(or primary author for collaborators) as the logical candidate for chairperson of that committee. Instructions for the preparation of the white papers stated that each would be evaluated according to criteria that included:

• Significance and urgency of the topic for the University
• Scope of the plan in terms of which students would be affected and which other campus constituencies would be involved
• Assessments that would be included to demonstrated what students had learned
• Schedule for activities and initiatives
• Risk assessment of possible problems that could be encountered during the implementation of the plan
• Campus acceptance of the plan
• Resource requirements in terms of money, equipment, and personnel

As a precaution in the event that the Committee deemed no white paper suitable, the Associate Provost and the chairperson of the QEP Selection Committee agreed that several recent campus internal committee reports on the topic of improving education at KSU could be consulted by the Committee as aids in formulating a topic.

From the five proposals submitted, the QEP Selection Committee early June for development into white papers. (Link to QEPSelectionCommittee_Minutes_6-14-2007.pdf) Those were submitted to and evaluated by the Committee in September. They were worthy campus projects, but the Committee believed they would not achieve the widespread campus acceptance needed for a QEP. (Link to QEPSelectionCommittee Minutes 9-18-2007.pdf)

Given the unsuccessful effort to find a topic through the white papers, the QEP Selection Committee merged with the newly appointed QEP Committee later in September 2007 to reopen discussions on identifying a QEP topic. Every week for the remainder of the semester, the Committees met jointly, examining and discussing in particular (1) new proposals initiated by faculty and administrators, including one on the improvement of gateway courses (in composition, mathematics, and science), and another on student advising during important transition points in their college careers, and (2) several internal reports generated by other campus committees. Of particular importance were the Developmental Education Committee Report, 2006, the Student Success and Retention Task Force Report, 2006, the KSU Liberal Studies Summer Institute (May 16-20, 2005) Official Record, and the results of the College Student Inventory (CSI). The findings and recommendations in those proposals and reports reaffirmed the concerns that emerged from discussions among faculty, staff, and students in 2005, and noted in the white papers that had been submitted. The joint committees agreed unanimously that the most suitable topic for KSU's QEP was Academics with Attitude: Building the Foundation for Student Success. On November