The QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) is NOVA's strategy to enhance student learning. It is part of NOVA's 2012 reaffirmation of accreditation by the Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Monday, December 7, 2009

How would YOU enhance student learning?

The QEP topic selection process is open to the NOVA community. Do you have a topic that you would like to submit? How do you think NOVA should enhance student learning? Watch the QEP video to learn more!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

What is NOVA's QEP?

Faculty, staff, and students have been working on preliminary QEP topic proposals. Here is what we are considering:

Service Learning: integrating service projects and classroom learning.

Learner-Centered (21st century) Classrooms: Rethinking how we teach and changing the physical space in which we teach.

Getting Back on Track: How can NOVA help students who are on academic warning or probation?

Increasing College Readiness: Taking college-level classes, preparing for the future, understanding expectations, placement exam issues and more!

Citizenship Across the Curriculum: "we must assure that those who study in our classrooms acquire a basic understanding of the world in which they live and the important place they occupy within it."

Faculty-Student Collaboration: Increasing the opportunities for students and faculty to work together outside of the classroom.

Curriculum-Centered Education: Establishing a repository for course information and being accountable for what we teach.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Student feedback is wanted!

Students can take a short survey that addresses their learning needs at
http://survey.vccs.edu/wsb.dll/s/41g7e3

Monday, October 19, 2009

Welcome to the QEP Update!

NOVA is gearing up for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS COC) in 2012. This reaffirmation process requires the development of the Compliance Certification Report and the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).

The QEP involves developing and assessing a strategy that NOVA will use to improve one facet of student learning. According to SACS COC, student learning addresses knowledge, skills, behavior, and values. How do we choose our plan? Well, that’s where you come in! The QEP requires broad-based institutional involvement. Discussions with faculty, staff, and students from each campus will get the process started. How do you think NOVA should enhance the quality of student learning?

NOVA will investigate various topics from each campus and select a topic by the spring of 2010. A very detailed plan addressing the implementation and assessment strategy of our topic will be submitted to SACS COC in August 2011 and reviewed by the on-site review committee. SACS COC will revisit the QEP in 2017 to see how we are doing.

What plans have other college submitted? Some topics include enhancing academic support services; enhancing student retention; incorporating field experience and collaborative learning; enhancing online education; enhancing student learning outcomes in developmental mathematics; including supplemental instruction; learning in a technology-rich environment; and improving student engagement through critical thinking. While many of these ideas are applicable to NOVA, we want to develop our own plan that addresses one aspect of student learning at NOVA.


What’s our QEP? Let’s decide together!