Quality Enhancement Plan (QEC): Data Literacy

Catawba's next QEP is Data Literacy.

What is Data Literacy?

Data literacy includes the abilities to collect, read, interpret, and communicate in multiple ways with a variety of forms of data.

Learning Outcomes
Students in Library Collaboration Space

  • Students will understand the various forms of data and how to find trustworthy source material for data collection.
  • Students will demonstrate ability to collect, organize, and manage data relevant to a task in the course.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to draw inferences from data gathered for completing a task.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate the validity of inferences others draw from data.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate using data they have generated or collected.

What is a QEP?

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) is our institutional accreditor and defines the following purpose of and standards for a QEP:

  • “reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue the institution considers important to improving student learning outcomes and/or student success.”
  • Is “derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation processes”
  • Must focus on “a topic identified through its ongoing, comprehensive planning and evaluation processes”

The plan:

  • Must have “broad-based support of institutional constituencies”
  • “Focuses on improving specific student learning outcomes and/or student success”
  • “commits resources to initiate, implement and complete the QEP”
  • “includes a plan to assess achievement”