This study investigated how and to what extent colleges and universities are integrating self-efficacy components within their Quality Enhancement Plans. Higher education institutions that are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS), the regional accrediting body for 11 southern states, are required to conduct five-year Quality Enhancement Plans (QEPs) every 10 years. This problem was explored using a sample of these colleges. QEPs are detailed Plans that universities and colleges create to describe methods and practices for improving student academic performance. Institutions design and implement a five-year program to increase student learning and success. Research has demonstrated that self-efficacy, a theoretical construct established by Bandura in 1977 and later applied to learning as a student's belief regarding his or her own abilities (Van Dinther et al., 2011), is a predictor of higher academic performance (Ayllon et al., 2019). Leadership in higher education institutions requires innovative ways to build student self-efficacy because increasing self-efficacy could raise student retention and increase graduation rates. The results of this study demonstrate that institutions use self-efficacy components within their QEPs to improve student learning outcomes, particularly at Level I public colleges. These results mean that the goal of improving student learning by utilizing principles of self-efficacy within QEPs has been positively demonstrated. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]