Create Your Signature An Enhanced Degree Designation for

Create Your Signature An Enhanced Degree Designation for WMU Students

Higher Learning Commission Quality Initiative • Requirement of the “Open Pathways” accreditation reaffirmation. • Large scale quality improvement initiative • 3 -year implementation Unit name

Quality Initiative Think Tank • September 2014 – March 2015 faculty, staff, students, administration (16 - 40) • Review of University Strategic Planning reports, conversations, research other university • Brainstormed improvement areas • Brain-swarmed themes Unit name

QI Themes • Establish Core Principles of Learning – Student Outcome • Enhance commitment to community outreach and engaged scholarship • Enhance WMU’s commitment to be globally engaged, building leaders for tomorrow who are globally aware and culturally competent. Unit name

QI Themes - Continued • Transform WMU student success efforts to increase student retention and graduation rates. • Engage in a cultural transformation of the campus climate to identify with, accept and promote WMU mission and goals. • Engage in a rejuvenation of curricula that reflects best practices in higher education, cutting edge technology and innovative pedagogy. Unit name

Create Your Signature: An Enhanced Degree Designation for WMU Students • A degree designation that recognizes the value added by the WMU experience. • a “signature” created by each student that reflects his/her individual achievements beyond formal degree requirements • intentional selection of learning experiences, class projects, experiential learning, and cocurricular activities that the student pursues specifically based on personal interests Unit name

Intended Impact • Formally acknowledge co-curricular activities and professional development opportunities not currently recognized; • Encourage self-discovery, as well as commitment to and ownership of a planned program of personal development; • Create new opportunities for contemporary student; • Encourage integrative thinking, foster interdisciplinary learning experiences; • Provide experiences that enhance, integrates and utilizes completed course work. Unit name

Possible Signature Elements • Self management of learning outcomes and program planning • Demonstrated level of commitment • Engagement with others who share focus • Signature experiences • Juried reflection leading to University endorsement Unit name

Proposed Time Line • 2014 -2015 Develop proposal – Submission to HLC May 7 th • 2015 -2016 Build infrastructure to support the initiative, development of signature criteria and implementation process; • 2016 -2017 Pilot infrastructure and refine process • 2017 -2018 Launch to campus for full participation Unit name

Please provide feedback and suggestions to Brynne K. Belinger <brynne. belinger@wmich. edu Unit name