How We Got Here

Broad-based Involvement: Kentucky Wesleyan’s QEP Writing through Engagement (WE) was developed through an inclusive process that gathered input from faculty, staff, administration, students, alumni, and the Board of Trustees (Appendix A).

Solicitation of Ideas: The Topic Selection Committee held a series of informal interviews with students, faculty, and staff from athletics, student life, student success, and career services to gather opinions and ideas regarding strengths and weaknesses at Kentucky Wesleyan. Student focus groups were conducted, a faculty forum and several meetings were held to update constituents and gather input, a survey was sent to students, faculty, staff, and administration asking them to rank high impact learning opportunities by preference, and members of the Board of Trustees provided input as the topic became more focused.

Review of Institutional Documents and Data: The Topic Selection Committee reviewed the mission, current and past Strategic Plans, academic assessment data, National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data, and the current Title III: Strengthening Institutions grant to identify institutional needs and alignment with institutional objectives needed to meet its mission. NSSE reports were helpful in gaining insight on student perceptions. The 2016 Strategic Action Plan helped to ensure alignment of the QEP with broader institutional goals. Institutional academic assessment data provided insights into concerns mentioned during informal interviews. The Title III grant provided insights into new institutional resources that would be available to support the QEP.

Selection of the Topic: The topic selection was an iterative process that was refined and redirected as a result of many inputs. The Topic Selection Committee provided regular reports at Faculty and Board of Trustee meetings, allowing for additional feedback that helped guide further work. The Topic Selection Committee drafted a recommendation merging the students’ expressed desire for engaged learning with the faculty’s desire to increase writing and critical thought. The recommendation for the final QEP topic was approved by the faculty and the Board of Trustees.