V: Analysis of the Vital Importance of and the Consensus for the QEP

The Quality Enhancement Plan as outlined in the preceding sections resulted from broad-based involvement of the faculty and staff, as well as students and stakeholders, in the research and development process. Five events were crucial to this process:

1. CCSSE Results, Fall 2003
2. The Brown Bag Discussion Sessions, Spring 2004
3. The Strategic Planning Retreat, Summer 2004
4. The QEP Discussion Sessions, Fall 2004
5. QEP Development Teams, Spring/Summer 2005

Each of these contributed to the evolution of the plan, and the results of each will provide clear evidence for the vital importance of the plan at this point and the consensus for it.

1. CCSSE Results, Fall 2003

The 2003 CCSSE results were generally greeted with enthusiasm because of the college’s positive performance on it, with OCTC scoring above the national average in all five benchmark areas on the survey. However, these results only served to highlight the areas where the college lagged behind the national average. OCTC was significantly below the national average on only three items:

1. Preparing for class (studying, reading, writing, rehearsing, doing homework or other activities related to your program) (CCSSE item 10a, figure 2).
2. Participating in college-sponsored activities (organizations, campus publications, student government, intercollegiate or intramural sports, etc.) (CCSSE item 10b, figure 2).
3. Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity other than your own (CCSSE item 4s, figure 9).

While the QEP is focused not only on these areas, these results affected the final direction of the plan. The first item above will be addressed by the expectation-setting emphasis of the QEP, while the second and third items will be addressed by the learning together initiatives of the QEP.

2. The Brown Bag Discussion Sessions, Spring 2004

The Brown Bag Discussion Sessions produced over 28 pages of transcribed discussions. Each discussion, however, began with all participants contributing the idea they believed to be most important from the readings that were distributed to all college employees. The results of this opening “round robin” reporting of ideas from the 160 plus participants are displayed in figure 12.


Figure 12

Considering that “Only Connect” was focused on the elements of a “liberal education,” these results clearly demonstrate a focus on learning and the learning college. Figure 13 provides a closer look at those opening comments focused on learning with a breakdown of the comments in regard to the “learning college.”

Figure 13

These results clearly demonstrate the faculty and staff’s support for the focus of the QEP on a general, “liberal” education, with a particular interest in connected and lifelong learning and learning outcomes.

3. The Strategic Planning Retreat, Summer 2004

While the purpose of the Strategic Planning retreat with key college leadership and Board, Foundation, and community leaders was not to choose the topic for the QEP, the ideas raised in the Brown Bag discussions influenced the results of the retreat. The second most important item for the college to focus on over the next five years, according to those most responsible for the leadership and guidance of the college was to:

Improve the learning centered climate of all 3 campuses, e.g. coffee bar, wellness trail, discussion groups, common readings, convocation, GE 100 enhancement, interdisciplinary, incentives, scholarships, recognition, ethics, character, engagement, motivation, responsibility, rigor.

The QEP has its foundation in this objective: it is focused on student learning, addressing the issues of interdisciplinary learning, ethics, character, engagement, responsibility, and rigor, and supported by discussion groups, common readings, convocations, changes to the GE 100 curriculum, and scholarships.

4. The QEP Discussion Sessions, Fall 2004

These discussion sessions with faculty, staff, and students, held to solidify the QEP direction, produced hundreds of comments. These comments fell into six categories:

Are students welcome here?

First impressions

Setting expectations

Support for learners, support for learning

Building community

Encouraging further education and a life of learning

The OCTC Standards of Professional Conduct and “Learning Together” initiatives address all of these categories to a considerable extent, and each has its foundation in the ideas gathered in these sessions. For example, the Ambassadors Program was an outgrowth feedback included in the “Are students welcome here?” and “First impressions” comments, while the Learners in Common Program has its basis in “Support for learners, support for learning.” The third and sixth categories, “Setting expectations” and “Encouraging further education and a life of learning,” not only provided much of the foundation for the QEP, but foreshadowed the final title and general focus as well. 5. The QEP Development Teams, Spring/Summer 2005 Following the approval of the QEP Outline by the OCTC College Assembly in March 2005, QEP Development Teams were formed. Over sixty faculty and staff volunteered to participate, which required a sacrifice of some summer time usually reserved for other activities. The expectations, standards, and plans found in the preceding sections are the result of their efforts. Taken in sum, this history of the development process and the evidence gathered as a part of it provide ample evidence of the commitment to, consensus for, and vital importance of the QEP.