MURFREESBORO — Middle
Tennessee State University launched a new curriculum initiative Thursday (Nov.
6) that will emphasize “active learning and critical reflection” as a part of
students’ learning from the moment they arrive on campus.
Called MT Engage, the
curriculum improvement effort encourages students to “engage academically,
learn exponentially (and) showcase yourself.” The initiative was unveiled at a
campuswide event on a sunny but very blustery day under a big tent on the
Student Union Commons that attracted dozens of students, faculty and staff.
MT Engage is part of the university’s
Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, an accreditation review requirement every 10
years by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on
Colleges, the regional accreditation body for higher education institutions in
the South.
The QEP “describes a carefully
designed course of action that addresses a well-defined and focused topic or
issue related to enhancing student learning and/or the environment supporting
student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution,” according
to the accrediting association, more popularly known as SACS.
MT Engage will focus on general
education engagement as well as students using an e-portfolio to demonstrate
knowledge, skills and abilities gained over the college experience. The
initiative, which is still being developed by a committee and subcommittees representing
a cross-section of faculty, staff and students, will need to be implemented in
time for the SACS on-campus review in spring 2016.
In his remarks at the kickoff, MTSU
President Sidney A. McPhee noted the success of MTSU’s previous reaffirmation
initiative, the Experiential Learning (EXL) program, a highly successful effort
in which the university emphasized hands-on activities and public service as an
integral part of a student’s learning experience.
“That program became a model
for universities and colleges around the Southern states that are a part of
SACS,” he told the crowd.
McPhee applauded the latest efforts
by the newest QEP Committee, chaired by Dr. Dianna Rust, in obtaining the
necessary feedback from the campus through focus groups and surveys to select
the MT Engage theme. Such a theme rightly complements the goals expressed in
the Quest for Student Success initiative launched last year.
“Student involvement, student
interaction, student life on the campus — those variables are among the most
important when it comes to student success, which is a major focus of what
we’re all about at MTSU,” he said. “… This process will only make our
university a better place.”
While EXL courses are normally
available during junior and senior years, Rust said MT Engage expands on the
EXL concept by engaging students earlier in their college career during their
freshman and sophomore years with experiences inside and outside the classroom
that require critical thinking, service learning opportunities and
participation in campus events.
“… Ways to engage our students,
mind and body,” said Rust, an associate professor in University Studies. “We
envision these types of courses beginning in the freshman year and going on
until graduation.”
Students were heavily involved
in Thursday’s kickoff. QEP organizers worked with professor Tricia Farwell’s
fall advertising campaigns class to help plan a logo contest and kick-off. The
team of College of Mass Communication students included Chad Jones, Sonia
Torres, Laura Moore, Taylor Sloan, Courtney Webb, Grace Mueller and Morgan
Mosley.
For Farwell, teaching such a
“high engagement class” is as rewarding for her as it is for the students she
teaches.
“It’s an all-around experience
beyond the classroom for me as a faculty member,” she said. “The best thing for
me isn’t the outcomes I expect from this class, but the unexpected outcomes …The
best part for me is that my students not only live up to my expectations, but
that they usually exceed my expectations. This event is an example of this.”
Student Chad Jones told the
crowd Thursday that Farwell, whom he referred to as “Dr. T,” helped the team of
students become critical thinkers and problem solvers as they planned
Thursday’s kickoff.
“This has been a journey this
whole semester,” he said of planning the event, with MTSU serving as the
“client” for the class. “We really wanted to leave our mark here at MTSU and
help lay the foundation for the MT Engage program and QEP initiative.”
The logo contest featured the top
three designs submitted by students Justin Johnson, Grace Mueller and Brian
Scocchio. The logo finalists were displayed and voted on at the kickoff and the
concepts of each were discussed. The winning design, to be unveiled at a later
date, will be used as the official logo for MT Engage.
Voting booths were set up for
students, faculty and staff to vote on their logo of choice, with President
McPhee casting the first vote following his remarks. Contest voters could also
sign up for a chance to win prizes such as gift cards, candy, pens and koozies
when they cast their vote.
For more information
about MTSU’s QEP, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/QEP/ or contact associate professor Dianna Rust at
615-898-5325.
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