Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

“The Quality Enhancement Plan is an integral component of the reaffirmation of accreditation process and is derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation processes. It reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue that the institution considers important to improving student learning outcomes and/or student success. The document submitted by the institution demonstrates that its QEP (a) has a topic identified through its ongoing, comprehensive planning and evaluation processes; (b) has broad-based support of institutional constituencies; (c) focuses on improving specific student learning outcomes and/or student success; (d) commits resources to initiate, implement and complete the QEP; and (e) includes a plan to assess achievement. The On-Site Reaffirmation Committee reviews the document and conducts interviews to determine whether the institution has demonstrated compliance with Standard 7.2.” https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2020/01/Quality-Enhancement-Plan-1.pdf

Mission Statement

Blinn College is building stronger communities by providing quality, comprehensive education, and empowering students to achieve excellence in their educational careers and personal goals.

Vision Statement

Shaping future academic, workforce, cultural, and economic leaders by providing excellent instruction, resources, services, and innovative partnerships, for students and the community.

Core Values:

• Access
• Collaboration
• Diversity
• Excellence
• Innovation
• Respect
• Service

Not only is a QEP necessary for reaffirmation of accreditation with SACSCOC, but also it focuses the entire College on a project that aims to support student success and improve student achievement. As part of an ongoing, comprehensive planning and evaluation process, the College identifies an area for improvement that will have a long-term impact on student success and achievement.

Horizons: A Pathway to Literacy evolved from a series of focus groups held across the Blinn College District, whereby a consensus across the College’s constituencies to support underprepared students emerged. Therefore, the QEP committee examined internal data and decided to focus its efforts on students entering the college without having passed the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA).  Data shows that this population is growing at Blinn College post-Covid pandemic and represents a significant percentage of Blinn College District students.

The Blinn College QEP aims to offer developmental students robust academic support by providing literacy-focused instruction and by providing the QEP population with enhanced tutoring by the College’s learning centers, writing centers, and Library support services. Blinn College’s Division of Student Services will play a pivotal role in guided advising ensuring that students undergo in-depth advising prior to registering for class. To equip faculty and Learning Center and Writing Center tutors with literacy-focused pedagogy, the Center for Teaching and Learning will provide professional development in the form of workshops, conferences, student and faculty eCampus literacy modules, among other initiatives.

A growing number of students enter Blinn College lacking strong, college-level literacy skills (ability to read and write at the college level), which is an increasing source of concern to the College community. Horizons: A Pathway to Literacy seeks to support developmental education students with guided advising, enhanced tutoring, and literacy-focused instruction.

All Blinn College District employees are invited to participate in the College-wide initiative by becoming familiar with the College QEP, support its goals, as appropriate to one’s role in the College, and by being an advocate for the QEP and its population.

The plans for the Blinn College’s Quality Enhancement Plan were strategically, implemented very early to allow for a pilot program and course correction, if necessary, prior to submission to the SACSCOC. The following is the QEP timeline.

• QEP Organization (Spring 2021)​
• Breakout Groups Explore New QEP Focus (Spring 2021)​
• Presentation of QEP Proposals to Executive Council (Spring 2022)​
• Board Presentation for Approval of QEP Design (Fall 2022)
• Update Board of Trustees on new design (Spring 2024)
• Organization, Design, Marketing, IRE Planning (Spring 2023-Summer 2024)​
• Pilot and Submission to SACSCOC (Fall 2024)​
• Reaffirmation Visit and QEP Presentation (Fall 2024)​
• Implementation (2025-2029)​