Quality enhancement is central to Piedmont University's goal of being one of the premiere universities in the Southeast. As part of the university’s accreditation renewal process, we developed a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to focus on specific issues that engage the entire academic community and lead to greater student success.
QEP Goals
The goal of the current QEP is to engage all Piedmont students in “deep learning” experiences in and out of the classroom. Deep learning means that you do much more than scratch the surface of a subject. One good analogy is the difference between snorkeling and scuba diving—snorkelers see a lot at the surface, but scuba divers gain a deeper understanding of the ocean. Students involved in deep learning are more successful in their academic work and more involved in the social and academic life of the college.
High-Impact Practices (HIP)
Deep Learning often involves activities known as High-Impact Practices or HIPs. These are courses and other activities that allow students to jump in and “get their hands dirty” rather than sitting at a desk taking notes.
Piedmont has always offered HIP classes, and the goal of the QEP is to increase the number of those classes and ensure that students participate in at least one HIP class or activity each year.
Piedmont Symposium
The Piedmont Symposium is designed to celebrate student research and creative inquiry. Piedmont is committed to involving our students in undergraduate research and inquiry, leadership and community engagement, and global learning. Studies have shown that students who receive these kinds of engaged learning experiences are more resilient, persist in their education and are nimble learners.