QEP Planning

Topic Selection Process

The QEP Planning and Topic Selection Steering Committee will facilitate the process of identifying QEP topics. The committee will ultimately identify several viable QEP topics. The Leadership Team will evaluate the topics and then select one for the QEP. After a topic is selected, a QEP Development Team will be established to identify the actions needed, develop the assessment plan, construct the budget, and create the 5-year QEP.

Team Members

• Dr. Elizabeth Battles (Chair), Professor English, Director of the Honors Program
• Ms. Pati Alexander, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services
• Dr. Sinan Yildirim, Assistant Professor of Finance
• Dr. Jerry Bierschenk, Assistant Professor of Music
• Dr. Edita Ruzgyte, Assistant Professor of Graduate Counseling
• Ms. Michelle Rigual, Law Library Director and Associate Professor of Law
• Dr. Jeff Smith, Member, Texas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees and Alumni

Contact us at QEP@txwes.edu

Your Role in the QEP Topic Selection Process

Although the committee is looking at the University strategic plan, student surveys, and what other universities are doing, the most important source of ideas is the Texas Wesleyan community — the faculty, staff, students, board members and alumni that make Wesleyan what it is.

From now through March 2011, the committee will solicit ideas from the entire Wesleyan community in the form of:

• Surveys
• Focus groups
• Open meetings

Timeline

2010: Three Years Prior to Reaffirmation

• Summer: Committee Organizing
• August-December: Pre-planning activities, plans for topic identification

2011: Two Years Prior to Reaffirmation

• January-March: Topic selection activities
• April-August: Evaluation of proposals; Select Topic
• July-December: Initiate detailed development; Write the QEP

2012: One Year Prior to Reaffirmation

• January-September: Write QEP
• October: QEP Draft Completed
• December: Complete QEP Plan

2013: Year of Reaffirmation

• Four to six weeks in advance of on-site visit: Submit QEP
• January 21-April 26: On-Site Peer Review Conducted
• December 7-10: Review by the Commission on Colleges

QEP Schedule

Fall 2010: QEP Pre-planning

Topic Selection committee will:

• Review other QEPs
• Set up QEP website
• Determines "themes" for possible QEP topics by
  • Reviewing university strategic plan
  • Reviewing institutional surveys/programs reviews
  • Student engagement surveys
• Create plan for QEP topic identification (surveys, focus groups, etc.)

Spring 2011: Topic Identification

• Announce open solicitation of topics from themes and others
• Engagement message—calls for topics, flyer that explains process
• Hold focus groups
• Administer surveys
• Develop research proposal and review process
• Develop feedback survey based on topics generated
• Finalize "themes" for QEP possibilities
• Solicit pre-proposals
• Create evaluation rubric
• Select topics for full proposals
• Evaluate full proposals
• Select and send three proposals to leadership team for QEP topic selection (August 2011)

Identified Learning Themes

These themes have been identified by all constituent groups (faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees) through surveys and focus groups as important in improving student learning at Texas Wesleyan University:

• Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving
• Experiential Learning /Internships
• Career Preparation
• Global/Cultural Awareness
• Communication (Written and Oral)
• Leadership
• Critical Thinking and Writing
• Professionalism
• Ethics
• Technological Fluency/Informational Literacy