QEP

Quality Enhancement Plan

QEP Logo

Integration of Learning for Academic Achievement, Personal Growth, and Professional Preparation

Executive Summary

Barry University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) addresses integrative learning—students’ ability to connect, synthesize, apply, and reflect meaningfully on knowledge and skills acquired from various contexts and experiences as demonstrated through products, performances, and presentations.

Titled “Integration of Learning for Academic Achievement, Personal Growth, and Professional Preparation,” the QEP is designed to advance the institutional commitment to providing a transformative educational experience for all students. Furthermore, the QEP is contextualized within the University’s current Strategic Plan, which articulates the vision of “national recognition [advanced] by offering students access, opportunity, and broad-based support in their pursuit of academic achievement and personal growth leading to professional success.”

Focus: Focused on enhancing student learning, the QEP situates integrative learning within culminating experiences for upper-level undergraduates. Culminating experiences are senior-year, capstone-type experiences that allow students to demonstrate proficiency within their major or concentration while meeting the overall goals of a liberal arts education. Appraised as “high-impact practices,” such experiences bring closure to the undergraduate journey and support transition to employment or graduate school. Culminating experiences at Barry span the spectrum, from capstone courses and internships to nursing clinicals and field placements.

Community Engagement Awards
Nursing Students
Fine Arts Students
Dr. Allen at QEP Event

The QEP is designed to advance the institutional commitment to providing a transformative educational experience for all students.

Goals: The QEP lists three goals: (1) To develop students’ ability to connect relevant experience to disciplines or perspectives and fundamental academic knowledge; (2) to cultivate competence in adapting and applying knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired or developed in one situation to new situations; and (3) to facilitate reflection and self-assessment that demonstrate metacognition and a developing sense of self as a current learner and future professional.

Student Learning Outcomes: Aligned with the goals of the QEP are three desired student learning outcomes that reflect attention to the diversity of culminating experiences considered for this plan:

Student Learning Outcomes:

  • Development

    (1) Students will be able to synthesize knowledge acquired from more than one course, field of study, perspective, and/or experience in relation to their academic, personal, and/or professional development.

  • Skills

    (2) Students will be able to give a major presentation, performance, or exhibition that reflectively showcases applied knowledge, skills, and abilities in a clear, articulate, and creative manner.

  • Portfolio

    (3) Students will be able to create a portfolio of selected work products, organized purposefully to provide substantive evidence of academic achievement and/or personal growth as well as professional preparation.

Assessment: The student learning outcomes will be assessed through both direct and indirect measures. The primary means of assessment will be the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Integrative Learning VALUE Rubric and the Integrative Learning Portfolio Assessment Guide (which includes a simple rubric). The rubric-based assessment will be complemented by the administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement at Barry, with reference to three related indicators of student engagement: Reflective and Integrative Learning, Higher-Order Learning, and Experiences with Faculty. The assessment/evaluation plan includes examining student learning outcomes at regular intervals, analyzing data, making whatever adjustments are necessary, and reporting on progress toward achieving the goals of the QEP.

Resources: Resources for implementing and evaluating the QEP include a modest annual budget. Funds will be allocated to cover personnel, administrative expenses, professional development for faculty and staff, and major events to showcase integrative learning.

Contact

Glenn A. Bowen, Ph.D., Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan (gbowen@barry.edu).


Staff

Glenn A. Bowen, Ph.D.

Glenn A. Bowen, Ph.D.

Director, Quality Enhancement Plan
gbowen@barry.edu
305-899-4711

Heather Johnson-Desiral, Ed.D.

Heather Johnson-Desiral, Ed.D.

Experiential Learning Facilitator
hjohnsondesiral@barry.edu
305-899-3728

QEP Committee

Karen A. Callaghan, Ph.D.

Karen A. Callaghan, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology;
Dean – College of Arts and Sciences
Chair, QEP Committee

Name University Position
Glenn A. Bowen, Ph.D. Director, Quality Enhancement Plan
Tamara Hamilton, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry; Associate Dean for Grants Development and Strategic Initiatives – College of Arts and Sciences
Ricardo Jimenez, Ph.D. Chair, Mathematics & Computer Science Department; Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies – College of Arts and Sciences
Kimberly Shmina, DNP Associate Dean for Entry-Level Programs & Assistant Professor of Nursing – School of Nursing, College of Health and Wellness
Malita Robinson, DSW Director of Professional and Clinical Practice – School of Social Work, College of Health and Wellness
Tal Amasay, Ph.D. Professor & Director, Sport & Exercise Sciences Programs – College of Health and Wellness
Clair Egret, Ph.D. Associate Professor,​ Sport & Exercise Sciences Programs – Department of Health Promotion and Clinical Practices, College of Health and Wellness
Dale Hartz, D.M. Assistant Professor of Management – School of Business and Public Administration
Carole Huberman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Public Administration – School of Business and Public Administration
Javier Gonzalez, Ph.D. Associate Professor & Director, Bachelor’s in Education Program – School of Education, Leadership, and Human Development
Cristina Wildermuth, Ed.D. Associate Professor & Director, B.S. in Organizational Leadership – School of Education, Leadership, and Human Development
Alex Herrera, M.Ed. Employer Relations Manager, Career Development Center – Division of Enrollment, Engagement, and Outreach

Consultative Committee

Shaunelle Wall Marshall ’06 MS ’08

Shaunelle Wall Marshall ’06 MS ’08

Associate Vice President for Alumni and Donor Relations –
Barry University; Committee Chair

Name Job Title and Organization
Janet Cohen, MBA ’84 Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing – J.G. Finneran Associates
Captain Jean-Pierre De Barros, MS ’96 Assistant Health Service Administrator – Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department of Homeland Security
Candice Heyaime ’10 Regional Manager of Events – Hotwire Communication Ltd.
Andrea Ivory ’13 Founder & Executive Director – The Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative
Dr. Fabrice Laguerre ’94 Lead Administrator – Van E. Blanton Elementary School
Jaime Lizotte ’05 MBA ’19 Director of HR & Tax Products – ComplyRight Inc.
Dr. Maya Ozery ’08 MS ’10 Senior Associate Athletics Director – Kansas Athletics NCAA Consultant
Peter L. Riggs, JD ’01 Partner & Lawyer – Spence Fane LLP

Student Mentorship Committee

Shaniqua Gray Garcia ’16 MSW ’17

Shaniqua Gray Garcia ’16 MSW ’17

Chair, Student Mentorship Committee


Resources

Books

  • Barber, J. P. (2020). Facilitating the integration of learning: Five research-based practices to help college students connect learning across disciplines and lived experience.
  • Eynon, B., & Gambino, L. M. (2017). High-impact eportfolio practice: A catalyst for student, faculty, and institutional learning. Stylus Publishing.
  • Gallagher, C. W. (2019). College made whole: Integrative learning for a divided world. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Articles

  • Huber, M. T., & Hutchings, P. (2004). Integrative learning: Mapping the terrain. Association of American Colleges and Universities & the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
  • Huber, M. T., Hutchings, P., & Gale, R. (2005). Integrative learning for liberal education. Peer Review, 7(3/4), 4–7.
  • Watson, C. E., Kuh, G. D., Rhodes, T., Light, T., & Chen, H. (2016). ePortfolios – The eleventh high impact practice. International Journal of ePortfolio6(2), 65–69. http://www.theijep.com/pdf/IJEP254.pdf

Fact Sheets

  • "Experiential Learning" (CCSI, Barry University, 2014)
  • "Service-Learning" (CCSI, Barry University, 2017)
  • "Service-Learning Internship" (CCSI, Barry University, 2017)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • As explained by SACSCOC, a Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, is an integral component of the reaffirmation of accreditation process and is derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation processes. It reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue the institution considers important to improving student learning outcomes and/or student success.

  • The focus or topic of Barry’s QEP is integrative learning. The actual title of the QEP is: “Integration of Learning for Academic Achievement, Personal Growth, and Professional Preparation.”

  • In the QEP, integrative learning is defined as “the ability to connect, synthesize, apply, and reflect meaningfully on knowledge and skills acquired from various contexts and experiences as demonstrated through products, performances, and presentations.”

  • Barry’s QEP has three major goals: (1) To develop students’ ability to connect relevant experience to disciplines or perspectives and fundamental academic knowledge; (2) to cultivate competence in adapting and applying knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired or developed in one situation to new situations; and (3) to facilitate reflection and self-assessment that demonstrate metacognition and a developing sense of self as a current learner and future professional.

  • There are three learning outcomes: (1) Students will be able to synthesize knowledge acquired from more than one course, field of study, perspective, and/or experience in relation to their academic, personal, and/or professional development. (2) Students will be able to give a major presentation, performance, or exhibition that reflectively showcases applied knowledge, skills, and abilities in a clear, articulate, and creative manner. (3) Students will be able to create a portfolio of selected work products, organized purposefully to provide substantive evidence of academic achievement and/or personal growth as well as professional preparation.

  • Various techniques will be employed to assess the specified student learning outcomes and evaluate the effectiveness of the QEP in achieving its overall goals. The main means of assessment will be rubrics (specialized sets of evaluation criteria that specify levels of achievement to assess student work products), a portfolio assessment tool, and a student engagement survey.

  • No; only upper-level undergraduates will participate directly in this QEP. Mainly seniors and some juniors will engage in culminating experiences as part of the current plan.

  • A culminating experience is a senior-year, capstone-type experience that allows a student to demonstrate proficiency within a major or concentration while meeting the overall goals of a liberal arts education. Traditional culminating experiences for undergraduates include exams, theses, capstone courses, applied projects, and portfolios.

  • Common culminating experiences are capstone courses and projects, internships, field education/placements, clinical practice/nursing rotations, student teaching, undergraduate research, and creative projects. Portfolios are regarded as a culminating experience.

  • The implementation of Barry’s will commence in Academic Year 2024 and is scheduled for completion in 2029. Afterwards, the University will submit its QEP Impact Report to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges for review by the SACSCOC Committee on Fifth-Year Interim Reports.

  • The QEP will be posted to BUCWIS. In the meantime, it is available directly from the QEP Director.

  • Please contact the Director of the QEP, Dr. Glenn Bowen: gbowen@barry.edu.

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