Preliminary Topics
The QEP Topic Selection Committee synthesized feedback from students, faculty and staff who shared their ideas through town halls and surveys. (Please see below for details about process and participation.) The six preliminary topics identified from the survey stage of the process were taken to town halls and subsequently narrowed and refined to the following four preliminary topics. These topics will be further examined through focus groups and department discussions. The goal is to further refine and narrow to 2-3 topics to recommend to President Kelly for his selection.
- Experiential Learning Anchored in the Liberal Arts
- Student Success Through the College Journey
- Literacy in the Modern Era
- Building Career Readiness Anchored in the Liberal Arts
Experiential Learning Anchored in the Liberal Arts
The “Experiential Learning” topic involves engaging students in high-impact experiences that allow them to apply academic knowledge to and within real-world situations. In short, it’s providing opportunities for “learning by doing” with a heavy dose of reflection. This approach emphasizes interactive exploration, experimentation, cooperation, and problem-solving that can help prepare students for success in specific jobs or careers, and help develop important life skills. CNU’s liberal arts education equips our students to successfully engage in experiential learning. In turn, experiential learning can enhance a liberal arts education by providing a “learning laboratory” where students can put their knowledge into practice, and then bring that learning back to curricular and co-curricular spaces to inform future learning. Examples could include community-engaged learning, study abroad, maker spaces, creative works, internships, supervised leadership roles, course-related or co-curricular projects, fieldwork, practicums, competitions, or research.
Student Success Through the College Journey
The “Student Success Through the College Journey” topic emphasizes the initial and on-going preparation and support that students need for academic, social, and personal success at CNU. This topic addresses the nationwide trend that many students are underprepared for the college experience, both academically and socially. All students can benefit from various levels and types of support, and can participate through collaborative programs. Examples could include developing students’ academic and social skills as they enter CNU through summer programming or first-year curricular and co-curricular initiatives; tailored programming for returning and transfer students; academic and wellness (mental, physical, emotional) support and programming; special seminars/workshops for foundational or advanced academic skills; and having students serve as supplemental instructors and peer mentors.
Literacy in the Modern Era
The "Literacy in the Modern Era" topic emphasizes the core values of a liberal arts education while preparing students for an increasingly technology-driven world by equipping them with interdisciplinary perspectives and information literacy. The topic highlights the growing importance of literacy as a fundamental skill for understanding the world, distinguishing misinformation, and identifying critical factors that impact society. As information sources and communication channels continue to expand, the concept of literacy has evolved beyond traditional reading and writing to encompass media literacy, data literacy, digital literacy, and, more recently, AI literacy. Examples could include development of research projects, seminars, presentation series, courses, innovative teaching methods, and other initiatives that explore the multifaceted dimensions of literacy in the modern era. Examples of such topics could include Media Literacy and Democratic Engagement, Digital Literacy for Cybersecurity and Privacy, Information Literacy in Health, and AI Literacy and Ethical Considerations. This initiative prepares students to become critical thinkers, well-informed citizens, and ethical leaders amidst a literacy landscape influenced by ever-evolving technologies.
Building Career Readiness Anchored in the Liberal Arts
The "Building Career Readiness Anchored in the Liberal Arts" topic focuses on preparing students for success in a rapidly evolving job market and for graduate-level education through a liberal arts education. It emphasizes equipping students with knowledge and competencies needed to thrive professionally by meeting evolving societal and cultural needs, and through fostering the ability to collaborate in a changing and diverse society. In the liberal arts context, career readiness is built alongside development of critical thinking and other skills that empower lifelong learning. Examples could include integrating projects and internships into academic programs; creating expanded programs to support skill development and degree completion; focusing on interpersonal and “soft” skills in courses and extracurriculars; addressing the impact of evolving technologies on workforce readiness; and providing opportunities for expanding leadership abilities, teamwork capacity, and cultural competence.
Process and Participation
During the first stage of topic selection, which occurred during spring and fall 2024, the Topic Selection Committee sought as many ideas as possible for potential QEP topics, via survey to all campus community members. A total of 206 survey responses for QEP topic ideas were received, with 67 from students and 139 from faculty, staff and administrators. At the end of fall 2024, committee members worked both independently and then collaboratively to identify preliminary themes to move forward according to survey input, viability based on topic criteria, and internal/external data analysis. Six preliminary topics emerged: AI Literacy and Information Fluency, Career and Workforce Readiness, Civil Discourse, College Success and Academic Support, Experiential Learning, and Interdisciplinarity and Systems Thinking. (Descriptions were shared previously.)
The Topic Selection Committee held 6 town halls in early spring 2025 – five for faculty and staff, and one for students in collaboration with the Student Government Association. Participants included 78 faculty and 56 students. Another survey was fielded, with 300 responses received; 156 from students and 144 from faculty, staff and administrators. Based on feedback from town halls and survey results, and with continued consideration of internal and external landscape data, the Committee narrowed and refined to the four preliminary topics described earlier. Three of the four topics were mildly revised, whereas the topic focused on technology and information fluency was substantially revised. Two topics were removed from consideration. The interdisciplinarity and systems thinking topic did not gain much traction, and as part of the nature of a liberal arts education can be folded into the ultimate QEP topic. The civil discourse topic elicited much discussion in the town halls, where faculty, staff and students emphasized the importance and urgency of addressing the topic. However, too many significant challenges were raised for civil discourse as a QEP initiative. The challenges were not only that the topic would be difficult to implement and assess, but that there could be undesirable and potentially harmful risks associated with participation.