MC Campus Trumpets Quality Enhancement Plan
Scores of students and employees stopping by the MC Caf took advantage of the freebies and the busy scene of folks caused a little buzz. The event last Tuesday was dubbed the QEP Fair. The goal was to get the word out about Mississippi College's Quality Enhancement Plan. The plan is an important piece of MC's reaccreditation process.
At information tables set up in the Caf, faculty, staff and student leaders plugged seven potential QEP proposals that will be examined in more depth later this fall.
Proposals under review at MC include plans to boost community service for undergraduates, while another would redesign the system of advising plus the first year freshman experience program. And a third proposal seeks to better prepare students for an increasingly data driven work environment by increasing quantitative skills across the MC curriculum. Other topics being developed range from globalization to enhancing student writing skills.
All of those ambitious plans will take years to carry out, no matter which one is selected by school leaders. Ron Howard, the MC vice president for academic affairs who's overseeing the QEP effort, says it is possible the university could merge pieces of several proposals into one. MC leaders will hear from constituent groups and review each of the plans towards the end of November.
For those out of the loop, QEP is one of the major components of Mississippi College's reaccreditation process that will be decided by the Georgia-based Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Reaccreditation is a very complex process that requires tons of campus meetings and extensive preparation for colleges nationwide. One of the key events in the lengthy process will be an MC campus visit by SACS officials.
Colleges denied SACS accreditation will automatically lose federal funds. Having the seal of approval by SACS is a sign to employers that colleges have stellar academic programs. The reaccreditation reviews happen every ten years.
In some cases, schools losing accreditation, such as financially troubled Mary Holmes College in West Point, saw enrollment plunge and the private two-year school in North Mississippi closed a few years ago. So the accreditation process is something that leaders at thousands of colleges nationwide take very seriously.
The QEP Fair was designed to let people know that Mississippi College is seeking feedback from faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and most importantly students to guarantee an outstanding Quality Enhancement Plan.
The goals of the various QEP proposals are very specific. For instance, the "Learning Through Service" proposal is designed to increase undergraduate student participation by 5 percent each year for five years. It seeks to increase faculty and staff participation in service activities thhrough MC's Community Service Center by 3 percent each year for five years.
Do you want to get in your two cents about these proposals? The best way to do this is to check out the QEP website at mc.edu/qep or visit with a QEP steering committee member if you have questions.
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