2008 Woodie Awards
QEP project gives students, faculty place to think
New critical thinking resource center at Piedmont
by Sandi Tatum
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: News
The Critical Thinking Resource Center at Piedmont is complete after two years of work. The center, located in Stewart 207, is a part of the college's Quality Enhancement Plan, QEP.
The QEP committee wanted the center to be a place for faculty to discuss their teaching, students to critically think, and both to have access to needed resources.
Five sub-committees, with 30 people, form the QEP committee. The steering committee, the communications committee, the professor division, the assessment committee and the advisory council were involved in the project.
All colleges and universities have Quality Enhancement Plans that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SACS, monitors. SACS uses the project information to award accreditation to schools. The resource center is the project Piedmont chose to improve students' learning.
Teresa Secules, assistant professor of education, says that the room will introduce more critical thinking into teaching and improve the students' critical thinking in a measurable way.
Charron Davis, MBA graduate student and assistant to Secules, helped design the look of the room.
"I wanted it to be a relaxing place where students and faculty can think critically," says Davis.
To make sure the resource center is showing progress, students will take tests in the new facility as freshman. Students will be tested in the center again before their senior capstones.
Free lunches every Wednesday and guest speakers are some of the events planned for the center. Stephen D. Brookfield will speak about his writings in March. Books on critical thinking, including Brookfield's, can be found in the resource center.
Lisa Hodgens, professor of English, says the room is for anyone that wants to use and enjoy its resources. "We hope that everyone will use the room for reflection."
The QEP committee wanted the center to be a place for faculty to discuss their teaching, students to critically think, and both to have access to needed resources.
Five sub-committees, with 30 people, form the QEP committee. The steering committee, the communications committee, the professor division, the assessment committee and the advisory council were involved in the project.
All colleges and universities have Quality Enhancement Plans that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SACS, monitors. SACS uses the project information to award accreditation to schools. The resource center is the project Piedmont chose to improve students' learning.
Teresa Secules, assistant professor of education, says that the room will introduce more critical thinking into teaching and improve the students' critical thinking in a measurable way.
Charron Davis, MBA graduate student and assistant to Secules, helped design the look of the room.
"I wanted it to be a relaxing place where students and faculty can think critically," says Davis.
To make sure the resource center is showing progress, students will take tests in the new facility as freshman. Students will be tested in the center again before their senior capstones.
Free lunches every Wednesday and guest speakers are some of the events planned for the center. Stephen D. Brookfield will speak about his writings in March. Books on critical thinking, including Brookfield's, can be found in the resource center.
Lisa Hodgens, professor of English, says the room is for anyone that wants to use and enjoy its resources. "We hope that everyone will use the room for reflection."
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