Quality Initiative

Dear Faculty and Staff,

As some of you may recall from our last reaccreditation cycle with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), in the second half of the cycle (2023-24 to 2028-29), Washburn University must engage in a Quality Initiative that is approved and eventually reviewed by HLC. Our last Quality Initiative (for the cycle ending 2018-19) was the founding of CTEL (proposed in 2013).

In the words of HLC: "A Quality Initiative project may be designed to begin and be completed during this time, or an institution may continue a project that is already in progress or achieve a key milestone in the work of a longer initiative. The Quality Initiative is intended to allow institutions to take risks, aim high and learn from only partial success or even failure."

Washburn University leadership has committed to providing resources of at least $100,000 toward the Quality Initiative. The Quality Initiative will focus on one or more of the objectives in the current strategic framework: expand learner success opportunities and pathways; enhance our environment to learn, work and thrive; and accelerate partnerships to grow the community.

This academic year, WU will choose the Quality Initiative (QI) that will be proposed to HLC. We invite all who are interested to submit ideas for the QI. Attached are more details regarding types of initiatives, examples, and criteria for review.

The process will be as follows:

  • Short proposals (up to 5 pages) will be due by November 1, 2024
  • A QI committee (membership below) will review short proposals by mid-November 2024
  • Proposers will be notified of possible collaborations in mid-November 2024
  • Open meetings will occur in early Spring semester (late January to early February 2025) to discuss committee observations and gather input from the campus community
  • The QI committee will invite full proposals by March 1, 2025
  • Full proposals will be due by April 18, 2025
  • Committee recommendations to Dr. Mazachek will be made by May 1, 2025
  • The decision will be made in summer 2025

Please review the information below for more details on the timeline, criteria, and how to submit short proposals. Please contact Jennifer Ball (jennifer.ball@washburn.edu or x1840) with any questions.

Sincerely,
John Fritch, PhD
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Quality Initiative Timeline

  • Call for Quality Initiative short proposals: September 2024
  • Committee chosen to review proposals: September 2024
  • Due date of short proposals: November 1, 2024
  • Committee meets to discuss short proposals/consolidate ideas: by November 15, 2024
  • Communication to proposers about potential collaboration: by November 22, 2024
  • Open meetings, including members of committee and proposers: January 29 and 30, 2025 (see below for meeting details)
  • Committee meets to finalize list of requests for full proposals: by February 21, 2025
  • Requests for full proposals communicated: by February 28, 2025
  • Full proposals due: by April 18, 2025
  • Committee recommendations: by May 2, 2025
  • Decision: Summer 2025

Types of Initiatives, Examples and Most Common Topics

(From HLC)

The Quality Initiative can take one of three forms:

  1. The institution designs and proposes its own Quality Initiative to suit its present concerns or aspirations.
  2. The institution chooses an initiative from a menu of topics, such as the following examples:
    • The institution undertakes a broad-based self-evaluation and reflection leading to revision or restatement of its mission, vision, and goals.
    • The institution joins with a group of peer institutions, which it identifies, to develop a benchmarking process for broad institutional self-evaluation.
    • The institution undertakes a multi-year process to create systemic, comprehensive assessment and improvement of student learning.
    • A four-year institution joins with community colleges to create a program of dual admission, joint recruitment and coordinated curriculum and student support.
    • The institution pursues a strategic initiative to improve its financial position.
    • The institution pursues a campus action project or new partnership that promotes civic awareness, community change or service learning. (Institutions looking for resources related to civic engagement activities may want to reach out to the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), American Political Science Association (APSA), or Campus Compact.)
  3. The institution chooses to participate in an HLC-facilitated program. Currently, HLC has two such programs, the Assessment Academy and Student Success Academy.

Most Common Topics

  • Student success (including Foundations of Excellence and focus on persistence and completion)
  • Assessment of student learning
  • Online/mobile Learning (including Quality Matters)
  • Organizational planning
  • Unit or program review
  • Developing a quality culture
  • Cultural competency

Submitted Short Proposals

  1. Online course improvement
  2. Thriving together (mental health)
  3. WTE
  4. Graduate school funding
  5. Experiential learning
  6. Center for literacy
  7. Makers space

Campus-Wide Meetings

Please attend one of the following meetings to discuss the short proposals and offer feedback to the proposers and the committee.

  • January 29, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm, in Henderson 100
  • January 30, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm, on Zoom

If you cannot attend one of these meetings, feel free to offer feedback using the feedback form.

Criteria for Full Proposal (by invitation, due April 18, 2025)

Review Categories for the Quality Initiative Proposal (from HLC)

Sufficiency of the Initiative's Scope and Significance

  • Potential for significant impact on the institution and its academic quality.
  • Alignment with the institution's mission and vision.
  • Connection with the institution's planning processes.
  • Evidence of significance and relevance at this time.

Clarity of the Initiative's Purpose

  • Clear purposes and goals reflective of the scope and significance of the initiative.
  • Defined milestones and intended goals.
  • Clear processes for evaluating progress.

Evidence of Commitment to and Capacity for Accomplishing the Initiative

  • Commitment of senior leadership.
  • Commitment and involvement of key people and groups.
  • Sufficiency of the human, financial, technological and other resources to the plan and timeline.
  • Defined plan for integrating the initiative into the ongoing work of the institution and sustaining its results.
  • Clear understanding of and capacity to address potential obstacles.

Appropriateness of the Timeline for the Initiative

  • Consistency with intended purposes and goals.
  • Alignment with the implementation of other institutional priorities.
  • Reasonable implementation plan for the time period.

Quality Initiative Committee

Quality Initiative committee members have been chosen to represent a variety of aspects of Washburn's students, faculty, and staff (academic, student life, and administrative units; in-person and distance programs; certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs; etc.)

Membership

  • Jennifer Ball - (Chair) Associate Provost, Professor, Provost's office
  • Tracy Routsong - Associate Dean, Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Michael Stoica - Distinguished Professor, School of Business
  • Emily Grant - Associate Dean, Professor, School of Law
  • Mark Kohls - PTA Program Director, Chair, Assistant Professor, School of Applied Studies
  • Jeanne Catanzaro - RN to BSN Director, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing 
  • Megan Staab - Surgical Technology Instructor, Washburn Tech
  • Scott Brackey - Instructional Librarian, University Library
  • Brenda White - Director of Instructional Services, Information Technology Services
  • Eric Grospitch - Vice President of Student Life, Student Life
  • James Thayer - Assistant Director of SWRC, Student Life
  • Steve Luoma - Chief Enrollment Systems Officer, Enrollment Management
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