Advancing a Culture of Engagement

Georgia Southern University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

A Tradition of Engagement

Georgia Southern University has a rich academic tradition steeped in cultivating student learning and success in addition to strong historical ties with the local community. Beginning with its origins in 1906 as the First District A&M School, citizens of Bulloch County demonstrated a commitment to education by successfully bidding for an agricultural and mechanical school to be constructed in the Statesboro community. From these humble origins, Georgia Southern rapidly evolved into a post-secondary institution dedicated toward teacher training. In 1959, Georgia Southern was recognized as a comprehensive institution of higher education, broadening its mission well beyond educating teachers but maintaining its commitment to quality teaching. Throughout its history, Georgia Southern has reached out to the local community to provide to members the benefits of higher education. During the latter half of the twentieth century, this focus has been expanded to include the global community, earning the campus university status in 1990.

Building on these dual traditions of quality teaching and regional focus, the Georgia Southern community selected Advancing a Culture of Engagement as the topic for its Quality Enhancement Plan.

Georgia Southern fosters a culture of engagement where the campus community actively seeks both knowledge and human connections, creating a community of mutual aspirations and collective support regarding student learning. Our culture of engagement represents the personal investment of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other stakeholders in the learning enterprise and the close relationships that are born out of such engagement. It bridges theory with practice, extends the learning environment beyond the classroom, and promotes student growth and life success of all learners. Engagement prepares students for leadership and service as world citizens, inspiring in our students the values of integrity, civility, kindness, collaboration, and a commitment to lifelong learning, wellness, and social responsibility.[1]

In our institution, student learning is defined as those changes in students’ knowledge, skills, behaviors, and/or values that may be attributed to the University experience. At Georgia Southern, learning occurs in diverse contexts. The campus itself is a laboratory for learning. Students acquire general knowledge, critical thinking skills, understanding of the scientific method and specialized knowledge in a major field, and learn to appreciate the connections made to enhance learning, artistic expression, and the value of teamwork, mentoring, service, and leadership.[2]

As evidenced in Georgia Southern’s Mission Statement and Strategic Plan, the concept of “engagement” has long been recognized as central to student learning at this institution. By choosing this topic for our Quality Enhancement Plan, it is our goal to ensure both the continued ubiquitous nature of this culture of engagement at Georgia Southern as well as ensure that this culture of engagement represents an experience of the highest quality for all stakeholders.

Linkage to Mission and Strategic Plan

The strength of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Advancing a Culture of Engagement, lies in its deep roots within the University’s mission and Strategic Plan. As reflected in the Mission Statement, adopted by the Board of Regents in June 2004, Georgia Southern operates under the teacher-scholar model where faculty have the primary responsibility for “the creation of learning experiences of the highest quality, informed by scholarly practice, research, and creative activities.”[3] It is a “university devoted to academic distinction in teaching, scholarship, and service,” and its “hallmark is a culture of engagement that bridges theory with practice, extends the learning environment beyond the classroom, and promotes student growth and life success.”[4] At the same time, the Mission Statement reaffirms Georgia Southern’s commitment “to advancing the State of Georgia and the region through the benefits of higher education.”[5]

Likewise, Georgia Southern’s Level I Strategic Plan further reaffirms this culture of engagement. In assessing Georgia Southern’s comparative advantages, the Level I Strategic Plan clearly recognizes the University’s “culture of engagement, where students work side-by-side with faculty and staff, participating in active learning related to the acquisition and use of knowledge for the benefit of humanity.”[6] The plan further states:

“Engagement” permeates explanations of who we are, what we do, and how we differentiate ourselves from other institutions, and is integral to Georgia Southern University’s many advantages. Engagement refers to the psychological and physical energies invested in active participation in the learning process (in-class and out-of-class). At Georgia Southern University, expectations for engagement are set high for students to take the initiative and responsibility for their active engagement in learning activities, and for faculty and staff to invest in supporting student successes. All are partners in the learning process, and the result is a campus culture of participation and personal attention. The benefits of engagement accrue to the university community in direct proportion to the time and energy invested by all members of the community.[7]

The plan identifies the instrumental role faculty play within this culture.

The faculty bring alive the culture of engagement. Faculty are primarily full-time, terminally degreed, experienced in their professions, and committed to a student-centered university. Faculty are willing to forge personal relationships with students and involve students in their scholarship and service activities. Student Affairs provides co-curricular programming to enhance faculty interaction with students beyond teaching, scholarship, and service roles. At few other institutions will students find this level of engagement.[8]

And, the plan reaffirms the University’s service ethic.

Service and leadership opportunities are promoted on and off campus, and these activities solidify connections with the internal and external communities. Students find opportunities to expand their active learning by taking part in service projects both on campus and across the community. Faculty and staff contribute their time and energies for their mutual benefit and to enhance the town-gown relationship.[9]

Capitalizing on the comparative advantages outlined in the Strategic Plan, Georgia Southern seeks to become one of the best public comprehensive universities within the next decade. To reach this destination, the Strategic Plan identifies six strategic themes to guide the University’s journey. One of the themes—Academic Distinction—forms the core of this plan with the other five themes being subordinate to and supportive of Academic Distinction. The themes are as follows:

· Academic Distinction

· Student-Centered University

· Technological Advancement

· Transcultural Opportunities

· Private and Public Partnerships

· Physical Environment

The Quality Enhancement Plan links to the Level I Strategic Plan through the common core theme of Academic Distinction. While the other five themes are not as predominant in the Quality Enhancement Plan, they all contribute to fostering a culture of engagement and are integral to its overall success. It is worthwhile to briefly highlight these connections as summarized in Table 1.

Table 1

Relationship of Level I Supporting Themes to a Culture of Engagement

Level I Theme	Implementation Plan
Student-Centered University	assess role of faculty & staff include “commitment to engagement” in faculty/staff hiring criteria reward faculty & staff who actively engage with students offer training opportunities on participating in the campus culture of engagement revise annual evaluation practices to recognize engagement as a desirable activity
Technological Advancement	use of technology to foster & facilitate interpersonal engagement
Transcultural Opportunities	strengthen multicultural & international programs on campus enhance the Centers of International Studies, Africana Studies, & Performing Arts
Physical Environment	use of space to facilitate human interactions (small groups & large) remodel & refurbish existing structures with creation of spaces conducive to human interaction (e.g., College of Information Technology building & renovation of Henderson Library)
Public & Private Partnerships	promote private giving through capital campaigns (e.g., University’s Centennial Campaign) encourage engagement with local community through campus outreach centers (e.g., Botanical Center, Planetarium, & Wildlife Education Center) develop alumni university program (long-term goal)

Once the Level I Strategic Plan was articulated, the campus developed eight university-wide, functional, implementation plans that describe the strategies that will be utilized to attain the Level I goals. Ultimately, all units within the University are accountable for the implementation of these Level II plans. These eight plans form the Level II plans of the strategic planning process, are organized by functional area, and are as follows:

· The Academic Plan

· The Enrollment Management Plan

· The Facilities Plan

· The Financial Plan

· The Human Resources Development Plan

· The Marketing and Communications Plan

· The Organizational Plan

· The Technology and Information Resources Plan

Table 2 (Appendix 1) shows the relationship between the Level II strategies and the Level I plan. It is important to note that the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan will become the ninth plan of the Level IIs, making it an integral piece of an already extant plan—embedded into the University’s overall planning structure. This placement supports the University’s view that the plan is an intrinsic element of a much larger effort to which the campus community has already invested an enormous amount of time and commitment. This larger effort has also enjoyed widespread support and “ownership” throughout the campus community.

Moreover, four of the eight Level II plans explicitly or implicitly describe strategies that directly relate to a culture of engagement, providing cross-linkages between Level II strategies and the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan. Table 3 references these strategies by Level II plan and Level I theme.

Table 3

Level II Strategic Initiatives & Culture of Engagement

Level II	Academic Plan	Facilities Plan	Human Resources Development Plan	Marketing & Communications Plan
Level I	Academic Distinction	Academic Distinction	Academic Distinction	Academic Distinction
	Build a culture of engagement in the learning process.			Extend the culture of engagement.
	Broaden engagement of citizens in the lifelong learning process, regardless of where they live or work.
	Student-Centered University	Student-Centered University	Student-Centered University	Student-Centered University
	Communicate to students the meaning and value of scholarship, lifelong learning, and engagement.
	Integrate student learning and personal and career development into a holistic and seamless educational experience. (engagement implied)

Technological Advancement	Technological Advancement	Technological Advancement	Technological Advancement
Continue to enhance the use of technology for teaching inside and outside the classroom and to encourage engagement.
Transcultural Opportunities	Transcultural Opportunities	Transcultural Opportunities	Transcultural Opportunities
	Provide a physical and social campus environment that encourages engagement in the exploration of diversity.
Physical Environment	Physical Environment	Physical Environment	Physical Environment
Provide quality academic facilities and natural environmental areas to support the educational mission of the University and enhance the culture of engagement.
Public & Private Partnerships	Public & Private Partnerships	Public & Private Partnerships	Public & Private Partnerships
Increase and reward engagement in local, state, regional, and national service opportunities.		Share the human resources of the University with external community. (engagement implied)

Further evidence of Georgia Southern University’s commitment to engagement is found in the University’s General Education Outcomes (Appendix 2). This document articulates ten categories of outcomes for the core curriculum that the University seeks to instill in all of its graduates. The theme of engagement directly underpins two of the ten categories: “responsible citizenship” and “worthy use of leisure.” Responsible citizenship holds the expectation of active participation as a citizen in society, while worthy use of leisure suggests the pursuit of a lifestyle to promote the betterment of self and others. Additionally, students who are truly engaged in the academic community of the University and in their studies will achieve the eight other general education outcomes.

Challenges to Engagement

Despite this common thread of engagement woven throughout the University’s Mission Statement, Strategic Plan, and core curriculum, and the University’s rich history in this culture, Georgia Southern faces constant challenges to its ability to maintain and advance a culture of engagement within its academic community. In light of these challenges, it becomes imperative for the University to be constantly vigilant for opportunities to focus on ways to strengthen its culture of engagement. Not only does engagement result in better prepared and more well rounded students, but it also impacts the University’s ability to successfully graduate a higher percentage of students who enroll.[10] Three conditions in particular demonstrate the challenges Georgia Southern faces.

1. Georgia Southern has experienced tremendous enrollment growth since the 1980s and this growth continues albeit on a more incremental level. Between Fall 1999 and Fall 2004, student enrollment at Georgia Southern University grew almost 11.2% (n=14,476/16,100). Simultaneously, Georgia Southern has experienced reductions in its state appropriation, which has resulted in a loss of faculty lines. With current enrollments exceeding 16,000, and expectations for continued growth, average class size at Georgia Southern has gradually increased, diminishing the ability of faculty to individually interact on a personal level with students and become well acquainted with them. This growth is most apparent at the undergraduate lower division level, as depicted in the table below, where average class size has risen from 36 in Fall 1999 to 39 in Fall 2004. Student:faculty ratios are now at a six-year high of 20:1.[11] While these increases appear modest, it is important for the University to be cognizant of them and their potential to impact Georgia Southern’s tradition of engagement with its students. Georgia Southern must continuously reaffirm its commitment to a culture of engagement and reinforce this culture within the University community.

Fall Semester	Enrollment	Average Class Size: Lower Division	Average Class Size: Upper Division	Average Class Size: Graduate	Student:Faculty Ratio
Fall 1999	14,476	36	21	8	19:1
Fall 2000	14,184	35	19	8	19:1
Fall 2001	14,371	38	20	9	18:1
Fall 2002	15,075	39	22	10	19:1
Fall 2003	15,704	38	23	11	19:1
Fall 2004	16,100	39	22	11	20:1

2. Another challenge that the University faces is faculty turnover. More than half of the University’s faculty have been with the University for less than five years. While Georgia Southern is energized by having so many new faculty with fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and skills, these faculty are not necessarily as familiar with or committed to Georgia Southern’s culture of engagement as the longer-term faculty. Georgia Southern must find ways to acculturate new faculty and staff to our longstanding tradition of engagement—highlighting the importance of this engagement not just to our students, but to the larger University community as well.

3. As mentioned above, Georgia has experienced an economic downturn during recent years, resulting in reduced state revenues.[12] Consequently, Georgia Southern received less support in state appropriations which impacted its ability to hire high quality faculty and staff, reward meritorious personnel, meet equipment and supply needs, and maintain and enhance its physical environment. Deferred maintenance is repeatedly cited as major consequence of budget reductions. Georgia Southern values and recognizes the importance physical environment plays in campus culture as reflected in its Strategic Plan. Natural and man-made spaces facilitate human interactions by bringing people together in comfortable areas that encourage sharing and dialogue from small groups to large assemblies. Because of the impediments of budget cuts and the concomitant low faculty and staff morale, it becomes even more vital for the University to proactively preserve and advance its most important comparative advantage—its culture of engagement.

Budget reductions also result in loss of staff which has the most visible impact within the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. The University depends upon its staff in this division to facilitate many of the faculty, staff, and student interactions that occur outside of the classroom. These activities are an important feature of engagement and developing habits of lifelong learning.

Academic Distinction through an Enhanced Culture of Engagement

As designed, Georgia Southern’s Quality Enhancement Plan advances the University’s overarching goal of becoming one of the premier comprehensive public institutions in the nation by utilizing the student-centered focus of the campus community to reach heightened levels of academic excellence. According to a press release on the 2004 National Survey of Student Engagement, the extent to which students are academically successful and graduate from college is directly proportional to their level of engagement in their college experience. Moreover, students who are actively involved in civic activities benefit through the development of a broader sense of ethical and societal responsibility. The National Survey of Student Engagement further identifies “comparative standards for determining how effectively colleges are contributing to learning: (1) level of academic challenge, (2) active and collaborative learning,

(3) student-faculty interaction, (4) enriching educational experiences, and (5) supportive campus environment.”[13]

The Quality Enhancement Plan

Using the National Survey of Student Engagement’s “comparative standards” as a guide, Georgia Southern University seeks to achieve higher levels of student learning through “advancing a culture of engagement.” To accomplish this objective, the Quality Enhancement Plan delineates five broad goals for engaging students. Within this framework, we have identified several focused strategies and initiatives for achieving progress in each area.

1. engaging freshmen in the campus and community cultures. To maximize each student’s university experience, it is imperative that we reach out to these students early in their academic careers to communicate a shared value system common to the university community. Moreover, students need to be aware of their responsibilities as learners and the expectations for their success as well as knowledgeable about the different facets of learning. Learning at Georgia Southern is more than just what occurs in the classroom. Efforts toward achieving this goal will be specifically directed at enhancing the First Year Experience Program to highlight freshmen opportunities for and the value of student engagement in campus activities and in the surrounding community. Additionally, the importance of participating in campus academic traditions will be communicated to freshmen to reinforce a sense of academic community and shared values.

2. engaging students in scholarship, research, and/or creative activities. Georgia Southern faculty embody the teacher-scholar model and recognize the significant role that scholarship plays in optimizing student learning. Learning is reinforced and higher levels of comprehension achieved when students become directly involved in experiential learning opportunities, applying knowledge learned in the classroom. To that end, Georgia Southern will extend opportunities for students to become directly involved in original or meaningful scholarship, research, and/or creative activities; will communicate the value of these learning experiences to students; and will motivate students to participate actively in them.

3. engaging students through active and service learning opportunities. This goal extends the efforts undertaken in goal two above by expanding opportunities for student learning and personal growth, branching out beyond the scholarship of discovery into the scholarships of application and integration.[14] Georgia Southern strives to make it possible for all undergraduates to have an experiential learning opportunity that is appropriate to their field of study. This learning may take the form of active learning and/or service learning. Our focus will be to heighten campus and student awareness on the importance of participating in these learning initiatives and to promote active learning through study abroad experiences and service learning through a variety of campus and community initiatives.

4. engaging students through capstone experiences in all academic programs. The benefits to learning that accrue to majors who participate in capstone experiences are widely recognized throughout the academy. While some academic programs offer capstone experiences to its students, these are not uniformly available across all disciplines at Georgia Southern University. We believe that focusing our efforts in this area will greatly strengthen student learning and enhance academic engagement. To accomplish this goal, the University will undertake a critical review of the capstone experiences currently in place and develop a model for extending opportunities to include all disciplines. Where applicable, capstone experiences will be designed to include service learning opportunities.

5. engaging students in a campus and societal social contract. While the previous four goals primarily frame engagement in terms of enhancing student learning, goal five is designed to impart to students their responsibilities as citizens of this university community as well as citizens of a much larger societal community. Through its participation in the American Democracy Project, Georgia Southern has ready access to the means for accomplishing this goal. It is important for Georgia Southern students to be cognizant of and reflective on their societal responsibilities.

While each of these five areas addresses engagement in terms of student engagement (even more specifically undergraduate student engagement[15]), it is important to recognize that underpinning that engagement is faculty and staff engagement with students, each other, the campus, and the larger community. Faculty and staff model this behavior for students.

Format of the Quality Enhancement Plan

In discussing each of the five areas noted above, we will present each effort in detail, note progress made to date, describe the current environment and challenges posed by each issue, and develop an action plan for achieving these goals. The action plans will (1) describe the plan; (2) identify the institutional units responsible for implementation; (3) state the resources required; (4) provide a timeline for accomplishing each goal; (5) list assessment measures and benchmark criteria; and (6) note how outcomes will be used to inform ongoing implementation in each area.

Development of the Quality Enhancement Plan

Before launching into a detailed discussion of Georgia Southern’s Quality Enhancement Plan, it is appropriate to step back a moment to summarize the development of the plan—an initiative that has directly involved students and all divisions of the campus: academic colleges, student service units, business and finance, and university advancement.

Development of Georgia Southern University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) began in earnest on January 7, 2003, when the President charged the University’s Strategic Planning Council (SPC) with facilitating the selection of the QEP theme.[16] In approaching this task, SPC