UAB community,

Every ten years, as part of UAB's ongoing reaffirmation of accreditation, the university develops a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). This plan is an integral component of the accreditation process and is derived from our ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation efforts. It also reflects and affirms our commitment to enhancing overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an area that we as an institution consider important to improving student learning outcomes and student success.

After careful review and reflection on what UAB is and what it can become, Provost Benoit and I have selected "The City Is Our Classroom" as the university's next QEP topic.

This topic incorporates both the Education and Community Engagement pillars of the University's strategic plans Forging the Future and Forging Ahead. The plan will provide additional structure and strategic support for programs that teach students to become engaged citizens and leaders while participating in their community in meaningful and mutually beneficial ways. Implementation of the plan will involve undergraduate students in UAB's Blazer Core Curriculum, and students in all UAB schools and colleges in service learning, honors, and major courses that connect them to the community. Selecting "The City Is Our Classroom" as the next QEP topic also underscores the value we see in our place as a part of the city of Birmingham and its history, resources, and people.

In making this announcement, we wish to thank the QEP Advisory Council, the UAB Faculty Senate and UAB Staff Council, and the many faculty, staff, and students who participated in developing, refining, and providing feedback on possible QEP topics. All who participated are to be commended for engaging in a process that considered university goals and priorities, weighed opportunities for improving student outcomes and successes, and supported UAB's commitment to shared governance.

Visit the QEP webpage to learn more about the development and implementation of UAB's next QEP, "The City Is Our Classroom."

Sincerely,

Ray Watts, President

University of Alabama at Birmingham