This year’s common reading assignment, Brother, I'm Dying, is meant to do more than bring together the incoming freshman class. The novel, by Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat, is part of a five-year plan to increase global awareness among students.
Members of the quality enhancement plan (QEP) committee discussed changes to the current quality enhancement plan in a town hall meeting with faculty members Tuesday.
These changes were in response to the recommendations of a visiting committee this spring. The committee performed an assessment for accreditation renewal to ensure the university was meeting educational and administrative requirements.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) found TCU compliant in only 94 of its 98 standards.
Changes to the QEP will help TCU meet all of SACS standards while providing international experiences for students on campus.
Dr. Edward McNertney, the Quality Enhancement Plan Director, said the revised QEP will help students identify global issues and discuss the impact of those issues on domestic and global communities while developing cultural empathy and the ability to make responsible decisions about global issues.
The common reading novel is just one of the first events scheduled for the 2013-2014 school year to enhance awareness of the international community in the Caribbean, Africa and Sub-Sahara world.
Students, faculty and courses will focus on a different region of the world each year, McNertney said. Future regions include Asia, Europe, the Americas and India.
McNertney encouraged faculty members at the town hall meeting to get involved in the globalization process by attending events, proposing events and notifying the committee of existing events.
Students can also become involved in the new plan.
Associate Provost Dr. Catherine Wehlburg said there will be a submission form for students who wish to be involved in planning, changing and engaging these new QEP initiatives.
Wehlburg also said assessments and evaluation rubrics have been established to help determine the success of the plan.
"We cannot wait to see what our data is going to say about our students in terms of global competence," she said.