UAB community,
The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s presence in the city of Birmingham is vital for the city’s healthcare, education, research, economic growth, and community well-being. UAB educates nearly 21,000 students and is committed to developing a skilled workforce that benefits the local economy and prepares the next generation of leaders. UAB is home to one of the largest academic medical centers in the country and the UAB Health System provides top-tier access and quality for Birmingham residents. UAB conducts transformative research that improves health, quality of life, and economic development. This research drives innovation and attracts investment to the city. UAB is a significant economic driver in Birmingham, contributing to job creation and economic growth.
For years, UAB has actively engaged with the Birmingham community through dozens of community partnerships and community development initiatives. The University’s strategic plan includes community engagement as one of its four pillars, and in recent years, UAB’s academic enterprise has become increasingly involved in leveraging the relationships with our unique and historic city as part of the development and deployment of high-impact educational practices that contribute to student learning.
In recognition of the important role UAB holds in the city of Birmingham, and the powerful learning that can occur as students engage with their community, we have selected The City Is Our Classroom as the theme of the 2025-2030 Quality Enhancement Plan.
Through high-impact curricular and co-curricular practices that include community based learning, research, and service opportunities, the Quality Enhancement Plan will help UAB students engage with their community. They will come to better understand the value of the University as a part of the city of Birmingham and will develop the skills to become engaged members and leaders of any community.
Sincerely,
| Ray L. Watts, M.D. | Janet Woodruff-Borden, Ph.D. |
| President | Senior Vice President and Provost |
UAB’s 2025-2030 Quality Enhancement Plan, The City Is Our Classroom
Director: Scott L. Phillips, PhD
Vice Provost for Innovative Teaching and Academic Engagement
Associate Professor of Music Technology
LHL 446 | 1700 University Blvd | Birmingham, AL 35233
P: 205.975.8722 |
Scott Philips, PhD, was appointed QEP director in 2019. He oversaw the completion, final evaluation and development of the summary report for the 2015-2020 QEP and currently leads development of the 2025-2030 QEP. In his role as Vice Provost for Innovative Teaching and Academic Engagement he oversees units in the provost’s office that assist all of UAB’s schools and colleges in teaching effectiveness and student success.
December 2022
- QEP director participates with members of the UAB SACSCOC Executive Leadership Committee at SACSCOC conference for initial reaffirmation meetings.
Spring 2023
- QEP director charges Blazer Core Curriculum Committee as defacto QEP Advisory Council (QEPAC) for QEP topic development.
Summer 2023
- QEPAC considers possible QEP topics and discusses with campus wide constituents.
Fall 2023
- QEP topics collected, organized, and evaluated.
- Final topic selection completed.
- President and Provost announce QEP topic.
Spring-Fall 2024
- Funding and structure established and secured.
- Assessment Plan developed.
- Communications Plan developed.
- QEP Advisory Council formed.
- Draft QEP proposal developed.
December 2024
- Draft QEP proposal sent to Advisory Council and external reviewers for pre-submission feedback.
February 2025
- Focused Report and QEP proposal submitted to SACSCOC.
April 2025
- SACSCOC On-Site Reaffirmation Visit.
Spring 2025
- Finalize QEP implementation plan based on comments received from SACSCOC.
August 2025
- Implement QEP.
Summer 2030
- UAB submits five-year QEP Impact Report to SACSCOC.
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What is SACSCOC?
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the regional body for the accreditation of higher education institutions in the southern states that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees. For more information, visit www.sacscoc.org.
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What is a QEP?
Each institution seeking reaffirmation of accreditation is required to develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP is a five-year plan which addresses a well-defined topic or issue related to enhancing student learning and/or the environment supporting student learning. Developing a QEP as a part of the reaffirmation process is an opportunity for the institution to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue or issues that the institution considers important to improving student learning. At the end of five-years, SACSCOC will evaluate the results of UAB’s QEP.
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What is UAB’s QEP?
In recognition of the important role UAB holds in the city of Birmingham, and the powerful learning that can occur as students engage with their community, UAB has selected The City Is Our Classroom as the theme of the 2025-2030 Quality Enhancement Plan. Through high-impact curricular and co-curricular practices such as community-based learning, research, and service opportunities, the QEP will help students engage with their community, study its rich history, and develop a better understanding of the value of the University as a part of the City of Birmingham.
UAB’s 2025-2030 Quality Enhancement Plan, The City Is Our Classroom
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What are the goals for UAB's QEP: The City Is Our Classroom?
UAB’s QEP The City Is Our Classroom will focus on four primary goals. These goals create the framework for achieving six student learning outcomes.
- Goal 1: To provide the infrastructure and resources for faculty and staff, students and community partners to engage in meaningful and mutually beneficial community-engaged learning experiences.
- Goal 2: To expand student involvement in community-engaged learning opportunities through curricular and co-curricular activities.
- Goal 3: To encourage, increase, and assess meaningful student reflections regarding their involvement in community-engaged learning.
- Goal 4: To help students develop the skills to become engaged members and leaders of any community.
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What are the UAB QEP’s student learning outcomes?
As a result of the implementation of The City Is Our Classroom QEP, students will demonstrate growth and learning in the areas of:
- Understanding their community and its cultures
- Being able to connect knowledge from various academic disciplines to civic life
- Participating in civic engagement activities
- Developing civic communication skills
- Reflecting on civic participation
- Working collaboratively across civic structures
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What is expected of a QEP?
Our proposal will be evaluated on five components. See SACSCOC QEP Guidelines for details.
- An Institutional Process. The institution uses an institutional process for identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment.
- Focus of the Plan. The institution identifies a significant issue that (i) focuses on learning outcomes and/or environment supporting student learning and (ii) accomplishes the mission of the institution.
- Institutional Capability for the Initiation, Implementation, and Completion of the Plan. The institution provides evidence that it has sufficient resources to initiate, implement, sustain, and complete the QEP.
- Broad-Based Involvement of Institutional Constituencies. The institution demonstrates the involvement of its constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the Plan.
- Assessment of the Plan. The institution identifies goals and a plan to assess the achievement of those goals.
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Who leads UAB’s QEP efforts?
UAB’s QEP efforts are lead by QEP director, Dr. Scott Phillips, with support and assistance from the QEP Advisory Council, the office of Innovative Teaching and Academic Engagement, and the office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis. QEP efforts are also supported by the Center for Teaching and Learning, the office of the Blazer Core Curriculum, the office of Service Learning and Undergraduate Research and other university-wide organizations focused on teaching and student success.
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When will the QEP begin?
The QEP will be implemented beginning in the Fall of 2025.
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When will SACSCOC visit campus?
The on-site visit by the SACSCOC team will be April 7-10th, 2025.
What is accreditation, and why is it important?
Accreditation is recognition that is given to an institution that demonstrates it meets standards established by private educational agencies and evaluated by its peers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, “the goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.” Graduating from an accredited institution verifies the quality of the education received, increases employment opportunities, and affords students the opportunity to receive licensure, registration, or certification (in some fields of study). Also, federal student financial aid is only distributed to accredited institutions. UAB was accredited by SACSCOC in 1970 and seeks reaffirmation of accreditation in 2025.
What is SACSCOC?
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC, is the regional accrediting body for higher education institutions in the southern United States and Latin America that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees.
What is a QEP?
The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is developed by the UAB community to enhance student learning in a specific, measurable way. It is a key part of UAB’s SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation. A new QEP is implemented every ten years and is evaluated over a five-year period.
What is UAB’s QEP?
In recognition of the important role UAB holds in the city of Birmingham, and the powerful learning that can occur as students engage with their community, UAB has selected The City Is Our Classroom as the theme of the 2025-2030 Quality Enhancement Plan. Through high-impact curricular and co-curricular practices such as community-based learning, research, and service opportunities, the QEP will help students engage with their community, study its rich history, and develop a better understanding of the value of the University as a part of the City of Birmingham.
To accomplish this, the QEP will focus on four primary goals. These goals create the framework for achieving the six student learning outcomes of The City Is Our Classroom.
- Goal 1: To provide the infrastructure and resources for faculty and staff, students and community partners to engage in meaningful and mutually beneficial community-engaged learning experiences.
- Goal 2: To expand student involvement in community-engaged learning opportunities through curricular and co-curricular activities.
- Goal 3: To encourage, increase, and assess meaningful student reflections regarding their involvement in community-engaged learning.
- Goal 4: To help students develop the skills to become engaged members and leaders of any community.
Students will demonstrate growth and learning in the areas of:
- Understanding their community and its cultures
- Being able to connect knowledge from various academic disciplines to civic life
- Participating in civic engagement activities
- Developing civic communication skills
- Reflecting on civic participation
- Working collaboratively across civic structures
When will the QEP plan be implemented?
SACSCOC evaluators will visit UAB on April 7-10, 2025, and meet with students, faculty, and leadership to learn about UAB’s planned QEP. They will make suggestions and give final approval of the plan in Summer of 2025 and the plan will begin implementation in the Fall of 2025.
How can I get involved in making The City Our Classroom?
Students make the city their classroom every time they learn, study, and serve in our local communities. This happens in classes, such as the City as Classroom courses that are part of the Blazer Core curriculum and in Service Learning and Undergraduate Research courses focused on studying and helping our local communities. It also happens as students participate in volunteer opportunities to serve in the community through the office of student affairs, student clubs and groups, internships, and others. As students learn, study, and serve in the community, they track their hours in BlazerPulse and can also record reflections of their experiences. This information becomes part of the data used to help UAB show how students are growing and learning through their experiences in the community.