Quality enhancement plan

As part of the reaffirmation process, every institution accredited by SACSCOC is obligated to create a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). This plan serves to address crucial matters derived from institutional assessment, emphasizing learning outcomes and/or the environment that facilitates student learning and the accomplishment of the institution's mission.

The main objective of our QEP is to transform students into well-rounded critical thinkers. Critical thinking, as defined by the APA Delphi Consensus Definition, is the deliberate and reflective process of making informed decisions and beliefs.

The QEP consists of the following elements:

1. Integration of critical thinking modules in major and general education courses. These modules include various resources such as readings, assignments, and activities that explicitly teach critical thinking skills.

2. Training opportunities for faculty and staff on how to promote the development of critical thinking skills during instruction.

3. An extensive schedule of activities aimed at enriching critical thinking. These activities include public debates, challenging conversations, ongoing discussion and reading groups, experiential learning activities, and critical-thinking-focused student club activities.

4. Establishment of an internal website that acts as a central hub for the QEP and all critical-thinking-related matters at the University.

The process of identifying a topic began in Fall 2021 and was led by the QEP Topic Selection Committee. This committee included various individuals within the University, such as the president, administrators, faculty, and staff.

The Selection Committee conducted a survey across the campus to gather topic proposals from university constituents, including faculty, staff, students, trustees, and alumni. They reviewed a total of 22 topic submissions and categorized them into eight themes. Respondents were given the opportunity to present their proposed QEP topics informally, if they desired to continue. From these presentations, four topics emerged:

1. Critical Thinking

2. Sustainability

3. Effective Use of Technology (including Virtual Study Abroad)

4. Scholarly Writing and Research

Afterwards, a second survey was carried out to collect the order of topic preferences from University faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustees. Critical Thinking was the top choice among all five constituent groups, resulting in its selection as the QEP topic.

Our Critical Thinking QEP is in line with and supports the University of Lynchburg's Strategic Plan, Goal II, which focuses on creating an inclusive campus and collaborative community (adopted in February 2022). In particular, our QEP addresses the importance of critical thinking as stated in Strategic Plan Outcome 2.2. This outcome emphasizes the need for students to possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with a liberal arts education, including critical thinking, in order to engage effectively in civic activities within their communities, state, nation, and the world.

As a result of the QEP, students will demonstrate critical thinking skills and a critical thinking mindset. Critical thinking skills include analysis, interpretation, inference, evaluation, explanation, induction, deduction, and numeracy. A critical thinking mindset includes truth-seeking, open-mindedness, foresight, focus, confident in reasoning, inquisitiveness, and cognitive maturity.