As a comprehensive institution of the University System of Georgia, Valdosta State University is a welcoming, aware, and vibrant community founded on and dedicated to serving our communities’ rich and diverse heritages. Through excellence in teaching, basic and applied research, and service, VSU provides rigorous programs and opportunities that enrich our students, our university, and our region. The VSU mission consists of three interrelated parts: Student Mission, University Mission, and Regional Mission. VSU awards associate, bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees. [See full VSU Mission Statement.]
As a comprehensive university, VSU is charged with meeting the general and professional educational needs of its South Georgia service area, which stretches from the Atlantic Coast to Alabama, encompassing forty-one counties and 31 percent of the land area of the state.
In Fall 2021, VSU served 11,573 students (headcount) with FTE of 9,854 of which:
Activity/Project Name |
QEP |
Momentum Area |
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Activity/Project Overview or Description |
VSU’s Quality Enhancement Plan (Experiential Learning) Pilot year completion SP 2022 |
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Scaling: Year 1 of a 5-year process. The Experiential Learning initiative has been very successful, as demonstrated by our endorsement numbers for course activities during FY 2021-2022. Over 700 total students participated in courses endorsed for Experiential Learning during this pilot year for our QEP. There were 34 different Experiential Learning endorsed course activities which represented 50 total course sections at VSU. |
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Early Pilot activities for upper and lower division classes FY 21-22 Rubric designed for student reflections, assessed by instructor and review team |
Baseline measure - initiated courses, recruited QEP Ambassadors |
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Goal or targets – Embed Experiential Learning in lower and upper division courses in all departments and within the CORE curriculum courses. Target of 10 sections Fall and Spring Here is an example of a quote from a reflection that all students are required to write as part of an Experiential Learning endorsed course activity: “Having those physical limitations and material restrictions made me rethink my design ideas and forced me to be more creative with how I approached my work. I had to think about what I wanted to stand out most within my work and what I could do to fit in the rest, if I wished for it to. I think for any future projects, I will reflect back to this project to remember where I ran into problems and how I could solve them…I definitely took these for granted when creating digitally, but I will work harder to challenge myself in both fields to become a better artist.” (ART 3091 Student) |
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Time period/duration – 5 years |
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Progress and Adjustments |
Appointed QEP Ambassadors across colleges in Fall 2021. Expanded workshops and called for additional faculty volunteers. New engaged learning proposals from faculty. Significantly exceeded benchmarks for course offerings. |
Plan for the year ahead |
Expand experiential learning activities imbedded in courses. Recruit new QEP Ambassadors from across campus. We also launched an Experiential Learning Seed Grant program. 10 total seed grants were awarded in FY 2021-2022 for a total of $31,029.40. These seed grants led to the purchase of resources for students to complete Experiential Learning activities in Experiential Learning endorsed courses. We are speaking with numerous programs throughout campus to continue encouraging faculty to apply for Experiential Learning endorsements for course activities. Our team of Experiential Learning Faculty Ambassadors are also facilitating workshops for faculty. Some of these workshops are recorded and posted to QEP.valdosta.edu, along with other resources for faculty to learn more about Experiential Learning and approaches to consider in their own courses. |
What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity? |
Operational resources across academic units involving travel for students. Permanent appointment of QEP coordinator. Financial resources for administrative assistants, seed grant support, and development of the Terry Center for Experiential Learning. |
Project Lead/point of contact |
Dr. Colin Walker – Interim QEP Coordinator Dr. Michael Savoie– Dean of the Honors College. |
Activity/Project Name |
First Year Seminar Experience (FYSE) |
Momentum Area |
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Activity/Project Overview or Description |
FYSE courses of instruction. FYSE 1101 - “A seminar course focusing on contemporary and enduring questions that engage students in intellectual inquiry and academic life while encouraging critical thinking skills and metacognitive reflection” |
Activity/Project Activity Status |
We have piloted FYSE courses in several disciplines over the past two academic years. Piloting to continue in 2022-2023. The pilot is currently in preparation to enter the scaling phase which is expected to continue as the pilot transitions to full implementation estimated in fall 2023. The General Education Committee is currently reviewing changes to our Area B requirements to allow for easy integration of FYSE courses into the VSU curricula. |
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Evaluation Plan and measures: Assessments
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Baseline measure – Initial Pilot courses and expanded offerings to a larger group – post Covid Expansion of the offering of FYSE pilot courses beyond the fall to the spring and summer, and the development of a suitable rotation for the number of course offered each semester. |
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Goal or targets – Continue to expand Experiential Learning experiences in both lower and upper division courses in all departments and within the CORE curriculum courses. As a high impact practice, FYSE 1101 integrated components of experiential learning into the initial course design. |
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Time period/duration – ongoing. Ultimately, the course/s should be a component of the re-visioned General Education Curriculum for the University Exploring the placement of FYSE courses into the VSU degree pathways and the development of common experiences that connect what students are learning and experiencing in FYSE courses with what they are learning and experiencing in their academic majors and extracurricular activities on and off campus. |
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Progress and Adjustments |
Progress: Increased interest from key stakeholders in all major divisions. Development of a predesigned FYSE course that allows for the inclusion of discipline-specific content. Exploration of interconnection with other institutional initiatives. Increased engagement from departments regarding the use of the pre-designed FYSE course and the design of FYSE courses that can be taught by any instructor in the department. Adjustments: Continued development of the interconnection with existing institutional initiatives (e.g.: QEP objectives), greater cross-disciplinary activity, development of a variety of models and modalities. Development of a clear communication pipeline between divisions that impact student awareness of the availability of FYSE courses and the course content, and facilitate student enrollment in FYSE courses and students’ understanding of how the course fits into their degree plan. |
Plan for the year ahead |
Expanded training for interested faculty to incorporate standard course shells (somewhat aligned with course shell designs designed through eDegree) Discuss further cross disciplinary applications
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What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity? |
Challenges:
Outside Support Needs:
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Project Lead/point of contact |
Dr. Shani Wilfred - General Education Coordinator |
Activity/Project Name |
Division of Student Affairs - Blazer Ready Student Engagement |
Momentum Area |
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Activity/Project Overview or Description |
The Blazer Ready initiative is an effort to connect many of the essential skills identified by employers for a new college graduate hire. The initiative is aligned with National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) guidelines. The program uses certification incentives and scaffold levels of recognition for students Certification / Training in the areas of:
Student Affairs has made great strides preparing our students to excel after graduation using the Blazer Ready platform. The program has shifted direction from the initial overview. Instead of using the previous listed areas, we have aligned the new tenets with high impact student engagement opportunities within the division. The tenets are Leadership Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Career Preparation, Health and Wellness, and Volunteer Services. Each of the tenets have scaffold levels that include explore, focus, and achieve. The completion of these levels is tied to participation in campus events and involvement in student groups. We created pathways to most events so students are developing skills and competencies by staying involved |
Activity/Project Activity Status |
Piloting: partial launch in the current academic year. Full launch anticipated for Fall 2022. Since our launch, there have been 73 experiences and 933 skills earned |
Evaluation/Assessment plan |
Early Implementation of the web site and Presence system |
Baseline measure - Site activity and initial student engagement with the system. By using the Presence platform, data collection from student involvement shows throughout the 5 tenets there are 993 students working through the explore level, 3,355 students working through the focus level, and 2,698 students working through achieve level. |
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Goal or targets – Embed Blazer Ready actions within academic coursework and student life activities (Aligned with the QEP) |
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Time period/duration – Beginning Spring 22 – Through QEP cycle |
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Progress and Adjustments |
Launch of system Presentations to Academic Areas Plans for further deployment SP 22 and 22-23 academic year |
Plan for the year ahead |
Expanded use of system, introduction to colleges and departments. Invitations for Faculty to use the system as a component of their course content A committee has been formed to aid with the progression and growth of Blazer Ready, which focuses on campus partners, divisional engagement, and student engagement. The committee assisted with completing the website, changes to the platform, marketing, and an incentive program for students. Blazer Ready will also be integrated with the QEP by allowing the completion of a Blazer Ready certificate as a type of experiential learning. As we continue this effort, we anticipate increased outreach, communication, and cross campus collaborative support from campus stakeholders. Additionally, we are working toward improved integration with other campus platforms such as Civitas and Blazer Handshake, which will assist in efficiency and effectiveness. |
What challenges will affect your ability to do this activity? |
Communications through Academic Advising and Faculty Mentoring |
Project Lead/point of contact |
Sandra Y. G. Jones – Deputy Chief Officer for Engagement and DEI Dr. John Wright – Associate Director of Student Life |
Our overarching Big Idea is the alignment of a number of critical initiatives (QEP – experiential learning, Gateways to Completion, First Year Seminar pilot, Concierge Coaching) under the umbrella of Momentum Approach. Students have benefitted from the aspects of this that we have already implemented and are already excited about our expansion of experiential learning.
As noted earlier in the report, progress within Experiential Learning is on schedule and initial responses have been very positive. Ways to connect experiential learning within existing institutional activities including Undergraduate Research, First Year Student Experience courses, Mentoring, and integrated student engagement through the division of Student Affairs continue to inform conversations across institutional units and to serve as the basis for action steps that will become part of the new institutional Strategic Plan.
Each of these programs has worked with the other ones to connect these initiatives:
The First-Year Seminar Experience (FYSE) initiative continues to work collaboratively with existing initiatives at VSU. As a high-impact practice, each FYSE course integrates experiential learning opportunities into the course. Thus, the QEP Coordinator and the General Education Coordinator have worked together to endorse first-year seminar experience courses under the undergraduate research experiential learning designation. Subsequently, students who successfully complete a first-year seminar course will receive credit toward the experiential learning program at VSU that is part of VSU’s current quality enhancement plan (QEP).
The FYSE course also facilitates students’ engagement with several resources provided by units in the Division of Student Affairs/Success such as the integration of peer mentors in the courses, participation in student success-related sessions, and opportunities to develop an understanding of the connection between the curricular and extracurricular activities in which they participate. In addition, the new VSU Strategic Plan 2027 includes the participation of all incoming students in a first-year or transfer experience course and/or a learning community as one of the measurable outcomes for fulfillment of Goal 1 of the plan. Subsequently, the General Education Coordinator and the First-Year Program Coordinator continue to collaborate to expand the first-year seminar experience course. Learning community strategies ensure that the outcome is achieved within the timeframe specified.
The Blazer Ready Initiative is also being integrated within the QEP as a type of experiential learning.
In reflecting on your work above, what units on campus would have the opportunity to be more engaged in your Momentum Work? If so, in what ways and in what areas?
In order for this initiative to be successful, there is a need for collaboration across all major divisions at the institution. In relation to first-year seminar experience courses, the need for collaboration is most evident between the divisions of academic affairs and student success/affairs. The coordinators of First-Year Programs and General Education have collaborated on offering first-year seminar courses as part of first-year learning communities and developing strategies to work with at-risk students to assist in the acquisition and/or enhancement of transferable skills that will assist students in being successful in the classroom. The Director of Institutional Research is also working with the General Education Coordinator to develop data dashboards to assist with the analysis of key student success indicators for students enrolled in a first-year seminar experience course, to allow for institutional comparisons of student success on those key indicators. This will assist with the ability to develop and revise strategies that are guided by existing data.
In addition, there are opportunities for the enhancement of existing collaborations and the creation of new collaborations. As the first-year seminar experience initiative transitions from pilot to full implementation, there will be an increased need for instructor development opportunities, revision of student engagement and experiential learning opportunities, integration of peer mentors, clear messaging from application and continuing throughout the degree plan, and other related elements. There will also be opportunities for collaboration with developing initiatives such as common experiences, general education redesign, and forthcoming student success and retention initiatives. As a result, there is the potential for collaborations with numerous units at the institution such as the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, eLearning, Office of First-Year Programs, the QEP, our advising centers, units in Student Affairs/Success (e.g., Advising, Enrollment Management, Career Opportunities, Academic Support Center), Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, General Education Council, Faculty Senate, Advancement, and the Rural Development Institute. The pursuit of and the realization of the fulfillment of these potential collaborations is understandably contingent upon the sustained focus of university initiatives and the availability of resources in the areas of time, talent, and treasure.
Looking at your student success inventory, campus context and institutional data…
2.1 What are your strengths with respect to student success? Where are you having the greatest success and making the most progress?
2.2 What are your priority areas for continued improvement and why? Where do you have gaps in performance among student subgroups? What are your plans for understanding and closing these gaps?
Institutional priorities are for alignment of Strategic Plan Action steps across campus
Deploy Student Success Initiatives to different student populations beyond the traditional first year – Full time student
No new Mandates and reconsider old mandates. It would help to have some room to breathe as we all continue to cope with the learning challenges brought on by the unprecedented disruption of COVID.
Reviewing your recent data, what are your overall goals/targets for:
Area |
Baseline (year) measure |
Time period/Time from now |
Goal/Target |
Enrollment & Diversity |
2017 |
2024 |
11,676 |
Retention & Closing Retention Gaps |
2017 |
2024 |
76% |
Graduation & Closing Graduation Gaps (150% of time/100% of time) |
2017 |
2024 |
Grad rate up3% 4 yr rate up 2% |
Completion of Area A courses in the first year |
2017 |
2024 |
80% |
Credit Intensity for full time students and closing disparities |
2017 |
2024 |
The Pandemic has changed both the context in which students learn and our institutions operate and the students that we serve, in some ways that we can recognize, and others that we still are struggling to understand. We want to understand a bit more about what you have learned from the Pandemic, what the unanticipated consequences of the many changes and adjustments you have made have been, and what we can carry forward from this experimentation and adaptation into common practice.