time students entering from
high school. This group has been
identified by NOVA’S Achieving the Dream initiative as a vulnerable group, with
high rates of placement into developmental courses and a relatively low rate of
academic success at the college.
The FYE program will be piloted with a subset of first-time degree-seeking
students entering from high school.
FYE students will be expected to participate in all facets of the program.
Based on a thorough evaluation,
successful components of FYE will be brought to scale. The components of FYE
are:
� English and math placement exams given before registration
� New Student Orientation (NSO): Students will be introduced to college policies. FYE students will receive counseling before registration to develop a first- semester schedule based on their placement scores and chosen from recommended FYE core courses.
� FYE Student Success Course (SDV): This SDV course, designed for FYE students, may be offered in a learning community or as an addition to identified FYE courses. Students will develop study skills and critical thinking skills. Academic success plans will be developed within the context of degrees and certificates offered at the college and transfer requirements.
� FYE courses: These courses will be first-year courses identified as core courses for graduation or developmental courses required for advancement to credit courses. Faculty, identified as FYE faculty, will be given training to develop courses offering support for FYE students. FYE courses may be taught in a learning community, offer an embedded tutor/mentor or supplemental instruction, contain an SDV component or be a course redesigned for first-year students. FYE courses will give mid-term feedback to students and utilize an Early Alert system.
� Student activities: Student involvement in activities such as student clubs, service learning and mentoring programs will be required of FYE students. These activities will increase student engagement and provide support for students.
� Outreach: FYE will be promoted in high schools and the community as a program developed to smooth the transition to college and increase the likelihood of academic success.
Assessment Plan:
Address the expected outcomes and
how they can be measured.
The expected outcomes are increased persistence, overall increased course- success rates, increased developmental course-success rates, and increased graduation, certificate and transfer rates. Outcomes can be directly assessed through tracking student success for FYE participants. In addition, pre-test/post-test measures can be used for NSO, SDV courses, learning communities, courses with supplemental instruction and embedded tutors. These measures may evaluate knowledge of NOVA policies, procedures, and resources; study skills; time-management; and critical thinking. Student satisfaction with NSO, SDV, tutoring, mentoring and FYE courses may be evaluated.
Resources:
What kind of resources (personnel,
training, technology, etc.) do you anticipate will be needed?
|
For FYE students, placement exams required before registration |
|
|
NSO required for FYE students; advising for FYE students for first- semester courses |
Additional counselors or use of other trained faculty during NSO pre-registration period |
|
SDV required first- semester for FYE students; development of a “success/graduation plan”; common reading program |
Capacity to teach SDV to an increased number of incoming students Support for common reading program |
|
FYE block of courses – a recommended selection of courses for FYE students These courses will include developmental English, developmental Math , other courses recommended for students in developmental English or developmental Math courses, and basic courses considered central to a graduation plan for students who are not placed in developmental courses FYE Block of courses (continued) FYE courses will have support for FYE students. These courses may include: embedded tutoring, supplemental instruction, or SDV as a component of the class. They may be a part of a learning community or a course redesigned for FYE students. FYE courses will have Early Alert directed at giving additional support to students who are failing early in the semester and mid-term evaluations directed toward helping students evaluate their performance |
Task Force to identify FYE courses and to structure graduation paths for different groups of students Professional Development for teachers and counselors in the FYE program Support for development of FYE courses Support for development of embedded tutoring program and supplemental learning program Support for development of learning communities Support for development of college-wide Early Alert program |
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FYE Student Activities: Convocation Common reading for FYE students Mentoring programs Student clubs and other activities
|
Support for the development of college-wide FYE convocations and mentoring programs |
References (if applicable):
NOVA’s Achieving the Dream Implementation Plan, May 2008
Achieving the Dream focus group data
The First Year Experience (draft), First Year Experience Working Group, Fall 2009
Gateway to the American Dream: Strategic Vision 2015
The Turning Point: Developmental Education in Virginia’s Community Colleges; Sept. 2009