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SECTION III : PROGRAM AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
In summer 2020, once the QEP director was officially appointed and program development had begun, the QEP Committee sought student input and involvement in the implementation process (to align with the QEP’s commitment to broad based institutional support) and created a contest for students to name the program and design the logo. The Provost sent an email to all students
inviting their submissions:
“ NCTC Students- Here’s your opportunity to NameIt! Students can leave their mark on NCTC History by naming our newest program, and help us market it to the NCTC community. The program is being developed to increase student’s Employability Skills…both in, and out of the classroom! Specific employability skill sets and activities will be embedded into NCTC curriculum for our job seeking graduates!”
The committee reviewed thirteen student submissions for the name of the program and a logo. The committee selected a cyber security student's submission, “Aspire 2 Hire.” The committee revised the title to “Aspire to be Hired,” and the NCTC Marketing Department developed the logo and enhanced it to meet publishing standards (Appendix D).
Aspire to be Hired focuses on teaching, fostering, and demonstrating professional employability skills to students through intentional instruction and career development coaching. Aspire to be Hired addresses employability skills gaps, gaps in awareness and articulation of employability skills, and practical experiences of skill application. To reduce learning gaps, overcome obstacles, and increase student success, the blanketed approach of teaching, coaching, and modeling employability skills supports creating a culture of employability where students become aware early of their personal responsibility to develop themselves professionally. The primary goal of Aspire to be Hired
is to remove barriers and reduce the skills gap for long-term student success.
The QEP Committee constructed a timeline to provide a framework for the plan’s timely development, implementation, and program launch. The time periods,
phases, and accomplishments are listed in the table on the following page.
Targeted courses are identified through curriculum mapping (Appendix E). These courses 1) are required for most, if not all, students in a particular program, 2) begin early in a degree plan, and 3) align with employability readiness, i.e., EPA Cert Prep, Technical Customer Service, Capstone. Faculty have “implementation points” at which the employability skills will be introduced, reinforced, and mastered in their Career and Technical Education programs. These “implementation points” ensure that the QEP content is being provided a minimum of three times for a career and technical degree program. Certificate programs and skills awards will seek to implement one QEP lesson per semester. (Appendix F)
• Implementation Point I
Introduction will be provided early in a program or in a course that is part of an Occupational or
Workforce Skills Award to build employability skill awareness. Introduction can include awareness, articulation, and/or application of skill.
• Implementation Point II
Reinforcement will ideally be implemented in the middle of the program and build on students’ ability to articulate, describe, and discuss the importance of employability skills to employers. Awareness and application can also be a part of that reinforcement.
• Implementation Point III
Mastery/Application will be taken towards the end of a pathway/program to ensure the application of an employability skill has been offered.
In addition to QEP course implementation, students will receive structured support services from the Completion and Career Services Center. Career and Technical Education students in QEP courses will be assigned to career coaches and will receive consistent outreach and resources starting in their first semesters. Faculty members will require students to attend career coaching sessions. Coaches will provide in-person and virtual professionalism training that include career development and career readiness opportunities.
Table 2: Development and Implementation Timeline
TIME PERIOD PHASE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
SUMMER 2019 Pre-Development Phase - Reviewed QEP requirements and updates
FALL 2019 Topic Selection Phase - Broad based, system wide participation in topic selection - Hold open forums on all NCTC campuses - Selected QEP topic
SPRING 2020 Early Development Phase - Narrowed the focus of the topic - Determined academic programs for pilot - Defined structured support role - Began drafting QEP mission and programmatic goals
SUMMER 2020 Early Development Phase Continued - Hired QEP director (Sept. 1, 2020) - Began planning beta launch for fall - Identified course for beta, EECT 1300
FALL 2020 Development Phase - Began drafting student learning outcomes - Began drafting QEP narrative - Narrowed down program and course implementation - Conducted “NameIt” student contest for QEP name and logo - Designated QEP faculty liaison to assist with course redesign and activity/assignment development, rubric development - Launched Beta in EECT 1300, ITSE 2380
SPRING 2021 Finishing Phase - Finalized program outcomes - Developed course activities and assignments with corresponding data rubrics - Developed Canvas (LMS) course content - Finalized all structured support activities and program alignment - Finalized literature review and best practices - Continued Beta continuation in EECT 1300, ITSE 2380, HART 1356
SUMMER AND FALL 2021
Submission of QEP to SACSCOC - Finalized QEP narrative - Finalized student learning outcomes - Conducted pilot in summer sessions - Scheduled Fall in-service for employees and faculty - Scheduled WeLLcome Back week activities on all NCTC campuses - Submitted to Board of Regents for approval - Submitted QEP to SACSCOC
The student learning outcomes (SLO) for NCTC’s QEP, Aspire to be Hired, describe the knowledge, skills, and behaviors students will demonstrate after the program. These learning outcomes address the awareness, articulation, and application of employability skills using a multifaceted approach to implementation and assessment.
Table 3: Employability Skills
