THEC adopts streamlined Quality Assurance Funding standards with annual reporting requirement

Dr. Julie Roberts presented proposed revisions to THEC's Quality Assurance Funding (QAF) standards designed to streamline evaluation across a five‑year window (2026–2031). The revised standards focus on three core measures: academic program quality, student success and student engagement.

Commissioners voiced concern about the relative weight assigned to student engagement and requested more granular reporting on survey response counts and how campuses use survey results to make improvements. "We did maintain the same points for student engagement," Dr. Roberts said, "however, proportionally, since we've streamlined it down to just 3, it makes it a little less equal with the other standards." Commissioners asked staff to return with mapping that ties QAF metrics back to the strategic plan and to provide annual updates in November.

The commission voted to adopt the revised QAF standards and included a directive for THEC staff to provide an annual November report on application of the standards and a mapping of how the standards align with strategic‑plan priorities.