By requiring accredited institutions to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) the SACS Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) emphasizes its commitment to advancing the quality of higher education. The QEP affirms SACSCOC belief that student learning is central to the mission of all higher education institutions. According to SACSCOC, “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.”
Delta State University has identified improving cultural competence as the QEP topic. While several themes received praise and attention, cultural competence distinguished itself as a timely and relevant topic. Improving cultural competency at Delta State will assist students in discovering and learning about other cultures; understanding cultural biases and differences; improving intercultural communication skills; developing empathic skills; and moving effectively within a globalized society. As the literature suggests, working in an increasingly multicultural society and global economy takes more than just simple interaction. Cultural competence is not innate and cannot be assumed; by taking full advantage of its location, rich history, and bountiful cultural resources, DSU plans to be proactive in improving its students’ worldview.
To achieve these goals, DSU’s QEP Team created three primary student learning outcomes:
- Describe various aspects of cultural diversity.
- Articulate a shared understanding and support of cross-cultural experiences.
- Evaluate cultural perspectives with openness and respect.
- Current Events
- 2018-2019 Past Events
- 2017-2018 Past Events
- Development
- Compliance
- FAQ
- Faculty/Staff Resources
August 29th – Study Abroad: Korea presentation @ 1:40 PM @ Bologna Performing Arts Center
September 4th – Poverty Simulation @ 1 – 4 PM @ Jacob Conference Center, Ewing Hall
September 10th – Dusty Groove: The Sound of Transition film screening @ 7 PM @ Bologna Performing Arts Center
September 11th – Virtual Dementia Tour @ 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM (30 minute sessions) @ Speech and Hearing Sciences Clinic Waiting Room in Kethley Hall
September 11th – 2020-2021 Study Abroad Course Information Session @ 4-4:45 PM @ Janice Wyatt Conference Room, Kent Wyatt Hall
September 12th — 2020-2021 Study Abroad Course Information Session @ 12:15-1 PM @ Janice Wyatt Conference Room, Kent Wyatt Hall
September 15th – World Afro Day @ 5 PM @ Multipurpose Room, Young Mauldin Cafeteria
September 16th — Delta State University’s 94th Anniversary event @ Noon @ Lena Roberts Sillers Chapel
September 17th — “Andrew Jackson, Donald Trump, and the Constitution” guest lecture @ 7 PM @ Jobe Hall Auditorium
September 18th — “In Her Shoes” Domestic Violence Simulation @ 12:15 – 1:45 PM @ Multipurpose Room, Young Mauldin Cafeteria
September 18th — “The Decennial Census, Data Leadership, and Informed Governance: Implications for the 2020 Census” guest lecture @ 3 PM @ Jobe Hall Auditorium
September 20th — La Tertulia @ 4 PM @ Kethley 235
September 24th – IDEA Lunch: National Voter Registration Day @ 12:15 PM @ Union TBD
September 26th — “A Dangerous Unselfishness: Understanding Blackface in Mississippi as a Pathway to Political Power” guest lecture @ 7 PM @ Jobe Hall Auditorium
September 28th – Fall Civil Rights Field Trip to Jackson, MS @ 8 AM – 6 PM –
September 28th – Paleontology Field Trip to Nonconnah Creek and Pink Palace Museum in Memphis @ All Day
October 3rd-4th — International Conference on the Blues @ Delta Music Institute
October 3rd-5th — 50th Anniversary Commemoration of Hawkins v. Town of Shaw @ Shaw, Mississippi
October 17th – Okra OUT Front @ 6 PM @ Roberts-LaForge Library
October 18th — La Tertulia @ 4 PM @ Kethley 235
October 22nd – The City That Sold America film screening @ 7 PM @ Bologna Performing Arts Center
October 24th — “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event @ Noon @ Quad
November 8th — La Tertulia @ 4 PM @ Kethley 235
November 13th – Neither Wolf Nor Dog film screening @ 7 PM @ Bologna Performing Arts Center
November 19th – Well Groomed film screening @ 7 PM @ Bologna Performing Arts Center
November 18-22 – International Education Week
December 8th — La Tertulia @ 4 PM @ Kethley 235
January 15th- MLK Convocation @ 3 PM @ Jobe Auditorium
January 21st- MLK Program and Writing Workshop @ 12:15 PM in Jacob Conference Center|Ewing Hall
August 30th – Korean Journey: A Perspective Changer
September 6th – Eyes on Mississippi film screening and panel discussion
September 12th – Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Advocacy (IDEA) Lunch: First-Generation Students and College Success
September 20th – Lester Mayers presents No Boxes. No Labels.
September 25th – Webinar and Cupcakes: “Navigate Triggering or Contentious Moments in the Classroom: Successfully Integrate Dialogue Skills for Improved Discussions & Academic Success”
October 1st – GAYME Night
October 11th – 2nd Annual Okra OUT Front
October 13th – Mississippi Civil Rights Field Trip
October 14th – Film screening and discussion of Finding Cleveland
October 18 – Kavi Ade: Live Poetry Reading
October 22nd – Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Advocacy (IDEA) Lunch: Dr. Jaime Harker
October 22nd – Book reading and signing by Dr. Jaime Harker
October 22 – Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr. : Reflections on Emmett Till’s Legacy and America
November 11 – Thanksgiving Dinner for International Students
November 12 – International Education Week
January 16 – In the Dark Race and Criminal Justice: The Trials of Curtis Flowers
January 31 – Child Safety Summit: Understanding Child Trafficking, Exploitation and Abuse
February 4th – Prayer and Singing of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” @ 12 PM @ Union 1st Floor Lobby
February 4th – Black Business Professionals: A Seminar With Black Professionals in the Business Field @ 6 PM @ Baioni Conference Center
February 6 – Catfish Dream: Book Signing and Conversation
February 7th – Black History Month Trivia @ 12 PM @ Union 1st Floor Lobby
February 7th – “She-roes” @ 7 PM @ Jobe Hall Auditorium
February 11th – Prayer and Singing of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” @ 12 PM @ Union 1st Floor Lobby
February 14th – Black History Month Trivia @ 12 PM @ Union 1st Floor Lobby
February 18th – Prayer and Singing of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” @ 12 PM @ Union 1st Floor Lobby
February 18th – IDEA Lunch with “Delta Hill Riders: African American Cowboys in the Mississippi Delta” @ 12 PM @ Baioni Conference Center, Broom Hall
February 21st – Black History Month Trivia @ 12 PM @ Union 1st Floor Lobby
February 25th – Prayer and Singing of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” @ 12 PM @ Union 1st Floor Lobby
February 28th – Black History Month Trivia @ 12 PM @ Union 1st Floor Lobby
QEP is constantly planning events – for more information on upcoming events, please visit our Facebook page.
August 31 – Mississippi Encyclopedia
September 11 – 15 – Sexual Assault Awareness Week
September 12 – Wired for Sound
September 12 – Constitution Week
September 13 – Internship in DC
September 14 – IDEA Lunch
October 19 — Cine Club presents Sin Nombre
September 21 – Cine Club presents Paraiso
September 22 – Gender Studies Group Brownbag Lunch: Poetry Resisting Gender Normativity
September 27 – Wired For Sound
September 27 – Professional Development Webinar: “Observing Holidays on Campus”
September 28 — Cine Club presents La Casa de Los Espiritus (The House of the Spirits)
September 26 – 28 – Korean Traditional Music Events
October 1 -6 – Mississippi Bicentennial Events
October 1-3: International Conference on the Blues @ GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
October 4 to end of October: Mississippi Visual Arts Juried Student Show @ BPAC Lobby
October 4: Art Speaker Robin Whitfield @ 6 pm @ BPAC Recital Hall
October 5: Okra Out Front Concert @ 6 pm @ Roberts-LaForge Library
October 5: Poetry Slam @ 8 pm @ Mississippi Grounds Coffee Shop
October 6: Gala Concert @ 7:30 pm @ Delta and Pine Land Theatre in BPAC
October 23 – Annual Gadabout Film Festival
October 27 – La Tertulia November 3 & 10
November 12 – Thanksgiving Lunch for International Students
November 15 – Know Your Rights
February 8 – National Civil Rights Museum and the Winchester’s Farmers Market Field Trip
February 2 – Singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” February 9 February 23
February 7 – Black History Month
- “Black Out”
- IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Advocacy) Lunch “Hey, Professor Olgevee, Let’s Talk About Some African American History!”
- Candlelight Memorial
February 12 – I Am Not Your Negro film screening
February 14 – Café Scientifique “The Japanese Studies Institute: Integrating Japanese Culture into the Undergraduate Experience” with Dr. Douglas Mark and Mr. Chet Oguz
February 12 – 28 – Chinese New Year Celebration
February 14-15 – Sankofa: African American History on Wheels
February 18 – Chinese New Year Celebration and Open House with cooking demonstrations and tastings, museum tours, and activities.
February 20 – Delta Epiphany: Robert F. Kennedy in Mississippi guest lecture
February 22 – Japanese Internment Camp Museum Field Trip
April 4 – 5 – Civil Rides
April 5 – La Tertulia
April 5 – 21st Annual Sammy O Cranford Memorial Lecture
April 10 – Equal Pay Day
April 12 – La Tertulia
April 18 – Professional Development Webinar: “Overcome Unconscious Bias: Breakdown Barriers to Equity and Inclusion for Students, Faculty, and Administrators”
April 19 -La Tertulia
April 23 – Fannye Cook: Mississippi’s Pioneering Conservationist performance @ 6 pm @ Jobe Hall Auditorium
Quality Enhancement Plan Leadership Team
| Name | Department | Office/Unit |
| Edwin Craft (S) | Finance & Administration | Technology Services |
| Robin Boyles (S) | Institutional Grants | |
| Teresa Houston (S) | Student Business Services | |
| Ann Margaret Mullins (S) | Student Affairs | Student Financial Assistance |
| Richard Houston (S) | Counseling Center And Student Health Services | |
| Paul Hankins (F) | Provost & Academic Affairs | College of Arts & Sciences |
| Marilyn Shultz (F) | Languages And Literature | |
| Douglas Mark (F) | Music | |
| Leslie Fadiga-Stewart (F) | Social Sciences/History | |
| Scott Drury (F) | Counselor Education and Psychology | |
| Vicki Webster (F) | Acc, Cis, Finance | |
| Julie Speakes (F) | Commercial Aviation | |
| Rebecca Hochradel (F) | Mgt/Mkt/Bus Adm | |
| Jamye Long (F) | Mgt/Mkt/Bus Adm | |
| Temika Simmons (F) | Counselor Education And Psychology | |
| Vicki Hartley (F) | Teacher Education, Leadership, And Research | |
| Vicki Bingham (F) | Robert E. Smith School Of Nursing | |
| David Salinero (F) | Library Services | |
| Joi Phillips (F) | Library Services | |
| Beverly Moon (S) | Institutional Research And Planning | |
| Staff | University Relations | Communications And Marketing |
| Gary Bouse (S) | Development | Alumni-Foundation |
| John Cassibry (Stu) | Student Body | Student Body |
| Charles Barber (Stu) | Student Body |
Whereas the Compliance Certification Report provides a snapshot of past and present practices at the University, the Quality Enhancement Plan points to the future. SACS spells out the following expectations for an acceptable QEP:
Core Requirement 2.12: The institution has developed an acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that includes an institutional process for identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment and focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution.
Comprehensive Standard 3.3.2: The institution has developed a Quality Enhancement Plan that (1) demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP; (2) includes broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP; and (3) identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement.
Frequently Asked Questions about the QEP
What is SACSCOC?
SACSCOC stands for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is the primary accrediting body for educational institutions in the southern United States and Latin America. Every ten years, educational institutions must reaffirm their accreditation status.
Accreditation ensures that DSU:
- Has a mission appropriate to higher education
- Has resources and programs that adhere to the stated mission
- Maintains educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers
- Adheres to standards of quality, effectiveness, and integrity
Part of the reaffirmation process includes the creation of a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).
What is the QEP?
The QEP is essentially a five-year action plan that:
- Focuses on some aspect of enhancing student learning
- Addresses a well-defined and focused topic
- Creates an environment that supports the mission of the university
- Becomes embedded in the institution’s long-term planning and evaluation
What are the steps to creating a successful QEP?
SACS has identified eight steps to creating a QEP:
| 1. Select a Topic 2. Research the Topic 3. Define Student Learning Outcomes 4. Identify Actions to be Implemented |
5. Establish a Timeline for Implementation 6. Organize for Success 7. Identify All Necessary Resources 8. Create an Assessment Plan |
What is DSU’s new QEP?
Delta State has selected improving cultural competency as the next QEP. The official title for the project is A World Class Experience: Improving Cultural Competency at Delta State. Being culturally competent will allow students to discover and learn about other cultures; understand cultural biases and differences; improve intercultural communication skills; and work effectively in today’s globalized society.
How will the QEP be implemented?
Over a five-year period beginning in fall 2014, several strategies will be used to incorporate cultural competence into 1) GST 100, 2) the general education curriculum, 3) many upper-level major courses in all degree programs, and 4) various extracurricular campus-wide events; this plan ensures that students will be exposed to the topic throughout their entire academic experience.
How will this plan be assessed?
Assessment is a necessary component of the QEP. To ensure that all goals and objectives are met, the QEP Team created three student learning outcomes that will be regularly assessed:
- Describe various aspects of cultural diversity.
- Articulate a shared understanding and support of cross-cultural experiences.
- Evaluate cultural perspectives with openness and respect.
In addition to measuring these student learning outcomes, a number of other additional reports and surveys will be completed. They include the Freshmen Cultural Competence Survey, chairs’ Departmental QEP Reports, an annual QEP Survey for freshmen and seniors, and various other annual reviews.
How can you help?
Over the past two years, the entire campus has played a vital role in the development of A World Class Experience. Although the planning stages may be nearly complete, the QEP Advisory Group, in tandem with academic departments, will serve as the university’s mechanism for making any future changes to the plan. If you would like to serve on this group or simply provide advice or feedback, please contact Beverly Moon (bmoon@deltastate.edu) at 662-846-4700.
Where can I access more information?
Here are some useful links for more information on the QEP and SACSCOC.
- SACSCOC’s Principles of Accreditation
- Handbook for Institutions Seeking Reaffirmation (information specific to the QEP begins on page 39)
QEP Funding Request Form
This form is for Faculty/Staff/seeking sponsorship/co-sponsorship for campus events related to cultural topics. Funding Request Form
QEP Course Documents
Outcome Tables
qep-upper-level-outcomes-table-fall-2016
qep-general-education-outcomes-table-fall-2016
Intercultural Rubric
aacus-intercultural-knowledge-and-competence-value-rubric-originalaacus-
intercultural-competence-and-knowledge-value-rubric-adapted
Recorded Webinars and Materials
Available Webinars Located in the QEP Office:
- Move Beyond Civility: How to Facilitate Difficult Dialogues in the Classroom
- Working with Your Student Activists: Ways to Establish Inclusive Dialogue, Positive Relationships and a Safe Campus When Activism Arises
- Racial Tensions on Campus: How to Overcome Resistance and Encourage Inclusivity on Your Campus
- Racial Climate Programs: Campus Strategies
- Microaggressions: Strategies to Improve Your Campus Climate and Community
- Beyond LGBTQ: Supporting the Spectrum of Sexual and Gender Identities of Your Students· Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Deepen the Cultural Competencies of Your Faculty and Staff
- Observing Holidays on Campus: Address Cultural Appropriation, Be Inclusive & Avoid Unintentionally Offending Students & Staff
Cultural Competency Webinars provide by Office of Academic Affairs:
Available Books and Annotation List:
Robert Laforge Library
QEP Office
Classroom Resources
QEP Newsletters
Clothesline Project Video
QEP 2016-2017 Video
qep-november-december-2016
qep-newsletter-september-2016
