The Commission on Colleges and Universities today announced the 17 member institutions selected to receive the first Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Project of Excellence Awards. The new awards recognize institutions whose QEPs made a measurable difference in student learning, student success, or both.
More than 50 institutions voluntarily submitted their QEP impact reports for consideration. The QEP Project of Excellence Review Committee, consisting of representatives from member institutions, reviewed the submissions and identified nominees. The Commission’s vice presidents and President Dr. Stephen L. Pruitt reviewed the nominees and approved the winners.
“These 17 institutions set a goal for their students, followed through over several years, and can show the results,” Pruitt said. “That work deserves to be seen, and other institutions can learn from it. We’re excited to recognize these institutions for the work they’ve done to put students first, always.”
The QEP has long been a core component of accreditation through SACSCOC, the Commission’s accreditation name. As part of reaffirmation, each institution identified a focused, multi-year plan to improve specific student learning outcomes or student success metrics, committed the resources to carry it out, and later reported on what the plan achieved.
This year’s winners include community and technical colleges, public universities, private institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, and Hispanic-serving institutions. Their projects address online learning, the first-year experience, reading, mathematics and quantitative literacy, civic engagement, global learning, undergraduate research, communication, and career planning.
2026 QEP Project of Excellence Award Winners
| Institution | Quality Enhancement Plan | Focus |
| Alabama State University Alabama | A Journey to Success in the First Year Experience | An engaging, supportive learning environment for first-year students |
| Cisco College Texas | Making Connections | Online course success through stronger student support services and faculty development |
| Dallas International University Texas | Distance Education Enhancement Plan | Quality of distance education and comparable outcomes for online and on-campus students |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College Kentucky | Read and Succeed | Reading proficiency through awareness and use of reading strategies |
| Laredo College Texas | Digital Connections: Bridging Learning and Technology | Purposeful integration of digital learning technologies in gatekeeper courses |
| Midlands Technical College South Carolina | Maximizing Online Readiness and Excellence (M.O.R.E.) | Online student success |
| Mountain Empire Community College Virginia | Get AMPED! (Applying Mathematical Principles through Everyday Decisions) | Problem-solving through stronger quantitative literacy skills |
| Panola College Texas | FRAME2 Your Future: Focused Route of Academics to Maximize Education & Employment | Student self-awareness and academic study skills and habits |
| Piedmont Virginia Community College Virginia | Civic Sense: Engaging Students in the Civic Life of Their Communities | Civic engagement among graduates |
| Prairie View A&M University Texas | Broadening Global Learning Opportunities, Building Academic Leaders (B-GLOBAL) | Global competencies in first- and second-year students |
| Savannah College of Art and Design Georgia | Amplify Your Story | Preparing every student to speak, visualize and connect at the highest professional level |
| Tennessee State University Tennessee | CADENCE | Educational planning built on students’ personal and career goals |
| Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Texas | I-Know | Finding, evaluating, creating and communicating knowledge with digital technologies |
| Texas Southern University Texas | 14 Plays in 45 Days: Addressing the Whole Student from Application to Graduation | First-year student success |
| Tri-County Community College North Carolina | Go Figure | Student success in math |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette Louisiana | Advance: Student Research Experience | Mentored research, innovative projects and creative endeavors |
| Wade College Texas | The Wade College QEP | Academic achievement and persistence of first-year students |
The Commission will share more about each winning project in the weeks ahead. The winners will be recognized at The Commission’s Annual Meeting, Dec. 5-8, 2026, in Houston, Texas.
About The Commission on Colleges and Universities
The Commission on Colleges and Universities (The Commission) is an institutional accreditor committed to advancing educational quality and strengthening the effectiveness of its member institutions. Through a process grounded in peer review, accountability, and continuous improvement, the Commission supports institutions in their efforts to serve students and communities while maintaining public confidence in higher education.
Media Contact:
Eric Mann
Director of Public Information
The Commission on Colleges and Universities
emann@commissioncu.org | 404-994-6576