Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

Your Writing Elevated

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a campus-wide, long-range plan to improve student learning as part of reaffirmation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Student Learning Outcomes

The Writing Center and Writing Council will provide assistance to students as they progress through the Core Curriculum seminar series and demonstrate mastery of the following learning outcomes:

• Demonstrate proficiency in the foundations of writing.
• Correspond and communicate professionally.
• Develop and practice research skills.
• Produce a professional discipline-specific research project and presentation.

Executive Summary

Lees-McRae College developed an integrated, multi-curricular approach to the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that aligns with the mission, strategic plan and education hallmarks of the institution (Appendix I). After analysis of academic program assessments, faculty, staff and student survey results and QEP committee discussions and research, the need for a writing-focused QEP emerged.
 
Feedback from Lees-McRae College constituents, combined with careful and thoughtful review of relevant literature, validated the QEP’s focus on improving student writing. Based on the literature review, the committee chose to investigate best practices for building a culture of writing excellence on Lees-McRae’s campus including assessing and aligning writing-intensive and seminar series courses, promoting a culture of writing for academic success and career preparation, integrating support systems to facilitate learning for all students and incorporating professional development of faculty.
 
The Lees-McRae QEP, Your Writing Elevated, coordinated by the Director of the Ratchford Writing Center, aims to integrate both foundational and advanced writing initiatives into the existing Core Curriculum while enhancing writing instruction and support across campus. The College has identified the need to establish a centralized writing support unit, the Ratchford Writing Center, and realign the existing student support services by combining the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Committee and representation from all academic divisions into the newly formed Writing Council.