COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Transcription

1 I. Assessment Philosophy and program goals COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION LEARNING ASSURANCE PROGRAM The purpose of any Learning Assurance program is to improve the quality of learning attained by students. The ultimate goal of the CBA business program is to educate students and prepare them for successful careers in business. By utilizing a variety of assessment tools regularly applied, the CBA can determine how successfully it is accomplishing the goals set forth in its mission statement. By building on its strengths and improving on weaknesses, the CBA can continue to raise the quality of education received by its students, consistent not only with CBA goals but those of the university as well. II. Student outcomes and competencies Students who earn a BA in any of the business disciplines represented in the CBA should have a solid grasp of business fundamentals and management-specific knowledge skills acquired primarily through courses in the business core. In addition, our graduates should have strong written and oral communication skills. To satisfy these goals, the CBA has established the following outcomes and competencies for its students. OUTCOME 1: Competency 1.1 Competency 1.2 Competency 1.3 Competency 1.4 OUTCOME 2: Competence 2.1 Competency 2.2 Competency 2.3 Competency 2.4 Graduates should have a good understanding of Essential Business Knowledge. Master disciplinary content knowledge Use quantitative skills to aid in business decision making Apply information management skills to aid in business decision making Understand business integration, in a cross-functional, global, contextual perspective. Graduates should have contemporary professional skills. Have capable written communication skills Have capable oral communication skills Have effective interpersonal skills Be able to learn apply analytical thinking skills

2 OUTCOME 3: Competency 3.1 Competency 3.2 Graduates should maintain and improve on traditional work values Understand ethical behavior Display other work values III. Frequency of Assessment. Using a variety of assessment methods and techniques, students are assessed every semester. Some competencies are examined during every assessment period while others are looked at periodically. Frequency will be discussed as each assessment is described. IV. Assessment methods A. End-of-program exam An end-of-program exam has been devised by faculty from all departments in the CBA. This exam addresses knowledge we would like all CBA graduates to have been taught in core courses. Thus, the questions are more general or high-level than those found in final exams for core courses. Questions also cover cross-curricular content and skills for instance, critical thinking, ethics, and international business insofar as these can be assessed with machine-scorable items. Specifically, the exam evaluates how well students have mastered disciplinary content knowledge, can use quantitative skills in decision making, and understand business integration. In addition, interpersonal and thinking skills as well as an understanding of ethics are also evaluated on the exam. The exam is administered in the Business Policy and Strategy course each semester. This course is taken by all CBA business majors in their senior year and is generally analogous to a business capstone class. Most of this exam remains constant from year to year, but wording changes in some questions, as well as occasional additions/deletions to reflect changes in curricular content are made. Such changes notwithstanding, student exam scores are quite comparable from year-to-year, allowing us to determine how our undergraduate program is performing. B. Selected Professional Skills Initiative Components The Professional Skills Initiative (PSI) has been developed by CBA faculty and administrators, with input from the College s Executive Advisory Board, alumni, and members of the business community. Like other business schools, the CBA has long recognized the importance of thinking, communication, interpersonal, and other soft skills for our students long-term career success.

3 A small number of skill development modules, typically between two and four, are offered every semester. These are minicourses delivered during evening and weekend sessions by interested faculty, adjuncts, alumni, and outside professionals. As befits their skill development content, modules are taught through a highly interactive, experiential approach. Not all students participate in the PSI program but those involved are considered a representative sample of all CBA students. Assessment mechanisms are embedded in many PSI skill modules and in other parts of the program as well. Oral and written communication skills and thinking skills are frequently assessed in the modules evaluated. C. Samples of writing A sample of papers written by students in selected marketing classes is examined every semester. In addition, required papers written for co-op experiences are also evaluated. The papers are evaluated against a rubric developed to determine writing competency. D. Co-op evaluations Every CBA department offers a co-op experience for students. At the end of the experience, employers fill out a form evaluating students in three broad areas: Attitudes and Behaviors; Basic Skills; and Quality of Effort and Overall Performance. There is also an open-ended section to be filled out by the employer/organization. These evaluations are examined on an ongoing basis by department heads. While only a sample of the pool of CBA students, it appears to be representative as the number of students seeking co-op experiences increases. E. Surveys of graduating students and alumni Periodically, an opinion survey is administered to graduating students. The survey is created and done as part of the AACSB/EBI Student Satisfaction Project. Students complete a comprehensive questionnaire that includes a variety of demographic information as well as 120 questions in a 1-7 scale format addressing various aspects that may be associated with student satisfaction in undergraduate programs. Participating institutions receive extensive information about their students' satisfaction and comparative information about six peer/competitor programs of their choice. Information provided to participating institutions for the six peer/competitor programs is reported for each school, without specifying individual school identities. Further, various departments periodically survey recent and intermediate term alumni for impressions of the program as well as specific components of the CBA majors. Suggestions for improvement are solicited and evaluated for incorporation into proposed program improvements.

4 F. Samples of case study analysis and presentations Students are regularly assigned case studies and asked to provide analyses. They then make presentations on their work and are evaluated against a rubric developed looking at three components: Content, Structure, and Delivery. The Content Evaluation looks for clarity, foundation, validity of analysis, and logic of conclusions. The Structure Evaluation looks for consistency, coherence and overall structure of the presentation. The Delivery Evaluation looks for fluency, self-confidence, attire, technology use and facilitation of a question and answer session. In addition, a selection of final cases studies from the capstone business policy and strategy course are assessed for an understanding of how business functions must be integrated for effective strategic decision making. G. Course Embedded Evaluations As part of the requirements for a small number of core courses, students are required to demonstrate mastery and control of certain skills. Not coincidentally, these skills are also specific Learning Goals and consequently course performance is used to evaluate competency. H. Post-test in Business Policy and Strategy Every year, students completing the Business and Policy Strategy class are evaluated on written communication skills, oral communication skills and interpersonal skills. Using a wide variety of instruments, a summary of achievement in each area is developed. V. Method of evaluating and interpreting results and implementing recommendations. Every semester, the CBA Learning Assurances Committee meets with the deans and department heads to discuss the reported results form all of the assessment methods. This group makes recommendations for improvements in three areas: Assessment Tools, Learning Assurance/Outcomes Assessment (LA/OA) Program and Curriculum. Recommendations for change in the assessment tools are made to the appropriate parties who then report to the LA/OA committee. The committee then sees that the changes are implemented in the appropriate assessment tool.

5 Recommendations for changes in the LA/OA program are sent to the appropriate department head. The head sees that department faculty make the changes. The implementation of these changes is then reported to the LA/OA committee. Curriculum change recommendations are sent to departments. The department head and faculty determine how to respond to the recommendations. If the determined response requires formal review, the department submits the changes to the curricular review process. Once final curricular review is completed and recommendations approved, the curriculum is changed and the LA/OA committee notified. If the response does not need to be approved through the established curricular process, the changes are implemented and reported to the LA/OA committee. The LA/OA committee, heads, and deans are responsible for monitoring all phases of the program. Regular meetings and communication ensure compliance and consistency of the program The following flow chart provides a graphic view of the LA/OA process.

6 Establish and Monitor Learning Assurance Program: Mission, Ambitions, Goals, Curriculum, and other outcomes assessment data LA Committee defines goals, where goals should be achieved, how goals are assessed, and measurement tools for assessment LEARNING ASSURANCE PROGRAM ASSESSMENT TOOL IMPROVEMENTS LA PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS Assess Per the Learning Assurance Program Plan: Timing and responsibilities outlined in plan RESULTS Refine Assessment Tools: Appropriate parties refine assessments tools Approve or Reject Curriculum Changes: Faculty Council reviews all curriculum change requests for approval or denial: Denials are returned to departments: Approvals are forwarded Review Session: Review results and make appropriate recommendations (twice annually LA Review Committee*) ASSESSMENT TOOL Refine Learning Assurance Program: YES NO LA PROGRAM Appropriate LAC members, faculty, and heads make adjustments to program Refine Curriculum: Department Heads and faculty determine how to respond to curriculum recommendations REFINED Implement Curriculum Improvements Department faculty implement new curriculum: Catalogue changes made as needed CHANGES Requires FC approval?

7 CBA LEARNING ASSURANCE SUMMARY UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM EVALUATION MISSION LEARNING GOALS EOP Exam PSI Samples of Writing Coop Eval Alum & Grad Survey Case Study Analysis & Presentation Course Embedded Assessmen t Post test BPS Essential Business Knowledge 1. Master Disciplinary Content Knowledge X X 2. Use Quantitative Skills X 3. Apply Information Skills X X Contemporary Professional Skills 4. Understand Business Integration: Cross-functional, global, contextual perspective 5. Develop Written Communication Skills 6. Develop Oral Communication X X X X X X X X X X 7. Develop Interpersonal Skills X X X 8. Learn to Use Thinking Skills X X Traditional Work Values 9. Understand Ethical Behavior X X X 10. Display Other Work Values X X