A Quality Enhancement Plan addresses an issue that is important to improving student learning and/or student success while fulfilling the institutional mission of UMO. A QEP is required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) as part of an institution's decennial reaffirmation of accreditation. An institution's QEP:

• Focuses on improving specific student learning outcomes and/or student success
• Commits resources to initiate, implement, and complete the QEP
• Includes a plan to assess achievement

The QEP is an integral part of the Institutional Planning and Effectiveness Section 7, Standard 7.2, developed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) as part of the university's decennial reaffirmation of accreditation process.

Focus to Finish is a continuation of UMO's first QEP, On the Write Track, which focused on establishing a culture that values writing, devising intervention strategies to improve student writing, and providing learning opportunities for students to grow as writers. It also builds on the Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant to improve retention and graduation rates.

Ultimately, the goal is to improve persistence, retention, and graduation rates of adult undergraduates across the span of the five-year study. Adult education has been a central part of UMO's mission and we continue to look for opportunities to improve student learning outcomes for this valued student segment.

Everyone at the University of Mount Olive should be involved in support of the Quality Enhancement Plan! We invite you to learn more about our plan and participate in activities related to the QEP. Make sure to be on the lookout for QEP news and activities.

There will be several writing-related faculty development sessions offered throughout the implementation of the QEP. Additionally, a subset of courses within Adult and Online programs will be redesigned by faculty utilizing the best practices of Quality Matters™. These strategies are indirect methods of student support — faculty development enhances expertise to assist with writing improvement, and intentional course design creates a consistent structure that accentuates alignment and student engagement in the virtual environment.

SACSCOC has facilitated an on-site committee, comprised of volunteer peers from similar institutions. The on-site committee will review the Plan and then conduct a virtual site visit. The team will conduct sessions with various members of the university community and provide feedback based upon their evaluation of the Plan.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is an institutional accrediting body for degree-granting institutions of higher education. Every 10 years, SACSCOC evaluates each accredited member institution, including UMO, on a variety of standards to reaffirm accreditation.

Accreditation is a way to assure that an educational institution is offering a quality education. The process includes research-based evaluation of the institution's resources, programs, services, and policies.

If you have questions about the QEP or are looking for additional ways to get involved, please contact Lisa Nuesell at lnuesell@umo.edu.