QEP leads collaborative effort
By Travis Walters
“SCAD’s Quality Enhancement Plan is a triptych for collaboration. Why is the QEP a triptych?” said Peter Fossick in the video on scadqep.com. But, what is a QEP?
“The QEP is part of SCAD’s re-accreditation process with SACS,” said Fossick. Every ten years the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SCAD’s accrediting agency, re-accredits its members. The QEP is a mandated part of this process, and every school they accredit has to come up with one. You can find more information about SACS and their accreditation standards on their Web site, or by reading this PDF.
After SACS reviews and approves SCAD’s QEP plan at the end of this month they’ll move forward with plans to open a Collaborative Learning Center, which Fossick will direct. “We hope to have a facility that will give students and faculty from different disciplines the resources to come together and co-create using learning resources such as traditional classroom and lecture based delivery, supported with e-learning courseware. The Collaborative Learning Center will be a place for external agencies and entities to interact with students and faculty throughout the whole creative process,” said Fossick.
The courses students take will be developed after SCAD’s plan is approved. They’ll be just like special topics courses students are already familiar with, except QEP courses will have curricula that specifically focuses on collaboration and team work. “The courses will enable faculty and third parties to explore turn-key and unique issues depending on the theme of the project,” said Fossick.
The center will also use various tools to measure the outcomes of these collaborative projects and then share these best teaching practices with the rest of the university.
“Our aim is to support our students and faculty to create authentic learning opportunities that challenge the students in a rigorous and demanding way. We gain early insights into the way the creative and cultural sectors are shifting. This helps us develop new courses, identify new technologies and learn about the latest thinking in a wide range of fields. We can then embrace and adopt the best and most fitting professional practices to benefit our students in their careers,” said Fossick.
The QEP allows SCAD to reflect on teaching and learning strategies and adjust the courses they offer. “Through the QEP we’ve been able to reflect upon, and formalize processes and taxonomies relating to, collaboration and professional practice. In today’s commoditized world of education, students have choice,” said Fossick, “And, SCAD is developing strategies that give its students the very best learning opportunities that nurture and empower today’s and tomorrow’s art and design leadership and supports a new generation of visionaries that will have a positive impact on the world. Students will work on real-life problems to develop real tangible outcomes, be it a piece of art, an installation, a script or short story, a garment, a product, or a building. This is what we mean by making it real!”
