Roanoke’s Quality Enhancement Plan Study Away 1

SACS “Developing a QEP as a part of the reaffirmation process is an opportunity for the institution to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue or issues the institution considers important to improving student learning.” From: The Quality Enhancement Plan (Handbook for Reaffirmation of Accreditation) 2 Study Away

SACS  Recognize the strengths of the QEP requirement:  narrow focus  impact on student learning  arises from cooperation among and insights from faculty, staff, and students 3 Study Away

SACS  Recognize the limitations of the QEP as a focused project:  Not the only worthwhile new initiative on campus—lots going on in other areas of strategic plan  Not intended to 'save' the world/address all areas for improvement needed at RC  QEP has potential for growth, inclusion of new areas over time 4 Study Away

SACS  Recognize its urgency: August 2011  need to produce a quality plan that fulfills SACS expectations: clear, focused; impacts student learning; administrative structure; funding; assessment plan  need to build widespread support open door policy for faculty/staff input willingness of faculty and staff to see this as a work in progress with great potential; please don’t allow perfection to be the enemy of very good 5 Study Away

The Process  Fall ‘09 – QEP selection committee  Feb ‘10 – 1 st survey of faculty, students, staff, and alumni  May ‘10 – 2 nd survey of faculty and staff  Summer 2010 – President Maxey selected EL as topic  Fall 2010 – QEP development committee  Met with depts., offices, and individuals – gather info on current practices  Reviewed literature on experiential learning (theory and practice)  Narrowed focus: research, internships, study away, service learning, and artistic-creative works  Developed guidelines and principles, student and faculty/staff support models, logistical support, etc  Draft of QEP by the end of this semester  Submission to SACS by August Study Away

Roanoke College Quality Enhancement Plan Purpose Student engagement is an indicator of successful classroom performance, improved student retention, and enhanced academic climate of an institution. When students are engaged they are attracted to their work, persist despite challenges, and take pride in their accomplishments. This attitude translates into other areas of their lives and has a positive effect on peers, classroom dynamics, and overall campus climate. Roanoke College’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) seeks to improve student engagement by enhancing the quality of experiential learning opportunities currently available and increasing the number of students who take advantage of these high-impact practices (Kuh, AAC&U, 2008), which include research, internships, service-learning, study away, and artistic- creative works. 7 Study Away

National Standards and Guiding Principles  Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS)  Forum on Education Abroad  National Society of Experiential Education (NSEE)  Best practices standards 8 Study Away

Overarching Objectives  Enhance Quality ( NSEE: Intention, Preparedness and Planning, Authenticity, Reflection, Orientation and Training, Monitoring and Continuous Improvement, Assessment and Evaluation, Acknowledgment )  Pre-experience – learning agreement  Experience – reflection  Post-experience – public showcasing  Student support  Faculty/staff support  Logistical support 9 Study Away

Best Practices  Hendrix College Odyssey Program – (Artistic Creativity, Global Awareness, Professional and Leadership Development, Service to the World, Undergraduate Research)  Study Abroad: Many Hendrix-run programs. e.g., “Hendrix in Florence”  Maymester: Some courses are travel and can count.  All Odyssey components have: Statement of Intent, Reflection, Description of Project Completion (final reflection), Showcase (small- or large- group discussions, papers, journals, and oral presentations). 10 Study Away

Best Practices  Centenary Trek Program: Career, Culture, and Community  International Exchange Program: Students are enrolled in both institutions, simplifying admissions, scholarship and credit transfer.  Study Abroad: Similar to what we do.  May Module: All students must complete one may-term course for graduation. Some of these also meet the Culture requirement in the Trek program.  The Trek program was the topic of their QEP and they explicitly incorporated NSEE Best Practices into this program. 11 Study Away

How will our program exemplify NSEE best practices?  Intention – Statement of intent, learning goals/objectives, learning agreement  Preparedness and Planning – Sufficient foundation to have a successful experience  Authenticity – Cultural immersion  Reflection – Process of guided reflection through discussion/writing/blogging…  Orientation and Training – Expectations are clear, all participate  Monitoring and Continuous Improvement – “Expect the unexpected”, open communication  Assessment and Evaluation – Based on learning  Acknowledgment – Campus showcase, incorporate experience into RC, e-portfolio 12 Study Away

Proposed New Model  Encourage IL faculty to:  add QEP quality enhancements to their IL travel courses.  develop new QEP-enhanced IL travel courses.  Provide QEP quality enhancements for students in non-QEP IL travel courses through a Faculty Liaison.  Provide QEP enhancements to Study Abroad through a Faculty Liaison. 13 Study Away

Student Support (tentative)  Simplified/one stop shopping access to opportunities  Access to Student QEP grants for books/materials/equipment  E-portfolio support (equipment, tech support, ideas/training)  IL Specific  Can apply for travel funds  Tuition credit for 2 nd IL if travel 14 Study Away

Faculty/Staff Support (tentative) IL-Travel  Can apply for grant money to cover some associated costs. Faculty Liaison for Study Away (compensated through stipend)  Conduct pre-experience meetings with students to establish learning goals.  Maintain regular contact with students while abroad via Skype (or some other technology); facilitate guided reflection.  Conduct post-experience meetings and help students with showcasing.  Assessment of student learning outcomes.  Work with IE, departments, and students to increase participation in study abroad programs.  Work with IE, departments, programs, and the Registrar to find ways to more easily transfer credit back from other institutions. 15 Study Away

Faculty/Staff Support (tentative) – Logistical Support and Training  Training offered by a central QEP/EL office, e.g.,  EL+ quality enhancement training  Off-campus, relevant faculty/staff development opportunities  Coordination with International Education  Logistical support  Centralized entryway for students  Advertising  Showcasing 16 Study Away

Questions  Is this a model that makes sense to you?  From your perspective, are there issues we have not considered?  Could you see yourself transforming an existing IL-travel course so that it would meet QEP quality enhancements?  Others? 17 Study Away