On Nov. 8 at the University Faculty Senate meeting, the director of the Math Learning Center, Brittanney Adelmann, and Associate Dean for Retention and Academic Support, Jennifer Bebergal, presented the new Quality Enhancement Plan: LeArning Reimagined that will be submitted in Fall 2023. 

The University Faculty Senate is a governing body concerned with the college’s general educational policies, which include curriculum, academic calendar, admissions, registration, and degree programs.

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is designed to enhance student learning and aims to expand undergraduate research opportunities. 

Submitting a QEP is required to be recognized for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which is one of seven regional accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Being accredited to the SACSCOC lets students, employers, and other relevant constituents know that the university meets acceptable standards for higher education through its resources, programs, and services.

According to the Federal Student Aid website, a university that is not accredited, but still awards a degree without meeting college-level classwork standards is less valuable.

Adelmann explained that the QEP purposefully titled LeArning Reimagined, with the ‘A’ meant to stand out, is going to utilize evidence-based practices to improve undergraduate learning assistants’ understanding of course materials inside the classroom. 

“It is a deliberate effort to transform the classroom experience, to enhance student learning with the addition of LA’s[Learning Assistants],” said Adelmann. 

The plan differs from traditional learning guidelines because it focuses on in-classroom application, rather than waiting for cumulative exams to test how much a student has retained. FAU has already implemented the LA model in the calculus programs since 2014 and general chemistry since 2020.

In a one-hour and 50-minute calculus lecture, half the time is spent lecturing and the other half is group work facilitated by learning assistants and the instructor. 

FAU Faculty Senate Policies and Procedures Committee member William Trapani presented an update that addressed areas of shared responsibility that needed more faculty input, specifically in online classes and the related issues that are attributed to the web format.

Conversations on how to conduct online evaluations of courses, faculty, and support systems were discussed. As well as how to create and monitor framework and course structure for the online classes.  

“One of the provost’s suggestions which I thought was excellent was that we might take some big-ticket issues and work on them collectively,” said Trapani. “Something like thinking through all the parts of online learning.” 

Trapani explained how online learning is an area that needs a lot of attention, as well as considering when to start the academic calendar. 

During the overview of professional programs listed within the new business items on the Faculty Senate agenda, additional master and certificate programs were discussed.

Concentrations for the graduate programs include artificial intelligence, energy resilience, technology management, supply chain management, hospitality, and business and data analytics.

These programs are monitored through the Student Perception of Teaching (SPOT) survey which collects comments from students and helps to evaluate the quality of instruction from the professors.  

Associate Dean for Graduate Studies for the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Mihaela Cardei said, “We pay very close attention to the feedback from students.”

Kayla Ortiz is a Political Reporter for the University Press. For information regarding this story, email her at [email protected] or DM her @kayla.ortiz1 on Instagram.