About the QEP
What is a Quality Enhancement Plan?
A QEP, or Quality Enhancement Plan, is a plan of action to improve student knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, or behaviors or to impact the student learning environment and student success.
SACSCOC defines the QEP as “an integral component of the reaffirmation of accreditation process and is derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation processes. It reflects and affirms a commitment to enhancing overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue the institution considers essential to improving student learning outcomes and/or student success (Resource Manual for The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, p. 58).
The QEP has the following characteristics:
- A topic identified through ongoing, comprehensive planning and evaluation processes
- Broad-based support of institutional constituencies
- Focuses on improving specific student learning outcomes and/or student success
- Commits resources to initiate, implement and complete the QEP
- Includes a plan to assess achievement
For more information on QEP, see:
- ASU QEP - When Your Career Goals Become REALity (Ready, Explore, Apply, Launch) Reaffirmation
- Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation, Section 7.2
- Reviewing the Quality Enhancement Plan, an Evaluative Framework
QEP Planning and Development Timeline
- Appoint QEP Director
- QEP Development Committee Formation
- First committee meeting
- Develop detailed timeline
- Develop questions for campus survey
- Update university QEP webpage with new information
- Deploy campus survey
- Select QEP topic
- Determine implementation timeline
- Develop broad-based implementation actions
- Develop implementation matrix — with actions, objectives, person responsible for deliverable, outcomes, measures, budget, and timeline.
- Review literature and best practices.
- Create assessment plan
- Create implementation plan
- Begin writing QEP Report
- Identify 2-3 content area experts for SACSCOC site visit.
- Complete writing QEP Report
- Submission of QEP Report to Administrative Leaders
- Market QEP to ASU Community
- Development of materials for assessment
- QEP Report due to SACSCOC
- SACSCOC on-site visit
- Finalize modifications of QEP based on feedback from SACSCOC Review Committee.
- Pilot materials for implementation and assessment
REAL Implementation Timeline
Spring 2023
- Faculty Senate: Update faculty senate on QEP goals and activities. Consider incorporating career readiness support into faculty evaluation, tenure, and promotion criteria and policies.
- Freshman College: Work with QEP Directors and Committee to develop Career and Professional Success Module for GS 1181 for Fall 2023 implementation.
- Marketing and Communications: Launch QEP Marketing Campaign.
- Library: Develop Library Guide related to career readiness.
- Office of Accountability: Administer NSSE, including career and high-impact practice modules, to first-year and senior students.
- QEP Directors/Committee: SACSCOC On-Site Visit. Revise QEP based on feedback. Update relevant data measures and adjust QEP as necessary. Transition to QEP Implementation and Monitoring Committee. Develop Career and Professional Success Module for GS 1181 courses. Identify Graduate Assistant candidates.
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Student Life / Student Government Association: Update student leadership on QEP goals and activities.
Fall 2023
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Review and revise the Four-Year Career Plan to incorporate new QEP initiatives. Administer NACE First-Destination Survey.
- Deans / Department Chairs / Program Coordinators: Begin identification of REAL courses for each undergraduate academic program.
- eLearning: Facilitate discussion of including marketable skills section on Concourse syllabus management system templates.
- Freshman College: Provide training for instructors who teach GS 1181 about implementing and assessing the Career and Professional Success Module within courses. Provide training for freshmen advisors on career and academic alignment. Revise and promote Advising Survey.
- Graduate College: Promotion of graduate school pathways as a post-completion option for students.
- Marketing and Communications: Assess initial marketing launch. Expand initiatives to begin promoting REAL course development and support to faculty.
- QEP Directors: Meet with Deans and Department Chairs about academic college identification of REAL courses. Attend SACSCOC Annual Meeting. Update relevant data measures and adjust QEP as necessary. Coordinate with Freshman Dean to provide career advisement training and resources for academic advisors. Onboard Graduate Assistant.
- Registrar / Information Technology: Rebuild application for graduation in Banner Student Information System or other reportable system.
Spring 2024
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Track completion data for GS 1181 Handshake in GS 1181 courses. Administer NACE First-Destination Survey. Implement efforts to improve response rates on NACE First-Destination Survey.
- Deans / Department Chairs / Program Coordinators: Continue identification of REAL courses for each undergraduate academic program.
- Faculty Learning Commons: Promote mini-grant resources. Offer spring faculty development related to career readiness.
- Freshman College: Track completion data for GS 1181 Career and Professional Success Module, Handshake, and YouScience Data in GS 1181 courses. Administer Advising Survey.
- Marketing and Communications: Expand initiatives to promote REAL course enrollment to students, faculty, and advisors.
- Office of Accountability: Administer Noel Levitz SSI.
- QEP Directors/Committee: Meet with academic program coordinators about identification and future development of REAL courses. Assess GS 1181 Career Module implementation and make revisions as needed.
- QEP Graduate Assistant: Support marketing initiatives, develop career readiness resources and supplements, and identify REAL courses.
- Transition Programs: Enhance admitted student communications with academic and career pathway information.
FALL 2024
- Admissions: Explore expansion of Academic Open Houses to other academic areas of focus beyond Business, Agriculture, and Science and Engineering.
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Alumni Association: Identify an alumni speaker pool for use in REAL courses. Housing and Residential Life: Expand career readiness strategies into living
and learning communities and hall programming. - Center for Career and Professional Success: Review and/or revise What Can You Do With This Major resources. Administer NACE First-Destination Survey.
- Registrar: Identify options to designate REAL courses in course registration processes.
- QEP Directors/Committee: Create a REAL Course Subcommittee to create or identify a common REAL course assessment. Attend SACSCOC Annual Meeting. Update relevant data measures and adjust QEP as necessary. Determine need for an additional FTE to support data collection, planning, and assessment of academic program career readiness initiatives.
- QEP Graduate Assistant: Create and maintain a list of REAL courses for each academic program.
- Parent & Family Services: Incorporate career readiness information into parent and family portal.
- Transition Programs: Identify opportunities to incorporate Career and Professional Success Module and resources into Transfer Student Orientation.
Spring 2025
- Admissions: Enhance prospective student communications and websites with career and academic exploration information.
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Administer NACE First-Destination Survey. Freshman College/Advisors: Promote enrollment in REAL courses during registration and advisement.
- Faculty Learning Commons: Promote mini-grant resources. Offer spring faculty development related to career readiness. Assist with identification of Faculty Fellows as faculty representatives targeted toward academic programs with REAL course participation disparities.
- Marketing and Communications: Launch REAL course promotion on Blackboard log-in screen during registration periods.
- Office of Accountability: Administer NSSE, including career and high-impact practice modules, to first-year and senior students.
Fall 2025
- Academic Deans: Identify 1st-year REAL faculty fellows in each college if needed.
- Advisors: Promote enrollment in REAL courses during registration and advisement.
- Alumni Association: Identify and promote an alumni speaker pool for use in REAL courses.
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Administer NACE First-Destination Survey.
- Housing and Residential Programs: Incorporate career readiness and REAL course information into living and learning communities and programming.
- Marketing and Communications: Launch REAL course promotion on Blackboard log-in screen during registration periods.
- QEP Directors/Committee: Attend SACSCOC Annual Meeting. Begin targeted promotion of career readiness and REAL courses to underrepresented student populations and majors. Develop Faculty Fellows Training. Update relevant data measures and adjust QEP as necessary.
- QEP Graduate Assistant: Update list of REAL courses available for each academic program. Facilitate focus groups of REAL course participants.
- QEP REAL Course Subcommittee: Implement common assessment for use across REAL Courses.
- Transition Programs: Enhance Orientation and Ram Round-Up resources related to academic and career pathway exploration and identification for the upcoming year.
Fall 2026
- Advisors: Promote enrollment in REAL courses during registration and advisement.
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Administer NACE First-Destination Survey.
- Faculty Learning Commons: Promote mini-grant resources. Offer spring faculty development related to career readiness.
- Marketing and Communications: Launch REAL course promotion on Blackboard log-in screen during registration periods.
- Office of Accountability: Administer Noel Levitz SSI
- QEP Directors/Committee: Train faculty fellows in each academic college to continue developing, enhancing, and maintaining REAL courses.
Fall 2026
- Academic Deans: Identify 2nd-year REAL faculty fellows in each college if needed.
- Advisors: Promote enrollment in REAL courses during registration and advisement.
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Administer NACE First-Destination Survey. Faculty Fellows: Promote additional REAL course development and enhancements for academic programs with participation disparities.
- QEP Directors/Committee: Attend SACSCOC Annual Meeting. Update relevant data measures and adjust QEP as necessary.
- QEP Graduate Assistant: Update list of REAL courses available for each academic program. Support focus group implementation.
Spring 2027
- Advisors: Promote enrollment in REAL courses during registration and advisement.
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Administer NACE First-Destination Survey. Faculty Fellows: Promote additional REAL course development and enhancements for academic programs with participation disparities.
- Faculty Learning Commons: Promote mini-grant resources. Offer spring faculty development related to career readiness.
- Office of Accountability: Administer NSSE, including career and high-impact practice modules, administered to first-year and senior students.
- QEP Directors/Committee: Train faculty fellows in each academic college to continue developing, enhancing, and maintaining REAL courses.
Fall 2027
- Advisors: Promote enrollment in REAL courses during registration and advisement.
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Administer NACE First-Destination Survey.
- QEP Directors/Committee: Attend SACSCOC Annual Meeting. Begin writing a five-year impact report. Update relevant data measures and adjust QEP as necessary.
- QEP Graduate Assistant: Update list of REAL courses available for each academic program.
Spring 2028
- Advisors: Promote enrollment in REAL courses during registration and advisement.
- Center for Career and Professional Success: Administer NACE First-Destination Survey.
- Faculty Learning Commons: Promote mini-grant resources.
- Office of Accountability: Administer Noel Levitz SSI.
- QEP Directors/Committee: Submit impact report to SACSCOC.