Auburn University at Montgomery School of Business

Transcription

1 Clement Hall AUM School of Business Auburn University at Montgomery School of Business Fifth Year Maintenance of Accreditation Report Academic Years Jane Goodson, Ph.D. Dean Joy Clark, Ph.D. Associate Dean

2 Table of Contents Description Executive Summary... i I. Situational Analysis...1 II. Mission Statement III. Strategic Planning Process IV. Assessment of Learning V. Financial Strategies VI. New Degree Programs VII. Appendices Annual Maintenance Reports School of Business Strategic Plan Response to 2004 AACSB Report Auburn University at Montgomery Strategic Plan School of Business AOL Rubrics Faculty Policies and Processes Recruitment Retention Development

3 List of Tables 1. Five Year Enrollment Trend at Auburn University at Montgomery and School of Business Five Year Trend for Entering Freshman ACT (AUM, Business students Fine Year Trend in Average GPA and GMAT Scores for MBA School of Business Student Diversity School of Business Enrollments by Undergraduate and Graduate Programs Five Year Trend in Graduation for Business Assurance of Learning Timeline BSBA Skill and Knowledge Building Courses in BSBA Core Assurance of Learning Results and Responses for BSBA Assurance of Learning Results and Responses for MBA Students Perception of the Value of Degree in Preparing for Success in the Work Place Business Executives Perception of AUM Graduates Performance in Selected Skill Areas Financial Strategies Table Faculty Sufficiency Tables... 41

4 AACSB ACCREDITATION MAINTENANCE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The accomplishments in each of the goal areas, areas for continuous improvement, and effective practices for Auburn University Montgomery s School of Business are highlighted below: ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN Goal 1: Serve a diverse study body with student centered and accessible programs. All School of Business faculty received diversity awareness training to enhance interaction with the diverse student population. Maintained student diversity ratios of White, non Hispanic 60%, Black, non Hispanic 30%, and Other 10%. Developed and expanded a dual enrollment program with 3 area high schools. Hired faculty relative to student body to achieve an average class size of 25 students. Hired a student services coordinator to assist specifically with recruiting of high quality business students and retention of current students. Faculty/advising officers attended 6 recruiting events per year with University recruiters. Advising office continues to monitor student performance to maximize retention. Balanced (50%) day and night offerings to meet the needs of its diverse student body. Enrolled students from 32 different countries in the School. ISDS department and School sponsored ACTE (Alabama Council on Technology Education) regional and state competitions, including over 500 students each year. Undergraduate half term offerings were increased from 8 to 74; Graduate programs changed to a mix of full and half terms. Undergraduate students have a choice of hybrid distance format in 8 core courses. Developed School of Business mentor team for distance education; team and others attended seminars and conferences on distance education and mentored other faculty in the development of distance courses. Documented active faculty student interaction in club activities, student trips, career activities, and other student activities. Built an open lab in the School of Business; hired a full time manager for the lab and other teaching labs to assist students. Utilized the Student Ambassador Group as a Dean s Advisory Group, ensuring timely responses to student issues, involvement in School initiatives, and implementation of recommendations for continuous improvement of student support. Created annual career day, including speaker programs and a continuous data base for students and companies. Placed students in planned internships with numerous corporate partners and developed and revised the process to ensure quality. Integrated a career focus into all student clubs. i

5 Supported faculty and students on business education trips to the New York Financial District, the Chicago Board of Trade, and the Federal Reserve in Atlanta; field trips to multiple corporate offices were included in these trips. Supported students exchange in Korea and China. Provided $300,000 in scholarships to over 100 students on average each year to support student learning. Provided technology training for all faculty (100% of faculty trained in WebCT) and over 90% of faculty use technology to enhance teaching effectiveness. Goal 2: Provide a curriculum in business disciplines that is current in its content, increases global awareness, and develops relevant skills. Developed assurance of learning system in line with AACSB guidelines, with guidance from Kathryn Martell, and implemented changes based on results. Conducted an extensive curriculum review and revised curriculum accordingly. Administered employer survey, rating performance and skills of AUM, School of Business students/alums, in line with the student learning goals from assurance of learning system; achieved high ratings across all skill components. Achieved acceptance of plan and first annual report for separate AACSB accreditation of the accounting program. Established dual degree program with University of Ulsan. Established international partnerships with 8 universities, 6 in China (primarily for business students), 1 each in S. Korea and Mexico. Developed and offered the Executive MBA program option. Administered the EBI survey and received positive feedback that ranked the School 1 or 2 among various components relative to our peer institutions. Implemented the Government Financial Management option in accounting, developed in partnership with Chief Financial Officers in the State of Alabama; primary goal is to meet the state shortage of financial managers. Developed a Storage Area Network Center of Excellence and option, in partnership with area businesses such as UNISYS, Hewlett Packard, Integrated Computer Solutions, and others; primary goal is to meet state and national shortage for data storage professionals (one of five such programs in the nation). Developed a Hospitality and Tourism option in Marketing, in partnership with the PCH hotel arm of the State Retirement Systems, Alabama Tourism Director, and other hospitality and tourism organizations; primary goal is to meet anticipated demand in tourism and hospitality, including the sports industry. Developed a state tax certificate program, in partnership with the State of Alabama Revenue Commissioner and high level leaders, to fill this important need at the state level. Developed a Center for Economic Education, in partnership with the Alabama Council on Economic Education, business leaders, and high school teachers in the state; primary goal is to have leading role in economic development in the state. ii

6 Made progress toward the development of option in Manufacturing Management and Technical Systems Management, in partnership Auburn University and area companies such as Hyundai, Rheem, and suppliers; partnered with Rheem to develop an APICS chapter in Montgomery. Partnered with the Standard Systems Group, the software development agency for the United States Air Force, to develop a JAVA Center of Excellence; the ISDS Department developed a program of five three credit hour courses offered in the undergraduate curriculum. Goal 3: Attract, maintain, and retain a diverse, highly qualified faculty. Recruited and hired 13 new faculty members across the School. Hired an external Lowder Weil Chair in Accounting to support accounting accreditation and international goals. Hired a visiting professor from the University of Ulsan to support international goals. Selected two faculty members, based on proposals to enhance School of Business initiatives, to serve in the role of Lowder Weil Chair. Implemented School of Business Faculty Recruitment Plan for Diversity; o hired two African American faculty members to support diversity goals, the first African American faculty members to be hired since 1986 o hired seven female faculty members including four instructors o hired seven international faculty members including three visiting professors. Maintained faculty teaching evaluations above 4.0/5.0 over a five year period, beginning Fall 2003 Implemented faculty mentoring policy for new faculty members. Required CIBER Global training for faculty teaching international courses. Supported faculty development activities in teaching improvement and specialized areas in information systems, manufacturing management, and other key initiatives. Increased travel support for international conferences from $2500 to $10000 using faculty enhancement funds. Funded 100% of travel to professional conferences. Met goal of 90% of faculty having active involvement in their discipline, as evidenced by conference activity. Developed active Research Seminar Series; 22 papers presented and 70 % of faculty participated. In the Working Paper Series, faculty submitted 103 papers. Provided additional support for new faculty. Refined definitions of academic and professional qualifications. Faculty in the School had a total of 558 intellectual contributions including refereed publications, proceedings, unpublished conference presentations and other contributions. Sixty three percent of the full time faculty produced 3 or more journal articles during the last five years, compared to 40% during the previous accreditation review; this number increases to 73% when ABD and new faculty (within two years of PhD) are removed; and, increases to 82% when ABDs, new faculty, and PQ designated faculty are removed. Eighty one percent of the faculty are academically qualified and 96.3% of the faculty are either academically or professionally qualified in Fall Developed faculty recognition program for meeting specified criteria in research, student involvement, International efforts, and School initiatives. iii

7 New goals were set for the Southern Business and Economic Journal including increasing the diversity and quality of submissions, increasing support of faculty, including submissions, reviewing, and subscriptions, broadening the focus of journal to include all disciplines, increasing involvement of editors, board, and inclusion by EBSCO. Faculty in the School provided high level support to government and businesses by assisting them in major initiatives. Goal 4: Utilize relevant technology, software, and databases in support of the mission. Developed and implemented a technology plan, which resulted in a substantial increase in technology enhanced classrooms and resources. Conducted annual assessment of faculty technology needs. Goal 5: Provide continuing learning opportunities for our stakeholders. Each year the School sponsored: o The Annual Financial Accounting and Auditing Conference o The Business Economics Forum o The Distinguished Speaker Series featuring leading industry and government luminaries. Goal 6: Ensure administrative and financial support to advance the School s mission, vision, and reputation. The School was included each year in the Princeton Review s annual list of Best Business Schools in the United States. The School s reputation was validated through marketing surveys and employer opinions. The Dean and Associate Dean and other administrators regularly attended AACSB conferences and seminars. The market value of School s endowment funds increased each year. The School maintained a high level of faculty support meeting 100% of faculty needs in technology and travel. Administrators were successful in attracting a substantial amount of donations to support faculty initiatives, technology requirements, and student scholarships. The School enhanced its strategic management and annual planning processes. AREAS OF FOCUS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Refining assurance of learning processes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Providing effective career support services to business students. Cultivating donors, with a focus on endowments, to support scholarships, professorships, and program initiatives. Continuing support for faculty to ensure maintenance of academic qualifications. EFFECTIVE PRACTICES The School of Business has effective practices in the following areas: Student engagement: The School has implemented practices that ensure a high level of faculty student interaction inside and outside the classroom. The School s commitment to maintaining an average class iv

8 size of 25 students, as shown in the strategic plan, facilitates high quality interaction. Focus groups with the Student Ambassadors, as well as survey feedback, substantiate the faculty s involvement in the learning process. Further, faculty are actively engaged in student learning external to the classroom, including field trips, applied projects, joint research, and seminars and conferences. Partnering with business and government: The School has partnered with business and government organizations to identify skills and knowledge needed to be successful in emerging areas of critical demand. Our partners have helped ensure success of these efforts with internships, scholarships, and technology support. The responsiveness of the faculty in course/curricula development, as well as their willingness to engage in relevant training, has contributed to positive results. The continued dedication of the faculty to the mission and goals of the School of Business as well as high quality and continuous improvement, as recognized by the AACSB visiting team in 2004, has moved the School forward in its major initiatives. Alignment of School of Business and University strategic priorities: Because of the common focus on key action areas such as assessment of student learning, internationalization of programs, partnerships with business and government, enhancement of faculty management processes, and strengthening of student support services, the School receives considerable support for its initiatives. This support has given the School the ability to respond rapidly to available opportunities and has contributed to an emerging reputation of the University as the go to institution of higher education in Montgomery. While the 2004 AACSB team was impressed by the total commitment of the institution to achieve positive outcomes for the School of Business, this commitment is even stronger today. Support for faculty intellectual development and renewal: The School places a high priority on support for faculty intellectual development and renewal, with release time, travel support, graduate student assistance, a working paper series, a research seminar series (adopted in ), and hardware and software support. As a result of increased funding for its faculty enhancement activities, the School has been able to fund close to 100% of travel requests for professional purposes, travel for international research activities, and additional graduate student assistance. Individual requests for support of research projects are generally granted. Faculty planning and evaluation: The School has an integrative management system, with annual goals and plans for faculty cascading from the School s strategic goals and action plans, to ensure accomplishment of the various components of the mission. Faculty members are evaluated on their contributions, and merit pay has been consistently tied to the result. The School has provided leadership in the development of a consistent faculty evaluation process for all of the Schools on campus. Student advising: The School of Business Advising Office provides individualized attention and performance monitoring of students and leads the campus in its efforts to support student success; this office was commended by the 2004 AACSB team for its impressive system of student advising and student record maintenance and is benchmarked by other units on campus. v

9 SECTION I: SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS Relevant Background Auburn University at Montgomery, located in the capital city of Alabama, was established as a metropolitan campus of Auburn University by Act 403 of the Alabama Legislature in Originally, in 1936, the campus resided in a downtown extension center offering University of Alabama classes. In the mid 1960 s, Montgomery business leaders decided to expand the center into a four year, degreegranting institution becoming part of Auburn University. Auburn University at Montgomery opened its doors to students in 1969 and awarded its first undergraduate and master s degrees in Also in 1971, the University relocated to its current 500 acre campus on the McLemore Plantation tract located approximately seven miles east of downtown Montgomery, between Interstate 85 and Highway 80. With easy access to the interstate, AUM is accessible from any point in or near the Montgomery area. As a publicly supported institution, Auburn University at Montgomery is accountable to the governor of the state of Alabama, the Alabama legislature, and the Alabama State Department of Education. The governing board for Auburn University at Montgomery is the Auburn University Board of Trustees. The Governor appoints members of the Board. The Chancellor is the chief administrative office of Auburn University at Montgomery. The power of the chancellor is exercised under the supervision of the President of the Auburn University system. Neither the President of Auburn University nor the Chancellor of Auburn University at Montgomery may serve as the presiding officer of the Board of Trustees. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) has the statutory responsibility for the overall statewide planning and coordination of higher education, the administration of various student aid programs, and the performance of designated regulatory functions. Responsibilities include the approval of new academic programs at public two year and four year institutions, the annual funding recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on behalf of the public higher education institutions, and the approval of off campus offerings of public two year and four year institutions. The Commission is also responsible for monitoring program viability standards, developing and maintaining student and faculty electronic unit record databases, and collecting and reporting information on institutional facilities. Auburn University at Montgomery is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the bachelor s, master s, and specialist s degrees, as well as Level V limited doctoral programs. AUM s original accreditation was in 1978, with reaffirmation in 1988, 1998, and The School of Business was one of the original four academic divisions of Auburn University at Montgomery. In 1976, the academic divisions became four academic schools: the schools of Liberal 1

10 Arts, Sciences, Education, and Business. The School of Nursing was added in A new, approximately 29,000 square foot building housing the School of Business was completed in 1977 and was later increased to 57,000 square feet. The School offers two degree programs, the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) and the Master of Business Administration (MBA). The School achieved initial AACSB accreditation of its undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration in This accreditation was reaffirmed in 1994 and Environmental Scan Several factors have had a significant impact on the environment of the University and School. In , Dr. Ed Richardson, Interim President of Auburn University, identified an improved relationship between the Auburn and AUM campuses as one of his key initiatives. While such an initiative has strategic planning implications, it also raised the issue of AUM s role in the larger system. Whereas in the past, AUM was disassociated from the direction of the Auburn campus, the Montgomery campus was now included in initiatives set forth by the President and Board. The areas of common interest were: (1) a diversity focus, resulting in a diversity plan for both campuses; (2) a system to assess attainment of critical skills, focusing on identifying appropriate tools to assess skills such as critical thinking and written communication; (3) a post tenure review process, responding to the need for greater accountability; and, (4) an alternative fuels initiative, leading the effort in new sources of fuel and sustainability. Further, both campuses were charged with identifying areas where partnerships or joint efforts among the campuses might result in implementing a key initiative, developing new programs, or delivering better services. For example, both campuses planned and organized an alternative fuels conference (co sponsored with other state institutions and organizations), with Auburn assuming the major role in the bio fuels sources and processes, and Auburn University at Montgomery taking leadership in public policy, business, and economic issues. School of Business faculty members were very involved in this effort. Several of the system wide initiatives have created a fundamental shift in the environment at Auburn University at Montgomery. For example, the initiative on diversity has resulted in a campus wide change in culture. In addition to the creation of a Strategic Diversity Plan, a Diversity Council, a staffed Diversity office, and diversity liaisons in each of the academic schools, diversity efforts are at the forefront of on going initiatives in faculty, staff, and student recruitment, campus wide training, and educational partnerships. In reiterating AUM s role as the metropolitan campus of Auburn University, a greater focus was placed on the university s primary stakeholders, particularly state government. In its mission statement, revised in 2006, AUM confirmed its commitment to academic excellence, while recognizing its unique role in supporting the functions of government, regional economic growth, and cultural enrichment. This has been a main focus of the Chancellor of AUM, Dr. John Veres, since his appointment in The positioning of the University as a preferred partner for government, industry, and other organizations, as stated in the University s vision statement, also created in 2006, has lined up with the School s already existing vision to become a business school of choice for educational partnerships 2

11 with business and government. As a result, the School has benefitted from opportunities created by a synergistic relationship with the University, as well as outreach units such as the Center for Government. The integration of AUM into the Auburn system has also been embraced by the new President of Auburn University, Dr. Jay Gogue, who assumed his responsibilities in Fall Shifting from an insular, narrow environment to one with an array of partnership possibilities has opened up many new opportunities for the University and School. Settlement of a long standing law suit also has allowed AUM to become more responsive to its stakeholders. A settlement agreement was reached in conclusion to litigation, Knight v. Alabama, concerning discrimination in higher education in Alabama, ending a 15 year restriction on some programs and initiation of new ones. Prior to that time, students in the finance specializations at both AUM and Alabama State University, a historically black institution in Montgomery, were required to take two specified courses at the other institution as part of a University exchange agreement. This requirement, as well as restrictions on program development, was discontinued with the settlement. Enrollment Trends and Challenges Over the last five years, enrollment at the University level has been relatively stable, raising concern by the current administration (Table 1). While the exact target figure for enrollment is awaiting the finalization of a comprehensive enrollment management plan, the university is placing considerable emphasis on the recruitment and retention of more highly qualified students. Simultaneous to this effort, the University has followed a plan to systematically raise the ACT entrance requirement (raised to 18 for full admission in 2004, with a proposal to move to 19 in 2009). The ACT scores for the University and School of Business are shown in Table 2. With such an initiative, the University is increasingly challenged to gain a larger share of high quality students in a highly competitive market. One potential emphasis area is transfer students, who generally have a higher probability of success once they have performed at acceptable levels in the four year university or junior college setting. The School of Business has included this group as a focal point in its recruiting plan. The University and School are also actively seeking educational partnerships with business and government, as well as international universities, to ensure a cohort of highly qualified students. Finally, the University, beneficiary of a 12+ million dollar endowment, plans to commit substantial additional scholarship support to attract and retain highly qualified students. Table 1 also shows that the School of Business is the largest school on campus, with head count of 1475 relative to the university population and credit hour production of 10,423 in Fall Since Fall 2003, enrollment has been relatively stable as well. As the University pursues its plan to systematically raise ACT entrance requirements, the School will also examine the possibility of a higher level grade point average for admission to the School of Business. Since the results of a year to year retention study indicated that academic performance is the primary retention issue for business students, such a change would likely have a positive impact on retention and graduation rates within the School. However, the School will be equally challenged in its efforts to attract and retain students, while increasing the quality of the student body. 3

12 The GPA and GMAT scores of entering MBA students are shown in Table 3. In spring 2006, the MBA coordinator and the Graduate Policy committee conducted an analysis to determine the implications of systematically raising GMAT entrance scores. From student performance studies, they determined that a higher requirement would only serve to deny entry to higher performing students. Thus, the School continues to use a compensatory formula, driven by GPA and GMAT scores. Student and Faculty Diversity Over the past five years and continuing into the academic year, the School of Business student body has maintained Black, non Hispanic enrollment at approximately 30% of the School of Business undergraduate business enrollment and percent of the graduate business enrollment. The breadth of diversity is greater than the three categories presented in Table 4, since students from 32 countries are represented in the student body. The category of other includes both international students and other minority categories of domestic students. In Fall 2008 there was an increase in this category for undergraduates, possibly reflecting entering students from Chinese partnership agreements. Over the past five years, the School of Business Faculty Recruitment Plan for Diversity was implemented. Two African American faculty members were hired within the time period, the first to be hired since Over the same time period, the number of international faculty members increased from 3 to 8. Strategic Assessment The following represents an analysis of the relative internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats to the School of Business. Strengths/Advantages Reputation of quality shared by the business community, area high schools, students, and the general public as evidenced by market research, employer surveys, and benchmarking surveys, the School enjoys a positive reputation for high quality faculty, programs and graduates. Career opportunities AUM s stronger programs such a Business, Education and Nursing lead to better career opportunities with higher success in obtaining professional qualifications compared to competing programs in the city (Messina and Graham, Strategic Planning firm, SWOT Analysis). Committed faculty, dedicated to the mission of the School of Business the AACSB team in 2004 commended the School on the dedication of the faculty to the School s mission, and this commitment continues to be strong, as evidenced by student surveys and employer responses. Further, the School s success over the last 5 years in hiring faculty who are committed to the production of high quality scholarship, as well as the teaching mission, has strengthened the research component of the mission. The faculty s leadership in the School s initiatives also attests to their desire to move the School forward. 4

13 Leadership in state initiatives multiple faculty members have been called upon by high level state leaders, including the governor, to research financial, economic, and accountability issues in state government. Synergy with University Strategic Plan because the School of Business Strategic Plan is aligned with the Strategic Plan of the University, many of the School s initiatives are supported or supplemented. Technology support while in 2004 the AACSB team commended the School and faculty for their effective use of technology in support of the learning process, these efforts have been even further enhanced since that time. The University leadership has made a greater commitment of resources to support technology in the classroom, and on campus programs and assistance have facilitated the School s efforts to devise effective practices for delivering distance education. Diversity support University support offered to minority faculty members is instrumental to recruitment and retention in a difficult market. Collegial environment the School of Business has a supportive culture, conducive to peer support and mentoring. Location the School s location in the state capital has provided many opportunities for partnerships and internships with state government. Further, its location on the I 85 interstate makes it accessible students within a 100 mile radius. Automotive influx the entrance of Hyundai and automotive suppliers to the Montgomery area has created opportunities for educational partnerships with the School of Business. Advising office also commended in 2004 as a best practice model, the advising office continues to focus on individualized attention to students and practices that maximize student retention. This office is consistently benchmarked by other units on campus. Increased scholarship support as noted earlier, the University received a sizeable bequest (in excess of 12 million dollars), allowing a greater commitment to the recruitment and retention of high quality students, including international students. The School of Business typically enjoys a large share of these students. The University s appointment of a development officer for each of the academic schools has already yielded benefits to scholarship support. Weaknesses/Disadvantages Internal funding internal competition among the Schools for faculty positions will increase as state funding continues to be an issue for at least the next two years; external funding has not yet fully come to fruition because of the relatively young age of the campus. Faculty retirements while the School has absorbed the retirements of several faculty members, it is likely that more will occur in hard to staff areas; the higher salaries required for new hires will continue to create internal equity issues. Student recruitment and retention although the School has recently hired a student services coordinator to assist with recruiting high quality business students, the School heavily depends on University wide recruiting efforts to attract students. This function, along with other student services such as admissions and financial aid, has not been consistently effective. The improvement of these services is a focus of the current administration. 5

14 Faculty diversity while the School has been successful in hiring 2 outstanding African American faculty members, more minority faculty are needed to adequately reflect the composition of the School of Business student body and, while the School has been successful in increasing the cultural diversity of the faculty, the School needs a higher percentage of international students to enhance the cultural learning experience for all students. The new global agreements for international students to pursue business studies at AUM will help this effort. Career support for students the School has to assume the major role of career services for students, despite limited resources to do so. Fortunately, the University has recently hired an experienced director for the Career Services Center, and the School hopes to gain support from this office. Threats/Challenges State funding as noted above, reductions in state funding continue to be a major challenge for the next two years. The Chancellor has communicated his desire to limit the impact on academic units, but there will likely be difficulties in funding new initiatives. Further, the University and School face the second, and potentially third year of no merit raises, a situation that most faculty have not experienced. Competition for students the University competes with four other long standing universities in the city, with new entrants emerging. A SWOT analysis conducted by Messina and Graham indicated that AUM has the reputation for more difficult, higher quality programs such as business, but the current economy may turn students to lower priced options. Further, the analysis showed that private universities offer generous commuter scholarships, which may siphon off some of the most academically prepared students from AUM (and the School of Business). Finally, the perception of Troy Montgomery as the primary night school in Montgomery continues to threaten enrollment in School of Business, which has full, but less advertised, night programs. Opportunities International partnerships the University s new sister agreements with Chinese universities primarily involve business students and will contribute greatly to the diversity and international initiatives of the School, including the increase of the cultural diversity of the student body. Moreover, high level officials from the Yannan University of Economics and Finance, a top tier university in China, have expressed a desire to develop additional research and program partnerships with the School of Business, including a possible AACSB partnership. Dr. Jeong Kim, Visiting Professor in Accounting and Finance from the University of Ulsan, the University s sister in Korea, expressed the desire to strengthen the School s relationship with their business school and pursue mutually beneficial relationships with Hyundai, their corporate partner. This will also facilitate the School s relationship with Hyundai in Montgomery. Also, an agreement signed in 2008 with School of Business at The Tec de Monterrey in Cuernavaca, Mexico will create learning opportunities for students and faculty from both schools. State government partnerships the School and University are moving toward a vision of becoming the partner of choice for business programs to support state government. The School 6

15 has already gained a cohort of high quality students for courses in Government Financial Management, designed to fill the projected gap in chief financial officers in state government. The School also is pursing the opportunity to offer an option and certificate program in state tax to meet long term, projected needs of the Alabama Department of Revenue, as well as other departments in Alabama and the nation. Research opportunities due to involvement in state initiatives, School of Business faculty have increasing opportunities to engage in activities that enhance their own research agendas. For example, the Alabama Technology Institute will engage the Departments of Information Systems and Decision Sciences and Management in research in the area of knowledge management, a rapidly emerging topic in both disciplines. Information technology partnerships the business community continues to engage in partnerships with the School to produce graduates to meet statewide and national IT needs and contribute to economic development. As with the Storage Area Network Center of Excellence, detailed in the executive summary and annual maintenance reports, our business partners are committed to providing resources, scholarship support, and internships for new initiatives, such as a new information security degree program and certificate program. Relationship with Auburn University the Auburn University and AUM business schools have an opportunity to work with Montgomery and surrounding area businesses and professional organizations to develop options relevant to manufacturing and automotive management. Hospitality and Tourism this option, developed in concert with the hotel arm of the Retirement Systems of Alabama and approved by the Alabama Commission of Higher Education in September, 2008, has high growth potential and excellent internship possibilities for students. Role in economic development the School has an opportunity to lead state efforts in economic development, as evidenced by The Forum economic summit, the Center for Economic Education, and faculty involvement in statewide economic issues. Accounting program the School has the opportunity to be one of four universities in the state to have an accounting program separately accredited by AACSB. As accreditation of the accounting program has been pursued and success at the various stages achieved, the quality of programs, faculty, assurance of learning processes, and relationships with accounting firms has been strengthened. The positive results of the most recently available CPA passage rates relative to instate competitors, as well as the high pass rates on the CGFM (Certified Government Financial Manager) exam relative to national rates, underscore these accomplishments and provide an opportunity to further distinguish the quality of the program. As noted, the School of Business offers two degree programs: the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) and the Master of Business Administration (MBA). Students in the BSBA program may select from specializations in accounting, business economics (also with an option in International Business); finance, general business (two options), information systems (also with options in system development, data administration and communications, information management, and data storage management), human resource management, management, and marketing (also with an option in hospitality and tourism). Each specialization is defined by the required 24 semester hours of coursework in the specialization. MBA students may take general electives or select an option in economics, 7

16 government financial management, management, human resource management, global business management, finance, information systems, marketing, or contract management. Each option is defined as 9 12 semester hours of coursework in the option area. MBA students may also take the accounting courses to satisfy the Alabama requirements to take the CPA exam. Students with at least five years of managerial experience may pursue the Executive MBA option. Enrollment and completion trends for the BSBA and MBA programs are shown in Tables 5 and 6. Enrollments declined somewhat for the BSBA and the MBA in the years corresponding to the University s decline. As shown in Table 6, completions for the BSBA have been very stable, with the exception of a decline in Completions for the MBA fell in , primarily due to lower enrollments from Fall 2006 to Fall

17 Table 1. Five Year Enrollment Trend at the Auburn University at Montgomery and School of Business Year AUM (students) Business (students) Business Enrollment (% of AUM) Total Business Credit Hour Production Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Table 2. Five year Trend for Entering Freshman ACT (AUM, Business students) Year AUM average ACT Business average ACT Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Table 3. Five year trend in average GPA and GMAT Scores for MBA Year GPA GMAT Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Table 4. School of Business Student Diversity (% of Business Enrollment at Undergraduate and Graduate Level) Fall 2003 Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Undergraduate White, non Hispanic Black, non Hispanic Other Graduate White, non Hispanic Black, non Hispanic Other

18 Table 5. School of Business Enrollments by Undergraduate and Graduate Programs Year BSBA MBA Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Table 6. Five year Trend in Graduation for Business Year Undergraduate Completions Graduate Completions

19 SECTION II: MISSION STATEMENT The mission, vision, and strategic priorities of Auburn University at Montgomery and the School of Business are presented below. Relevant sections are excerpted from the original documents. University Mission Auburn University at Montgomery s mission, as the metropolitan campus of Auburn University, a land grant institution, is to foster and exemplify excellence in education through instruction, research, and service. Auburn University at Montgomery blends the traditional view of the university as a community of scholars with the contemporary view of the university as an integral part of the surrounding community, state, and region. AUM provides academic programs characteristic of the finest traditions of scholarship and consistent with the responsibility of the university to provide support for the functions of government, regional economic growth, and cultural enrichment through the arts. As a center of learning dedicated to the examination of ideas and values influencing civilizations, AUM is committed to: Vision 1. Providing students with an understanding of the issues, ideas, and values that have a significant impact on the development of society; 2. Developing in its students the methodological approaches essential to understanding contemporary society and its problems, and to fostering critical thinking; 3. Providing students with a broadly based education, as well as preparing them for the learned professions; 4. Conducting research that contributes to the advancement of knowledge; 5. Extending its knowledge, skills, and resources to the community, state, and region; 6. Providing opportunities for lifelong learning. Auburn University at Montgomery will be an institution of choice for discerning students seeking an excellent education and a preferred partner for government, industry, and other organizations. Values Excellence, accountability, accessibility, diversity and inclusiveness, creativity, responsibility, honesty, fairness Strategic Priorities 1. Enhance academic programs. 2. Increase student success and retention. 3. Enhance AUM s engagement with AU. 4. Increase AUM s partnership with business, government, and the community external to AUM. 5. Attract, recruit, and retain a diverse faculty and staff of highly qualified individuals. 11

20 6. Identify and obtain the financial resources needed to support the University s mission. 7. Maintain a physical facilities infrastructure, including buildings and information technology that enhance academic programs, business operations, and student life. School of Business Mission Statement The mission of the School of Business is to provide a comprehensive, rigorous undergraduate and graduate business education supported by research and service. We: Offer student centered programs that are accessible to a diverse student body drawn primarily from central Alabama; Prepare students for lifetime learning and success in their careers by facilitating the acquisition of business knowledge, increasing global and ethical awareness, and developing critical thinking, decision making, team, communication, and analytical skills; Engage in the development and transfer of information, knowledge and viewpoints via research, professional development and other activities; and, Serve the greater Montgomery area through activities that enhance the effectiveness of business, government, nonprofit, and professional organizations. Vision The School of Business at Auburn University at Montgomery envisions becoming a best practices model for global business education and a business school of choice for educational partnerships with business, government, non profit, and professional organizations. Strategic Goals and Objectives 1. Serve a diverse student body with student centered and accessible programs and services. (2) 1A. Serve a diverse student body. 1B. Achieve a student body size consistent with resource base to ensure a student centered focus. 1C. Increase accessibility without sacrificing the mission. 1D. Develop effective practices to advise, supplement, and support students learning experience. 2. Provide a curriculum in business that is current in its content, increases global awareness, and develops relevant skills. (1, 3, 4) 2A. Develop effective curriculum review and assurance of learning processes. 2B. Develop educational alliances with business, government, global partners, and other universities. 3. Attract, maintain, and retain a diverse, highly qualified faculty. (5) 3A. Recruit and retain a faculty whose career goals are consistent with the mission of the School. 3B. Enhance academic and professional competency of the faculty. 12

21 3C. Disseminate research findings and professional expertise to the academic community, as well as business and government. 3D. Support and reward faculty involvement and leadership in professional and business related organizations. 4. Utilize relevant technology, software, and databases in support of the mission. (7) 5. Provide continuing learning opportunities for our stakeholders. (4) 6. Ensure administrative and financial support to advance the School s mission, vision, and reputation. (6,7) 6A. Develop and execute a strategic planning process that is aligned with the University s strategic plan and ensures continuous improvement in all mission critical areas. 6B. Enhance and allocate resources consistent with strategic goals. Mission Driven Focus () indicates connection to Auburn University at Montgomery strategic goals The School s mission reflects the three primary responsibilities stated in the University s mission: teaching, research and service. Additionally, the School s mission highlights the prominent role of teaching, with research and service activities to complement and enhance the learning process. To support the teaching mission of the School, research and service activities are geared toward application and enhancement of the effectiveness of business, government, non profit, and professional organizations. As indicated in the mission, faculty members are responsible for engaging in professional development and renewal activities to cultivate their own knowledge and skills, allowing them to make intellectual contributions to effective business practices, learning and pedagogical research, and conceptual and theoretical research in their disciplines. The primary focus on applied research ensures that faculty members enhance students knowledge and skills in conducting business effectively, and the secondary focus on learning and pedagogical research encourages faculty to continuously improve on the methods of transmitting that knowledge. While contributions of conceptual and theoretical research in the discipline are valued, they do not hold the same prominence in the School s mission. The mission also recognizes Central Alabama as the primary service area for students, while acknowledging the diversity in traditional and nontraditional students and demographics reflected in the student base. Along with an emphasis on excellence, the missions at both the University and School levels indicate the need for accessible, student centered programs and supporting activities to serve the diverse student population. This focus is reiterated as a strategic goal at the School level. Further, the School s mission identifies the knowledge and skills necessary for the success of our students, and these areas form the foundation for our student learning goals. For example, preparation for the global environment is essential to expanding the narrow experience base of our undergraduate students, and understanding the global context of business is one of the School s stated learning goals for the BSBA program. 13

22 Strategic Goals and Objectives The strategic goals of the school are designed to accomplish the mission components, while systematically moving toward the vision. The vision is based on the premise that enhancement of business knowledge and skills in today s environment hinges on the degree to which students are prepared for the global economy, as well as knowledgeable of new initiatives in business and/or government. In the global area, the School believes that it is not enough to offer traditional faculty and student exchanges, but that it is also important to create a global learning community. This initiative requires an interplay of multiple factors: a strong international student base; an effective integration of student cultures into the classroom; faculty readiness, including training in global topics, as well as diversity management; exposure to international faculty and leaders; and continued dialogue and reinforcement outside the classroom. Further, the vision reflects the philosophy that enhancement of academic programs depends on a close link to constantly evolving business and government initiatives. Since a vision, by definition, reflects where an organization would like to be in an extended period of time, the School is clearly not at its desired end state. However, the School has made definitive steps toward the vision in the last five years. In the global area, the School has developed the foundation for the global learning community that it envisions, including new cultural partnerships, engagement of international faculty, training of faculty, and creation of a climate conducive to student engagement. Additionally, the School is increasingly becoming a partner of choice for educational alliances with business and government. As we move toward our vision, students are immersed in experiences that allow them to gain a deeper understanding of the complex and constantly changing global and business environments that they will enter. The School will continue to pursue a strategic plan that will systematically move us in this direction, and many supporting initiatives in the AUM and Auburn strategic plans will continue to facilitate this movement. 14