Middle Tennessee State University will host a pair of one-hour informational town hall meetings to educate faculty and staff about the new “MT Engage” Quality Enhancement Plan.

The plan, also known as QEP, is an accreditation review requirement every 10 years by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The group, known as SACS, is the regional accreditation body for higher education institutions in the South.

MTSU’s plan will need to be implemented in time for the SACS on-campus review in spring 2016.

Two upcoming town hall meetings will showcase what MT Engage has to offer faculty, staff and students to enhance the university’s curriculum and preparing students for successful careers. After a brief presentation, time will be allotted for questions and discussion.

The informational town hall meetings about MT Engage are set 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, and 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, April 1, in Cantrell Hall inside the Tom H. Jackson Building on campus.

MT Engage’s mission is to strengthen students’ knowledge and growth from the time they arrive on campus by encouraging “active learning” and expanding activities in service-learning courses as part of the university curriculum.

“Active learning” includes project-, problem- and collaborative-based education, which students will showcase in an e-Portfolio that will also allow them to reflect on their learning inside and beyond the classroom.

The goals targeted for students by MTSU’s QEP are enhanced, integrative, reflective thinking; effective communication; and personal and professional development.

The QEP is still being developed by a committee and subcommittees representing a cross section of faculty, staff and students. Dr. Dianna Rust, an associate professor in university studies, chairs the committee.

MT Engage follows MTSU’s previous education initiative, the Experiential Learning, or EXL, Program. EXL emphasizes hands-on activities and public service as an integral part of a student’s learning experience during their junior and senior years.

Read about and see a video from the fall 2014 kickoff event for MT Engage here and read a story about the MT Engage logo contest winner here.

For more information about MTSU’s QEP, visit www.mtsu.edu/QEP.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)