SACS FAQs

 

What does SACS stand for?
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
What does QEP stand for?
Quality Enhancement Plan
What are the expectations for the QEP?
The institution has developed an acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that:
  1. includes a broad-based institutional process identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment,
  2. focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution,
  3. demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP,
  4. includes broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP, and
  5. identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement. (Quality Enhancement Plan)
What is the topic of our QEP?
Developmental Math
Who Chose HCC’s QEP?
The entire HCC community including students, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders were involved in selecting this topic.
Why did HCC select this topic?
To provide academic support to students who must master the basic skills of math before pursuing upper level math
What is the Math Emporium?
A math emporium is a computer lab setting where students build, refine, and reinforce essential math skills with the aid of onsite and online person-to-person and technological support.
What is Developmental Math?
Developmental math refers to math courses that provide student’s a comprehensive study of mathematical skills and a strong mathematical foundation. The courses are designed to strengthen student’s basic math skills so that they can pursue further study in math and college level math courses.
Who decides which students take developmental math courses?
When entering into HCC, new students are given a placement test. If they score below a certain “cut score”, they are placed into a developmental course so they can strengthen their skills in the subject area before entering into college-level courses.
What developmental math courses are offered at HCC?
  • MAT 060   Essential Mathematics
  • MAT 070   Introductory Algebra
  • MAT 080   Intermediate Algebra
What is "We Dig Digits at HCC"?
“We Dig Digits at HCC” is the slogan for the QEP. The student-submitted slogan was voted by the campus to be the best representation of Haywood’s endeavor to improve developmental mathematics skills.
What are KSAs?
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
What is a student learning outcome?
A student learning outcome or SLO is a measurable statement of what an instructor or department expect a student to know or be able to do upon completion of a course or academic program.
What are gateway courses?
Gateway courses are introductory, pre-requisite courses a student must take to be admitted into higher-level courses. Required developmental courses can be considered “gateway” as they are designed to prepare the student for college-level coursework.
What does the QEP do for HCC?
Offers us a chance to close the student outcomes gap between HCC and the state community college Critical Success factors standards for developmental programs.
When will the onsite SACS committee arrive on HCC?
The onsite committee will arrive on October 21, 2008 and stay until October 23.
What is meant by Institutional Effectiveness?
Institutional Effectiveness (IE) is the term used to describe how an institution gathers data from numerous sources to create information used in decision-making. Institutional Effectiveness also helps the college assess how successful new or current activities are in order to improve or enhance the impact on the student or community.
What does HCC hope to achieve from the QEP?
The goal of the QEP is “to improve developmental student math abilities in both pre-requisite and subsequent math courses, thereby leading to increased graduation rates of developmental math students”.
What is the Critical Success Factors report?
An annual report provided by the System Office examining how well each community college and the Community College System meet the needs of its students and community.

What are HCC's six general competencies of which all students are expected to graduate?

Teamwork: The graduate is able to work with others to:
a. analyze a situation;
b. establish priorities;
c. apply resources for solving a problem; and
d. accomplish established mission, goals, and objectives.

Responsibility: The graduate is able to employ individual behaviors to:
a. work within established guidelines to support mission, goals, and objectives; and
b. accomplish designated tasks within identified deadlines.

Communication: The graduate is able to appropriately exchange ideas and information in:
a. oral,
b. written, and
c. visual formats.

Problem Solving: The graduate is able to identify problems and potential causes to:
a. develop solutions and
b. implement action plans.Information

Processing: The graduate is able to use current technologies to:
a. acquire,
b. evaluate,
c. organize, and
d. communicate information.

Adaptability: The graduate is able to employ flexible behaviors to:
a. adapt to changing work environments,
b. foster workable interpersonal relationships, and
c. profit from cultural diversity.

This page was last modified on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 08:03 AM