Institutional Research and Planning

Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

The QEP is a five-year plan that helps us focus on an important topic for improving student learning outcomes and student success. Its goal is to enhance the overall institutional quality and effectiveness of UNCW. Our next QEP on Interdisciplinary Learning will begin in 2023-2024 and run from 2023-2028.

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What is the QEP?

The Quality Enhancement Plan, often referred to as the QEP, is a five-year plan UNCW uses to increase student learning and student success. As part of our regional accreditation, the QEP is an integral component of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) accreditation process to ensure institutions continue to meet member-driven standards of quality. The QEP reflects and affirms a commitment to enhancing the overall institutional quality and effectiveness of UNCW by focusing on an issue that we consider important to improving student learning outcomes and/or student success. Some of the critical requirements of a proposed QEP topic include a process-driven selection approach with community feedback. UNCW is currently in the process of selecting its next QEP.

Why is the QEP Important?

Previously, when QEP was selected and implemented, UNCW focused its resources and instructors’ professional development efforts to promote successful practices in applied learning to help our students have engaging learning experiences.

The last QEP was​ eTEAL, which stands for eexperiencing Ttransformative Eeducation through Aapplied Learning. This initiative integrated critical reflection in applied learning experiences that helped students pursue personal and professional growth and foster content mastery in their courses.

Looking at the Last QEP & Its Impacts: eTEAL

  • 98% of faculty respondents felt that applied learning contributed significantly.
  • 75% of respondents indicated that the university's investment in applied learning initiatives led them to change their philosophy on curricular and / or co-curricular instruction.
  • 85.6% of faculty reported continuing to use the principles of Best Practices in applied learning which they employed for their eTEAL-funded Pedagogy Initiative.
  • 76.5% felt that these applied learning practices had either a considerable or a great deal of positive impact on their students' learning.

Faculty / Staff Participation

  • 380 attendees at Applied Learning Summer Institute (2013-3017)
  • 35/36 departments awarded competitive funding
  • 171 eTEAL Pedagogy Initiatives funded over five years
  • 186 faculty / staff funded from original eTEAL Pedagogy Initiative
  • 258 faculty / staff managed initiatives through QEP funding (including SURCA and Sustainability 2.0 projects)

Applied Learning Teaching Community (ALTC)

  • 29+ faculty / staff served as fellows, assistant fellows, and other leadership roles
  • 18 units, offices and departments represented
  • 1,000+ faculty / staff reached through programming

Student Impacts / Learning Outcomes

Student Engagement in eTEAL Through the Years:
  • 3,437 (2015-2016)
  • 3,435 (2016-2017)
  • 4,052 (2017-2018)
  • 4,689 (2018-2019)
Student Performance Increases (2015-2018):
  • +15.5% Evaluation of Impact
  • +23.9% Critical Reflection
  • +27.0% Application of Knowledge
  • +30.8% Intention

See more impacts of the previous QEP topic, eTEAL.

QEP Topic Selection Process

Stakeholders from across campus submitted pre-proposals on what our next QEP topic should be. Then, a team of faculty, staff and students, from multiple UNCW divisions and departments, worked collaboratively to select finalist topics.

Did you know? There's so much more to this valuable process, check out the entire timeline below.

QEP Topic Selection Process Timeline

Timeline of QEP Selection Process
Spring 2021
  • Identification of QEP Topic Selection Committee (QEPTSC) co-chairs
  • Identification of committee members
Summer 2021
  • Committee planning workshops
Fall 2021
  • Committee solicits topic pre-proposals
  • Committee selects finalists
  • Committee holds campus virtual forum for proposal presentations and distributes survey for feedback
  • Committee reviews data and recommends final topic to Provost and Chancellor
Spring 2022
  • Recommendation reviewed by Provost and Chancellor
  • Topic announced by Offices of the Provost to campus community
  • QEP Implementation Committee (QEPIC) named
  • QEP Director named
  • Committee drafts full QEP
Summer 2022
  • SACSCOC Summer Institute Conference
  • Committee finalizes QEP
Fall 2022
  • University submits QEP to SACSCOC by September 1
  • Committee nominates external evaluator for SACSCOC
Spring 2023
  • On-site SACSCOC visit March 28-30
  • Committee revises QEP based on external evaluator feedback
Summer - Fall 2023
  • Committee prepares for QEP launch
  • University launches QEP for 2023-2028

Explore the Selected QEP Topic

Explore information on the Selected QEP Topic