Quality Enhancement Plan Council

SURVEY FINDINGS

1. What is your understanding of the primary goal of the QEP Council?

Committee members have a good understanding of the primary responsibilities of the Council. The two most common themes/responses were (a) to implement QEP to improve student learning/programs through assessment and (b) to provide leadership to promote greater understanding of the need for assessment across the University.

2. To what extent do you think the Council has been effective?

Committee members felt that the Council has made good progress in gaining visibility and involving faculty from most colleges to participate in QEP. However, respondents also felt that the Council has a very challenging task and that the benefits of QEP and assessment are not being understood by the faculty in general.

3. To what extent do you feel that your input/involvement is affecting the decision making process of the QEP Council?

Almost all respondents indicated that they felt that their input and suggestions were considered or taken seriously in the Council's decision making process.

4. What specific changes (including structure) would you recommend to make the QEPC and its executive council more effective?

About half of the respondents who suggested changes expressed the need for college-level infrastructure/committee to make QEPC more effective. It should consist of faculty with official titles such as Associate Dean of Assessment, clear responsibilities, and high profile leadership such as deans, associate deans, department heads, and well-respected faculty.

5. To what extent have you been able to involve your colleagues with your QEP project?

Most QEP PIs indicated that their colleagues' involvement with their QEP projects have been quite limited. Nevertheless, several reported seeing increased interest. Some PIs have been successful in inviting participation from colleagues while others found it difficult to engage colleagues.

6. Have you seen evidence that your colleagues/units have a better understanding of assessment now than two years ago? Please explain.

Most QEP PIs indicated that there is a better but not widespread understanding of assessment among faculty. Deans and department heads and those who are involved in QEP, IE, and some key faculty seem to have a better idea of what assessment is.

Several expressed that perhaps, after they have a chance to share the QEP results, more faculty will have a better understanding of how assessment findings can help improve the program. There is currently no official venue for faculty to share their QEP projects.

7. Have you seen evidence that your colleagues/units have embedded assessment into their teaching? Please explain.

About half of the respondents indicated that they have seen evidence that assessment has been embedded in teaching. The increase, however, cannot be attributed entirely to QEP though QEP participants have definitely moved in that direction. Some reported that interested faculty, certain programs and departments are already quite progressive in assessment. About half of the respondents indicated that they have not seen much evidence that assessment has been embedded in teaching.