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Provost outlines SACSCOC reaffirmation timeline and 'Elevate' QEP emphasizing durable skills
Summary
Provost Luo briefed trustees on accreditation preparation, a proposed Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) named "Elevate" that focuses on durable (soft) skills, and plans to launch pilot programs in 2026.
Provost John Liu told trustees the university is preparing two major documents for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) reaffirmation: the compliance certification report and the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The university’s cycle concludes in 2026 and both documents are due in September, he said.
"We are in very good shape," Liu said of SACSCOC preparation and credited Associate Provost Sharon Hoa and multiple faculty and staff committees for the work. He said the on-site review will begin in spring 2026 and SACSCOC’s board would review the materials in summer 2026.
On the QEP, Liu described the initiative the university has developed under the working title "Elevate," which focuses on career readiness by embedding durable skills — communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, professionalism and leadership — across first-year foundational classes and through infusion grants for faculty to redesign courses.
"We call it Elevate," Liu said. "It's an epic topic where we try to get our graduates career ready. As you all know, career readiness can involve so called hard skills and soft skills." He explained that the institution prefers the contemporary term "durable skills" to describe the non-technical capabilities that remain valuable across changing technologies and careers.
Liu said the QEP planning started in 2023 and the university will pilot Elevate programs before a fuller launch in spring 2026. He described implementation plans that include integrating durable skills into first-year courses (covering about 80% of students), providing small infusion grants to encourage faculty course redesign, and growing summer research and travel support for faculty and students.
Trustees also heard a short rundown of this year's faculty awards. Liu and others recognized recipients for outstanding service, research and teaching, including Dr. Steve Canfield (Outstanding Faculty Award for Professional Service), Dr. Muhammad Ismail (Kaplan Research Award) and Dr. Charles Dao (Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching, lecturer rank). Liu said details on those awards were in the board materials.
The provost's report was informational and trustees did not take a committee vote on accreditation or the QEP at the meeting.
