What is a QEP?

A QEP, or Quality Enhancement Plan, is an integral part of reaffirmation of accreditation for UWF with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC is committed to advancing the quality of higher education and a QEP is an important part of the reaffirmation of the accreditation process. Institutions have great latitude to develop a QEP that focuses on improving student learning outcomes and/or student success within the context of each institution’s mission.

UWF’s QEP was developed as part of the institutional strategic planning process which began in 2021. UWF’s Strategic Plan 2022-2027 identifies Strategic Direction 1.1 to “provide high impact educational and co-curricular learning experiences that inspire, engage, and prepare students to become knowledgeable citizens and successful in their careers and lives.”

UWF’s QEP 2025 is titled Reflect to Connect and is focused on critical reflection across high-impact practices (HIPs). UWF defines critical reflection as “a reasoning process to make meaning of an experience. Critical reflection is descriptive, analytical, iterative, and ongoing. Reflection can be articulated in a number of ways such as in written form, orally or as an artistic expression. In short, this process adds depth and breadth to high-impact practices, and builds connections between course content, the experience and the student’s professional goals.” (adapted from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga)

Accreditation Process

While a QEP is part of the normal reaffirmation of accreditation process with SACSCOC, UWF is using this opportunity to build on our previous success integrating HIPs to improve students’ professional communication; we now aim to incorporate intentional critical reflection into high-impact experiences. A focus on critical reflection will empower students to make connections between varied learning experiences and real-world applications. Through reflective activities integrated into HIPs, students will develop essential skills in connecting classroom learning to real-world situations and applying their knowledge to practical contexts.