About the QEP
The Dallas College QEP focuses on a Smart Start First Year Experience Program, which provides students with the necessary tools, resources and experiences to ensure a successful first year in their academic journey. It is a formal five-year strategy focused on improving student learning outcomes and student success for first-time-in-college students.
Student Support for a Smart Start
Smart Start – First-Time College Students – Dallas College offers tools and resources to help first-time-in-college students be set up for success.
Ascender Program – Ascender is a free learning community open to first year, first-time-in-college students
Success Coaching – Formerly known as advisors, success coaches connect with students after they enroll at Dallas College to provide support and guidance.
QEP Goals
- Increase first-time-in-college student academic success
- Increase first-time-in-college student engagement
- Increase first-time-in-college student career and academic planning
QEP Components
- New Student Orientation
- First Year Experience Courses
- Math and English Early Interventions
- Quality Connections
- Frontloaded Career Consciousness
Timeline
- Year Zero (FY24-25): Planning and piloting
- Years One and Two (FY25-27): QEP launch and rollout
- Years Three to Five (FY27-30): Scaling and refining
Smart Start Fast Facts – Year Zero (FY2024-2025)
- 9,310 first-time-in-college students enrolled at Dallas College
- Increased first-time-in-college persistence to 78%
- 66+ employees identified to serve on the QEP implementation teams
- 49 in-person New Student Orientation sessions across all seven campuses
- 84.6% of first-time-in-college students met with a success coach
- 63.8% increase in New Student Orientation in-person attendance