Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

Our QEP

For information about the New Student Experience (NSE), please see: http://valenciacollege.edu/academic-affairs/new-student-experience/

Assessment Instruments

The QEP assessment includes learning artifact assessment using common rubrics developed by the faculty, Student Feedback on Instruction (SFI) surveys, and student engagement as reported on the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE).

Learning Artifact Assessment

NSE faculty assess common assignments in the SLS 1122 New Student Experience course. The Academic Blueprint (originally the My Education Plan or MEP Assignment) rubric was developed during summer 2014 and updated in summer 2015 and summer 2017. The Final Story Project rubric was developed during summer 2014 and updated in summer 2015 and summer 2017. Rubrics are developed and updated on a regular basis. In fall 2016 a new rubric for Interpersonal Communication was incorporated into the assessment plan associated with the Personal Connection Co-Curricular Reflection for onsite students and the Career Interview for online students. The rubric and associated assignments and learning activities were developed in collaboration with the Interpersonal Communication faculty.

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)

When the New Student Experience (NSE) was being developed it was intended to draw on student success and engagement strategies that have been shown to be effective for community college students across the country as documented over time by the CCSSE. Specifically, among the research questions associated with the NSE are explicit questions meant to help us better understand our students' needs and their perceptions of learning and college-readiness and to measure their engagement of Valencia as a place for learning. Questions in the CCSSE target these areas of interest, to include the NSE outcomes (or the 6Ps) for the NSE. For example, “How much does this college emphasize-- Providing the support you need to help you succeed at this college?" is one CCSSE question that will provide feedback from NSE students about whether or not the NSE course is meeting the outcome of Place - Students will demonstrate awareness of college support systems.

Student Feedback on Instruction (SFI)

Student feedback is an integral part of the design of the NSE program, to include the NSE course, as we consider that starting in Fall 2015, the NSE Course will be a required, degree-earning, General Education course for all First Time in College Students (FTIC) and those students new to Valencia who have fewer than 15-credit hours. The college adopted a set of questions from the CCSSE into a Qualtrics Survey in spring 2014. The survey was sent to all NSE students registered in the pilot (21 sections of the NSE Course) to provide them the opportunity to share feedback on their experience in NSE. Their feedback was used to develop a set of recommendations about the curricular and co-curricular aspects of the NSE as they related to the students' overall perceptions of the learning environment, their needs as students, and their college readiness/success skills. Additionally, questions from the CCSSE have been embedded into the Student Feedback on Instruction (SFI) for NSE Students since fall 2014.

Course Evaluation Question - Items for SFI college-wide since spring 2015

Assessment Methods

The NSE Assessment Team met in November 2016 and confirmed that learning outcomes assessment had evolved to a point where the rubrics (in conjunction with the SFI) were sufficient in assessing for the General Education outcomes and the 6Ps. To ensure the integrity of the data with the common rubrics as a primary source for assessment, LOBP 3334 Using Rubrics to Create Dialog was adapted to a specialized NSE version focused on uniform and consistent use of the rubrics. The workshop was offered four times during spring 2017 with over half the full-time and part-time NSE faculty attending for professional development credit.

Learning Assessment