SACS QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN:
INFORMATION LITERACY AND THE LEARNING COMMONS
QEP Q&A What is the QEP? “The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is the component of the accreditation process that reflects and affirms the commitment of the Commission on Colleges to the enhancement of the quality of higher education and to the proposition that student learning is at the heart of the mission of all institutions of higher learning. By definition, the QEP describes a carefully designed course of action that addresses a well-defined and focused topic or issue related to enhancing student learning. The QEP should be embedded within the institution’s ongoing integrated institution-wide planning and evaluation process and may very well evolve from this existing process or from other processes related to the institution’s internal reaffirmation review.” -- Handbook for Reaffirmation of Accreditation PowerPoint by Don Beagle, presented at the 2009 Faculty Retreat by Dr. David Williams |
The Library Reconfigured The BAC QEP turns the current Library Reference Room into a Learning Commons featuring: Group study rooms Enhanced multimedia Presentation rehearsal space Laptop plug-in points Expanded workstation arrays Added databases for academic majors IT staff support & training For current library accreditation report, see: |
Catholic & Benedictine Identity PowerPoint by Dr. David Williams Catholic Research Resources Portal The Catholic Research Resources Portal provides access to rare, unique or infrequently held materials in academic libraries and seminaries' special collections and archives. By electronically bringing together access to resources in many collections, the portal will create easy, effective and global discovery of Catholic research resources. Lectio Divina in the digital age National Catholic Register 27 January 2008. |
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How is a Learning Commons Different from a computer lab? One example: Assignment: A student needs to find import / export data, put the numbers into a spreadsheet, format them into graphs and charts, and use the charts in a PowerPoint. In a Learning Commons, the student can 1) get a librarian's advice on which database(s) to search; 2) use a metasearch utility to retrieve data; 3) use Excel to do the graphs; 4) use PowerPoint to do the slides; and 5) reserve a group study room with laptop and data projector to rehearse the presentation. A typical computer lab can support only steps 3 & 4. |
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QEP Committee Meetings Links Instructional Subcommittee Faculty Library Committee |
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Dr. Mike McLeod on the importance of databases in the Learning Commons: “Science is a dynamic process, and good science education requires that students recognize this through reading about research. In this, it is essential that students have access to current literature and learn to do effective literature searches using the most comprehensive databases available. Through this access to literature students learn to read critically, to recognize good science, and to learn current concepts in their chosen discipline.” |
Timelines |
Student & Faculty Feedback Dr. Cote’s summary of faculty comments In the December 2007 meeting of Faculty Assembly, QEP Committee member Dr. Nathalie Cote briefly previewed the Learning Commons initiative and solicited comments. |
Some other Learning Commons links: Loyola University Chicago Simmons College http://my.simmons.edu/services/technology/labs/general-access/information-commons.shtml University of Kentucky |
