About the QEP
During each decennial reaffirmation of accreditation, SACSCOC member institutions must submit a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). In order to be reaffirmed, an institution must demonstrate that its QEP (a) has a topic identified through its ongoing, comprehensive planning and evaluation processes;
- has broad-based support of institutional constituencies;
- focuses on improving specific student learning outcomes and/or student success;
- commits resources to initiate, implement and complete the QEP; and
- includes a plan to assess achievement.
The UNC Asheville QEP is titled “IGNITE: Finding Your Spark.” Students participating in IGNITE will build skills and academic confidence while building meaningful connections to the community on and off campus. IGNITE will accomplish this by engaging incoming first year students in a structured, peer-led, cohort experience in which Peer Advising Leaders (PALs) facilitate structured conversations topics such as interpersonal skill development, growth mindset, intercultural dialogue, and introductory career education. The project grew out of broad-based campus concern about declines in first-to-second year student retention at UNC Asheville, and it is aligned with UNC Asheville’s core values of diversity and inclusion, innovation, and sustainability as well as with key strategic priorities from the institution’s Revitalization Plan, specifically to evolve and innovate institutional culture and student support.
Read the complete QEP here