NEWS
For Immediate Release
August 1, 2013
CONTACT: Jessica Bursenos,
Web Content Manager
Release No. 28JB-PR-2013
COA to Focus on Problem Solving
Problem
solving skills will become a focus for courses and programs at College of The Albemarle beginning this fall.
As part of
the college’s regional accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), COA is implementing
a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that will enhance students’ ability
to apply varied problem solving strategies and will also reinforce skills in
evaluating possible solutions.
In July,
COA appointed Chris Perry as the QEP coordinator who will oversee the
implementation of the QEP over the next five years. Perry has been a faculty member
Department of Math and Sciences at COA since 2005. In addition to his new
position, Perry will continue to teach classes. Commenting on his expanded
role, Perry says, “I am excited about leading the focused effort to enhance our
students’ problem solving abilities. Problem solvers are essential for our
communities and workplaces.” Through December, Laura Morrison, Assistant
Professor, Communications, will continue to serve as co-coordinator as the QEP
transitions from planning to implementation.
Beginning in the Fall of 2010,
the college sought input and feedback on what skills and abilities were
essential for COA graduates. Using a consensus-building process involving
various community and internal college stakeholders, the general topic of
critical thinking was selected and then approved by the Board of Trustees in
early 2012. Feedback from one business
indicated that they seek employees who have the “ability to think through and
plan on the move.” Another employer hoped for workers who make “fewer and fewer
repetitive mistakes.”
All input and feedback was
examined and evaluated by the QEP committee who narrowed the focus from general
critical thinking to problem solving. Since then, the committee worked to
evaluate problem solving strategies currently being practiced in the courses
and programs, revise learning outcomes, and finalize a plan that would focus on
facets of critical thinking that were still needed.
Critical to the college’s
continued accreditation, the QEP Committee has worked to ensure that this
upcoming project has a lasting impact on our students and the community. To
ensure this project truly expanded the current practices and would be
appropriate for accreditation, the committee shared the plan with Dr. Steven
Sheeley, a vice president at SACSCOC who visited COA as part of its
accreditation review. As a result of his consult, faculty members expressed
enthusiasm for applying the strategy of “recursive problem solving.”
Thus, the QEP Committee has
developed the outcomes, to specifically change students’ attitudes to empower
them as critical thinkers. These goals are:
·
Students value
problem solving.
·
Students apply
problem solving skills.
·
Students feel
empowered to solve problems.
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