New QEP an Historic Step for UL Lafayette
Dear students, faculty and staff members,
UL Lafayette will host peer reviewers from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges on Feb. 10-13. The University has spent the past several years preparing for this visit and for the wider reaccreditation process of which it is a part.
Reaccreditation occurs every 10 years, and the University community never fails to rally to this all-important undertaking. I want to thank everyone who went above and beyond their usual duties and responsibilities to ensure the success of this process.
Reaccreditation touches nearly every aspect of the University: governance, leadership, curriculum, faculty, planning and institutional effectiveness, academic and student support services, facilities and budgets, and many other areas.
In addition, the University must develop a Quality Enhancement Plan. A QEP demonstrates our commitment to improving what students are learning and how they’re learning.
Our 2010 QEP resulted in the creation of UNIV 100, a first-year seminar that has improved undergraduate retention rates since its implementation.
Three years ago, we began the process of identifying a QEP for the 2020 reaccreditation. Extensive discussions among key stakeholders have led to our new QEP – Advance: Student Research Experience.
Advance is an undergraduate research program that aims to provide every student an opportunity to complete creative and scholarly projects that are valued by their respective disciplines. These Student Research Experiences will enable undergraduates to hone skills that will benefit them throughout their lifetimes: problem solving, oral and written communication, teamwork, and project and time management.
Please watch the embedded video or visit the Advance website to learn more about what’s ahead.
Establishing a formalized undergraduate research program is an historic step for UL Lafayette. Advance satisfies the University Strategic Plan’s call for an increase in student productivity and success through engagement in mentored research, innovative projects and creative endeavors.
By fostering insightful scholarship and encouraging active research among undergraduates, Advance is an investment in their futures – and in ours. I’m excited to see what tomorrow holds as a result of this ambitious initiative.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joseph Savoie
President