Carteret Community College (CCC) is a public two-year community college and a member of the North Carolina Community College System. CCC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. In order to maintain its membership with SACSCOC, CCC must develop, implement, and complete a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).
Every ten years, colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) go through a review for reaffirmation of accreditation. For re-accreditation purposes, SACSCOC requires colleges and universities to engage in a broad-based self-study and discovery process to identify and become involved in a “plan” that will enhance overall student learning and/or learning environment at the institution. This Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a five-year project that should become part of the college’s culture.
The QEP is a tool for institutional improvement focused on student learning. There are five criteria that a QEP must meet:
Student learning may include changes in students’ knowledge, skills, behaviors, and/or values that may contribute to the college experience. In other words, the QEP is a process of formulating intended student learning and associated measurements. The goals and evaluation strategies must be clearly linked to improving the quality of student learning while supporting the College’s mission and vision.