NSU's Quality Enhancement Plan April 2017

NSU QEP Development Process | 5 • First-Year Experience Initiative —In fall of 2013, NSU contracted with the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education to enhance the first-year experience of undergraduate students. Over the next year, more than 200 faculty and staff members worked on nine dimensions of the student experience in a self-study effort that culminated in a set of recommendations targeting students’ first-year experience at NSU. The recommendations provide opportunities for raising awareness of student support services, particularly those focused on writing. • NSU Alumni Surveys —Another outgrowth of the initial NSU QEP was the annual NSU alumni survey. This annual assessment of all graduates at NSU (targeting those who were degree completers during the preceding five years of the annual survey) included questions about important job skills felt to be necessary upon graduation and the degree to which NSU provided assistance to that skill area. The tables below provide mean responses to the questions that were writing/ communication related. Table 2 NSU Alumni Survey. Question: How important in your life are these skills? Importance Very Moderately A little bit Not at all Total 2015 Mean 2014 Mean 2013 Mean 2012 Mean 2011 Mean 2010 Mean Write effectively 84% 14% 2% 0% 2562 3.81 3.80 3.83 3.82 3.84 3.84 Communicate well orally 90% 9% 1% 0% 2558 3.89 3.89 3.90 3.90 3.91 3.90 Table 3 NSU Alumni Survey. Question: How did NSU contribute to the skills noted above? Contribution Very Moderately Very little No Total 2015 Mean 2014 Mean 2013 Mean 2012 Mean 2011 Mean 2010 Mean Write effectively 46% 37% 13% 3% 2336 3.27 3.24 3.28 3.26 3.27 3.26 Communicate well orally 35% 40% 19% 5% 2327 3.05 3.03 3.04 3.10 3.12 3.13 These data attest to the importance of writing and communicating upon graduation for NSU alumni in their work settings over time (2010–2015) and, additionally, attest to the gap to be filled by NSU to assure that both writing and communication achieve a place during the college experience. While the review of the extant data did not reveal one particular need area in which to enhance student learning, the review showed a broad need to take action to enhance student learning (i.e., do a QEP) and to be mindful of technology and the inclusion of students outside of the main campus. The review also surfaced that writing was an area of concern for students at multiple colleges, in diverse programs, using multiple learning modalities, and across degree levels.