B Agribusiness and Business Administration, Wageningen Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

Transcription

1 Vlindersingel 220 NL 3544 VM Utrecht B Agribusiness and Business Administration, Wageningen Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences Report of the limited programme assessment 16 and 26 May 2011 Utrecht, The Netherlands August Assessment Agency for higher Education

2 This document is best printed in duplex. 2 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

3 Table of contents Table of contents...3 Summary...4 Colophon...6 Introduction Intended learning outcomes Teaching-learning environment Assessment and achieved learning outcomes...19 Attachments...23 Attachment 1 Assessment committee...24 Attachment 2 Program of the assessment...27 Attachment 3 Quantitative data...29 Attachment 4 Final qualifications...30 Attachment 5 Overview of the programme...31 Attachment 6 Documents...33 Attachment 7 Declarations of independence...34 B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

4 Summary On 16 and 26 May 2011 an assessment committee of AeQui has performed an assessment of the programme B Agribusiness and Business Administration, of Van Hall Larenstein Wageningen. The overall judgement of the committee regarding the quality of the programme is satisfactory. The programme Agribusiness and Business Administration (BA) of VHL, location Wageningen, has two majors: the major International Agribusiness and Trade (IAT), and the major International Horticulture and Marketing (IHM). IAT focuses on trade in all kinds of perishable food and ornamental products and everything related. IHM focuses on the international horticultural sector and from that standpoint looks at the value chain and marketing. The intended learning outcomes The assessment committee qualifies the intended learning outcomes as satisfactory. The intended learning outcomes represent the right level, matching the Dublin Descriptors. In various ways the programme derives developments from the professional field to keep the intended learning outcomes up to date. One of these ways is by meeting a Professional Advisory Committee. This committee is involved in the programme and offers valuable input. The teaching-learning environment The assessment committee qualifies the teachinglearning environment as satisfactory. In the programme, the intended learning outcomes are matched with the up-to-date job based requirements of the professional discipline. This is done by defining the intended learning outcomes in terms of competences that are derived from the job based requirements. Students learn through project assignments that are derived from professional practice. Teaching is oriented towards the profession and towards actual practice. Students should also learn, at least partly, in an international context. The programme offers a number of opportunities to the students to shape the programme according to their own wishes and interests. It became undoubtedly clear to the assessment committee that students appreciate the amount of freedom they are offered to develop a specialization of their own interest by choosing their minors, the placement and the thesis project. The 2+2 programme is an interesting addition where students from abroad (mostly from China) can apply for. An observation on the knowledge content of the curriculum was made by some alumni, notably on law in the IAT major. Assessment and achieved learning outcomes The assessment committee qualifies the assessment and achieved learning outcomes as satisfactory. As the competences are leading for the assessments, it is assured that the actual competences are assessed. Therefore, the assessments are valid in the sense that they measure the criteria explicitly stated in the competence descriptions. The thesis project is an individual assignment, in which the student has to prove he is a competent professional. The first task in which the student has to show this is the execution of an assignment from an external company or organisation, by tackling a problem or answering a question, which will result in a thesis report. The second important task is the final consultation. During this consultation the student communicates the actions and implications of his research to the people directly involved. The third component of the thesis is writing an article in which students reflect on the role they had during the thesis project. All three components are assessed by independent people (next to the supervisors); there are six assessors in total. Criteria that need to be met are formalised and related to the competences that need to be met. The assessors get clear criteria to work with and they apply the criteria to the work independent from each other. Criteria are derived from the Dublin Descriptors. The general impression the assessment committee got from reading the thesis reports is that the bachelor level is reached. The achieved learning outcomes are sufficient. 4 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

5 Recommendations Although all standards are evaluated as sufficient, the committee has several recommendations for necessary improvement of the programme. Interviews and evaluation of thesis reports have indicated that the bachelor-level is reached. After reading several of these reports the assessment committee got however the impression that there is a gap between the research proposal and the thesis as final product of the project. Between the moment of approval of the proposal and presenting the report the process is too flexible. In the view of the committee the process of graduation offers room for improvement. For the assessment committee it is unclear why criteria for rewarding the thesis with a score of five or six are identical. The assessment committee recommends to formulate distinctive objective criteria when theses should be rewarded with a five or a six. The committee also concludes that more explicit attention needs to be paid to applied research methodology. In addition it is also recommended to set specific standards for the project plans, as they are lacking in the current programme. Another issue for improvement concerns the preparation of the Chinese students before they come to the Netherlands. They experience a culture shock when they arrive at VHL and it takes them a long time to overcome it. If these students from abroad were better prepared in advance, they would know better what to expect when arriving at Wageningen. The Professional Advisory Committee contributes to the actuality of the programme. Yet, this committee could be more internationally oriented, and especially a contribution from people from the southern hemisphere could be an added value. As a last remark, the assessment committee notes that the major IHM and in particular the IHM 2+2 course is very production-oriented. The amount of marketing could be reconsidered, or changing the name, as currently the expectations from students might not be fully met. After the presentation of the final results and submission of the concept of this assessment report, the management of the programme has defined steps for improving the process of graduation. The assessment committee values the presented steps that will be implemented from September December All three standards of the NVAO assessment framework are assessed positively and hence the review committee awards a positive recommendation for the accreditation of the programme. On behalf of the entire review committee, Utrecht, August 2011 Ir. R. S. Kloosterman Chair A.J.C. van Noort MScMC Secretary B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

6 Colophon Institute and programme Institute: Internationale Agrarische Hogeschool Larenstein (Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences) Address: Droevendaalsesteeg 2, 6708 PB, Wageningen Telephone: (0317) Status institution: publicly funded Result of institutional assessment: applied for Programme: Agribusiness and Business Administration (Dutch: Bedrijfskunde en agribusiness) Level: HBO Bachelor Number of credits: 240 EC Specializations: International Horticulture and Marketing International Agribusiness and Trade Nomenclature: B Agribusiness and Business Administration Location: Wageningen Mode of study: fulltime ISAT: Data on intake, graduates and drop-outs: see attachment 3. Responsibility for the quality of the programme: G. Oosterhof, VHL Wageningen Programme Director. Assessment committee Ir. R. Kloosterman, chair Ir. W. Fokkema, domain expert Ir. W. Heemskerk, domain expert G. Buis BH, educational expert A. Jelsma, student A. van Noort MScMC, secretary The Committee was approved by the NVAO (NVAO file #5115). The assessment was conducted under responsibility of AeQui VBI Vlindersingel VM Utrecht, The Netherlands Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

7 Introduction Van Hall Larenstein (VHL) is part of Wageningen University and Research centre (Wageningen UR). Courses are provided at three locations: Leeuwarden, Velp and Wageningen. With a staff of more than 400 FTE, VHL provides education to more than 4,000 students in 14 registered Bachelor courses, 3 Master and 6 Associate Degree courses. Van Hall Larenstein offers programmes that focus on nature and the environment, health of both humans and animals and sustainable entrepreneurship. The institute This report concerns the programme Agribusiness and Business Administration at location Wageningen Apart from Wageningen, VHL also offers the programme Agribusiness and Businesss Administration in Leeuwarden. The main differences are the language of instruction and the type of employment the education aims for. In Wageningen the language of instruction is English. The intended positions after graduation are on the international labour market; people attend this study ultimately to work abroad. In Leeuwarden the programme is in Dutch and alumni will get jobs in Dutch organisations that operate in an international context. The programme The programme Agribusiness and Business Administration (BA) of VHL, location Wageningen, has two majors: the major International Agribusiness and Trade (IAT), and the major International Horticulture and Marketing (IHM). Since its last accreditation in 2005 the programme was affected by some major changes at VHL: - The merger with Wageningen UR, including the merging process of VHL and Larenstein; - The move from location Deventer to the Forum building at Wageningen; - The use of the Competence Based Learning Concept; - The change of language of instruction from Dutch to English. When it comes to positioning the BA programme in comparison to programmes that other universities offer, the BA programme of VHL Wageningen: - aims specifically at the international flowers and food sector; - Is very applied. Right from the start students have to apply theory into practice and projects for agribusiness companies have to be fulfilled, reported and presented; - Is internationally oriented. Not only the content of the programme but also the setting of the learning environment is international. Being taught in English and working together with class mates originating from all over the world is an added value of the programme; - Gives students many opportunities to reach personal learning goals in line with personal preferences. Individual placement and thesis projects enable students to work in a professional environment that meets their future job perspectives. The assessment Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (VHL) has assigned AeQui VBI to perform a quality assessment. In close co-operation with VHL, AeQui has convened an independent and competent assessment committee. A preparatory meeting with representatives of the programme has taken place. In this meeting the program for the site-visit and the interviewees were determined, see attachment 2. Two weeks prior to the site-visit, Van Hall Larenstein announced the open consultation to students and staff. Neither students nor staff has used this possibility. The assessment committee has made a choice of theses over the last two years, and has reviewed these theses. The results of this review were input for discussions during the site-visit, see chapter 3. B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

8 The committee assessed in an independent manner; at the conclusion of the assessment the results were presented to representatives of the programme. The concept of this report was sent to the representatives of the programme; their reactions have led to this final version of the report. 8 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

9 1. Intended learning outcomes The intended learning outcomes of the programme have been concreted with regard to content, level and orientation; they meet international requirements. Explanation: As for level and orientation (bachelor s or master s; professional or academic), the intended learning outcomes fit into the Dutch qualifications framework. In addition, they tie in with the international perspective of the requirements currently set by the professional field and the discipline with regard to the contents of the programme. Based on the interviews and examination of the underlying documentation, the assessment committee qualifies the intended learning outcomes as satisfactory. The intended learning outcomes represent the right level, matching the Dublin Descriptors. In various ways the programme derives developments from the professional field to keep the intended learning outcomes up to date. One of these ways is by meeting a Professional Advisory Committee. This committee is involved in the programme and offers valuable input. Yet, this committee could be more internationally oriented, and especially a contribution from people from the southern hemisphere could be an added value. Striking is that the major IHM and in particular the IHM 2+2 course is very production-oriented. The amount of marketing could be reconsidered, or changing the name, as currently the expectations from students are not fully met. Links with professional practice The process to come to the intended learning outcomes, described in terms of competences, is as follows. First, one looks at the professional working field to define potential jobs for the graduates and the requirements needed for the graduates to perform professionally. Based on the job profiles, and the job-based requirements, one defines the content of the competences that are needed by the graduates to perform in a professional way. The last step is to design the educational programmes in line with what is required for the graduates. The job profile and the job-based requirements are regularly matched with the professional industry. The students are guided towards a management function within the flowers and food sector. As IAT and IHM have a different focus, the job profiles differ for the two majors. IAT focuses on trade in all kinds of perishable food and ornamental products and everything related. The IAT job profile is not related to a specific product sector but is process oriented. IAT graduates are able to start in different international positions across the entire agribusiness value chain form junior trader, commercial and marketing manager, import and export manager, account manager, sales manager to logistics manager. Some graduates prefer to start their own business. IHM focuses on the international horticultural sector and from that standpoint looks at the value chain and marketing. IHM graduates are able to start in the first stages (breeding, propagation, production and post-harvest) of the horticultural chain as junior production manager, quality manager, marketing of sales manager, researcher, farm manager or extension worker. The ideas of the management of the programme about the professional domain and the requirements for the graduates have led to the formulation of a vision and mission for the programme. The vision of the programme is to prepare students to be able to work with a business mindset in the dynamic and complex environment of today and the future Flowers and Food sector. The mission is that the BA programme develops competent professionals who, as a team player, can fulfil both commercial and managerial functions within companies that are part of an international Flowers or Food chain. B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

10 An indication that BA graduates meet the requirements is that most of them find a suitable job quickly; many of them already have a job at the moment of graduation. Up to date The flowers and food sector shows enormous complexity and dynamics. The sector is complex because perishable food products and ornamental products are produced worldwide and are also traded all over the world. The sector is dynamic because the value chains for the individual agricultural products keep changing in response to developments of both supply and demand, as well as in response to developments in the logistics of the chain. The programme stays in close contact with the international professional domain to ensure that the intended learning outcomes of the programme match what is required of the graduates. The programme keeps in close contact with (developments in) the professional discipline through the following formal and informal ways: - Professional Advisory Committee (PAC). For each of the two majors a separate PAC is active. The aims of the PAC are to reflect on current issues in the professional domain and to steer and orientate the programmes, including the intended learning outcomes, in line with industry expectations of the graduates. Some of the PAC members also participate in the programme as external thesis examiners or guest lecturers. The assessment committee feels the international experience in the PAC can be expanded; - Thesis and placement supervision. In the process of coaching the students at their placements the teaching staff keeps contact with the working field. That is how teaching staff learns about recent developments in the professional domain and the requirements for the students and graduates ; - Excursions. The regularly organised excursions are accompanied by lecturers of the programme. This is how they keep up with current trends and topics in the industry; - Projects, committees, missions, trade fairs, symposia; - Other networks and contacts. For example lecturers who also work as independent consultants, involving guest lecturers, regular contacts with alumni; - Publications. Lecturers read publications from and about the professional domain; - Internal discussion about current issues. Concrete In the programme, the intended learning outcomes are matched with the up-to-date job based requirements of the professional discipline. This is done by defining the intended learning outcomes in terms of competences that are derived from the job based requirements. VHL works with eight competences (attachment 4) at three levels. Seven of these eight competences are identical for both IAT and IHM, although they differ in their content. In line with the different accents of IAT and IHM the formulation of the last competence differs for the two majors. The competences are described on three levels, building up complexity of the professional situation, extent and complexity of the task and independence in implementation. During the propaedeutic phase students work on acquiring level 1 of the competences; level 2 of the competences can be achieved after the first year of the main phase and finally, level 3 is reached at graduation. The choice between level 2 and 3 as the final level of a competence is determined by the job based requirements for graduates. For IAT and IHM the choices of level 2 or 3 are almost the same, except for the competence to conduct applied research. IHM graduates need to acquire a higher level for this competence because one of the potential IHM job profiles is researcher. Therefore IHM graduates need a higher level of understanding research. 10 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

11 There is a report available in which the competence levels that the IAT and IHM students need to achieve are worked out in detail for the different levels. Dublin Descriptors There is coherence between the Dublin Descriptors and the intended learning outcomes. The programme assures this through comparing the assessment criteria of each competence at the final level with the Descriptors. The result of this comparison was presented to and studied by the assessment committee. The committee states that this comparison was insightful and adequate. B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

12 2. Teaching-learning environment The curriculum, staff and programme-specific services and facilities enable the incoming students to achieve the intended learning outcomes. Explanation: The contents and structure of the curriculum enable the admitted students to achieve the intended learning outcomes. The quality of the staff and of the programme-specific services and facilities is essential to that end. Curriculum, staff, services and facilities constitute a coherent teaching-learning environment for the students. Based on the interviews and examination of the underlying documentation, the assessment committee qualifies the teaching-learning environment as satisfactory. The programme covers the learning outcomes on the one hand, and on the other hand it offers a great number of opportunities to the students to shape the programme according to their own wishes and interests. This way, they build their own specialization. This is greatly appreciated by the students. The 2+2 programme is an interesting addition where students from abroad (mostly from China) can apply for. An observation on the knowledge content of the curriculum was made by some alumni, notably on law in the IAT major. In general they suggest less topics, so these topics can be deepened, leading to more focus on all the chain functions (including logistics). Programme covers the learning outcomes The educational programme enables students to acquire the final level of competences they need as a graduate. To that end, students work on a number of competences each term or semester until the final level of the competence is reached. The Competence Based Learning at VHL Wageningen has seven educational principles that are used as a common framework. Two of these are: 1. Students learn through project assignments that are derived from professional practice. Teaching is oriented towards the profession and towards actual practice. 2. Students should learn, at least partly, in an international context. In practice, these educational principles mean that during their educational programme, the students work on the competences they need to acquire, by practicing roles that are based on the international job profiles and in a professional context. The project assignment(s) the students have to do during the term are, where possible, selected from real life cases situated in the professional field. There also is a 2+2 programme for Chinese students. The 2+2 students follow their first two years of education in China in a so-called Preparation for Major (PFM) programme. During these two years lecturers from VHL come to the universities to give guest lectures: in autumn they come for a week to explain the assignments the students will complete in the upcoming term. In spring the guest lecturers from VHL return for a week to give feedback to the students on their assignments and presentations. In the meantime students have worked on the assignment, coached by a Chinese counterpart. The last two years of their Bachelor study is at VHL Wageningen, starting with a compulsory Gateway to Major. The PFM programme is developed in cooperation with the partners of China Agricultural University in Beijing and Yunnan Agricultural University in Kunming. It allows students to: - Obtain experience in and develop an affinity with the professional field; - Improve their English skills (writing and speaking); - The opportunity to improve communication skills and skills required for group work - Develop a critical attitude; - Obtain level 1, and part of level 2, of the competences. In the PFM programme the students produce four assignments which have a close link to the projects 12 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

13 the fourth-year BA students do at VHL in their first two years. For all PFM assignments, students need to undertake desk and field research in the professional field and learn to report research findings. The Gateway to Major programme (for both IAT and IHM students of the 2+2 programme) is a compulsory minor upon entering the third year in Wageningen. The aim of the Gateway to Major programme is twofold: 1. To ensure that the Chinese 2+2 students acquire the IAT and IHM competences at level 2; 2. To ensure a smooth transition into the major programme. About fifteen students per major enter this programme. The Gateway to Major is an extensive and interactive programme in which students get acquainted with competence bases learning. Not only gaining knowledge but also developing communication skills is important during the Gateway. These skills can make a great difference during the placement, because in China the way one communicates with his manager is very different to the Dutch communication manners. Still, Chinese students think there is room for improvement in the sense that VHL could co-operate more with Chinese universities to fit the Chinese programme into the BA (IAT) programme. For instance: at the Chinese universities there is a strong focus on economics and finance in relation to the total economic system in China. Chinese students cannot use this knowledge when they come to the Netherlands because the BA programme only focuses on specific marketing aspects. For the major IHM this is slightly different. Previously gained knowledge can still be used, although only in part partly as this is rather production-oriented, in the IHM programme. Another issue for improvement concerns the preparation of the Chinese students before they come to the Netherlands. They experience a culture shock when they arrive at VHL and it takes them a long time to overcome it. If these students from abroad were better prepared in advance, they would know better what to expect when arriving at Wageningen. As a result they will not only experience better integration but will also be able to focus on their study sooner after arrival. Where possible, the majors in Wageningen share their learning environment during the first two years of the programme. This cooperation with other majors like Rural Development and Innovation and Food Innovation Management is an opportunity to expose students not only to a group of diverse nationalities, but also to students from different disciplines. This leads to a win-win situation for BAstudents as they have to be prepared to work together with representatives from various businessand cultural environments. Students also experience the fact that many international students have entered the programme as a positive element: in this way an international network is effortlessly built. The fact that one has to study with people from abroad, who do not share the same cultural backgrounds, is an advantage of the BA programme, according to the students. When it comes to the major IHM, the name suggests that marketing is a substantial aspect of this major. The assessment committee therefore did not expect to find that the main focus is on horticulture in relation to quality management. This does not seem to match the expectations of the students. Consequently, the assessment committee suggests either to enlarge the share of marketing in this major, or to change the name of the major. Up to date In order to make sure the programme has links with current developments in the professional field, students have to undertake practical placements and a thesis project at companies or organisations from the professional field. This is an important part of their study. This way students learn directly from the professional field and the professionals mentor and provide feedback on the quality of students work. B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

14 In addition, professionals contribute to the educational programme by means of guest lectures and by acting as assessors. On the other hand VHL makes sure that the students learning environment is based on professional assignments. Assessments are designed around recent case studies, international agricultural trends or production strategies with links to the latest market developments so as to keep students informed and in line with current thinking and agricultural practices. Students appreciate the fact that the programme is related to the professional field. They say the programme appears to be quite practical. During each term there are one or more assignments the students work on. As one of the students said: If there was more theory in this programme the professional field would be no more than an imaginary world. The programme also provides excursions. During year 1 and 2 students go on at least 1 day excursion per term. During the Gateway to Major and the IHM major courses, all students attend three excursions per term. Both the IAT and IHM students visit the Hortifair in Amsterdam on an annual basis and are expected to use this opportunity to make contacts for their placement and thesis semesters. An excursion to Macedonia will follow soon. Students like these excursions, because they give them the opportunity to study new and upcoming markets. They will also be visiting companies (in one of them a VHL student is doing his placement project) and studying the country s infrastructure. These excursions abroad are not obligatory. Students have to contribute a fee of around 200,-. The students are encouraged to use up-to-date resources and textbooks as supportive material for lessons. The programme routinely renews the professional literature by replacing existing textbooks and articles with new publications or new editions of existing textbooks. The proximity of the Wageningen UR library facilitates the consultation of relevant publications. Lectures naturally have many contacts with the international professional discipline. Information obtained through these contacts shapes the job profiles, the learning outcomes, the competences and ultimately feeds into the curriculum. Student evaluations are also used to check whether the contents of the term relate to authentic professional practice. In general students agree with this. The fact that many guest lecturers are invited to contribute to the programme is highly appreciated by the students. The guest lecturers bring in even more recent knowledge about developments in the professional working field than the teaching staff. Students find this very motivating and inspiring. Structure of the programme The applied educational concept to reach the intended learning outcomes is Competence Based Learning. This means that, to acquire the competences, students practice these competences during their study programme. This practising is done in professional roles and in situations that are strongly based on the professional working field. During the programme the students learn to take increased responsibility for their own learning. Particular emphasis is put on developing an attitude of personal responsibility for lifelong learning. Projects the students are assigned to are derived from professional practice. The assignments are positioned in professional contexts and the students have to practice one or more professional roles. The project assignments mostly have to be conducted within a team of students. This enables a dialogue between students of diverse nationalities with multiple cultural and educational backgrounds. For the students, learning to work together with people from different backgrounds is essential and a goal in itself. In addition students develop basic project oriented skills. The students also have learning activities outside VHL, like trainings at the Practical Training Centre (PTC+) in Ede, excursions and the placement and thesis projects. 14 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

15 The students are offered as much freedom of choice in their programme as possible. For students of the 4-year programme, the curriculum includes two individual work placements, an individual minor and an individual thesis project. In total these components account for nearly 44% of the study programme. For the 2+2 students the work placement and thesis account for 50% of their study load in the Netherlands, which is 25% of their total 2+2 programme. It became undoubtedly clear to the assessment committee that students appreciate the amount of freedom they are offered to develop a specialization of their own interest by choosing their minors, the placement and the thesis project. Coherence The described competency levels are guiding the educational programme, meaning that the scope and complexity of the project assignments and assessments increases year by year while the students have to learn more independently during the progress of their study. The programme is designed in a way that the students master level 1 by the end of the first year and level 2 by the end of the second year. Level 3 is the final level of education. For some competences level 2 is the final level. The internal coherence of the programme is part of student evaluations at the end of their study. Although only a limited number of students have participated, the evaluations indicate that most students consider the programme to be coherent. Within the term or semester there is internal coherence. This means that the project assignments, the study programme and the assessments are all in line with the intended learning outcomes. The internal coherence within a term or semester is explained in the course manuals for each term or semester. To assure the coherence of the educational programme, several actions are taken: - Students evaluate the effectiveness of the study methods in relation to the competences as part of the VHL quality management system; - Within the major teams discussions take place about the programme through self-evaluations and in reaction to the interaction with the professional industry; - Discussions about the programme take place in team meetings and during educational development days (two to three days per term). Student evaluations and team meetings are used as input to make an improvement plan for each term. The improvement plan and the quality of the BA programme in general are discussed in the Academic Programme Committee. This Committee consists of a minimum of four students per major and team members. They meet once per term. Feasible The academic year is split into four terms ensuring the study load is distributed as evenly as possible over the year. Each terms consist of seven weeks for classes, an eighth week for last feedback sessions to finalize project work and prepare for assessments, and a ninth week for assessments. During the first seven weeks of the term, the study load is divided into contact hours, project hours and self-study. If a student falls ill, he can overcome the arrears by checking the material published on Blackboard and by consulting his fellow students and the lecturers. Study progress will not be delayed as a result of lecturers falling ill, because if this occurs he will be replaced by a colleague or lectures are postponed. In case a lecturer is expected to be ill for a longer period, a replacement is organised. The following rules and practices are in place to avoid undesired high study loads, and to facilitate steady study progress: - Students are well informed about the curriculum; - Students are well tutored; - Students who fail their assessments are entitled to do a resit. Assessments are offered twice a year; B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

16 - Students are required to obtain at least 30 EC in the first year; if not they receive a binding negative advice and have to leave school. At the end of the second year students are required to obtain the whole propaedeuse to continue enrolment; - In the final phase students are allowed to go on a 5 month placement only if they have successfully completed the smaller (previous) placement and obtained enough credits; - Students may enter the thesis assessment only if they have passed all previous assessments. The career counsellor and the major coordinator monitor the study progress of individual students, and stimulate the student to complete the programme within the set time. For each course the study load is evaluated as part of the term evaluations. The results show that in most terms the study load is good. In general students study about 25 to 35 hours a week. During the course of the term (the closer they get to the assessment period) the amount of hours they spend studying increases. Coaching The teaching staff support students in the execution of their project assignments. They can have different roles, which can also be combined. As a coach they monitor the progress of the deliverables of the assignment and give feedback on project activities. As an assessor they design and mark assessments. As an expert they provide subject matter lectures on theory and skills. They introduce students to specific knowledge and concepts and their application through exercises and feedback. Relevant literature is being used, and first hand experiences from professionals that are shared with the students. The way of teaching is diversified, for instance by adding small (practical) exercises to the lessons or by including workshops. To provide the professional component at an early stage, guest speakers from the professional field are invited to talk about their experience on a specific subject. At the start of their study, the students are assigned to a Career Counsellor. The career counselling mainly takes place during the first years of the study for the 4-year programme students and during the Gateway to Major semester for the 2+2 students. The career counsellor helps the student in adjusting to the new learning environment at VHL Wageningen. He maintains a close watch over the study progress of the student and advises students how to prevent and overcome study delay when applicable. The student sees the career counsellor at least twice a term. Career counselling helps the student to keep track of their personal development by means of a personal portfolio, which also contains the Personal Development Plan that the students write in the first term of their arrival. It helps the student to manage his own learning process. In the final phase of the study, the students are expected to have acquired an advanced level of selfmanagement skills. However, the student can still turn to the Major Coordinator for questions about career choices etc. In specific cases the career counsellor or the major coordinator can advise the student to meet the social dean who, depending on the problem, may refer the student to specialized help. In preparation for the thesis and placement semesters students are offered classes to prepare them for this process. During the placement and the thesis each student is allocated a VHL coach to support him during this time. The coach will be a point of contact during the entire process for both student and placement or thesis company and will also guide the student in the writing of necessary assessments concerned. Intake All Dutch VWO and HAVO students are admitted provided their level of English is high enough. Foreign students need to have A-levels, their level of 16 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

17 English should be high enough and they need to possess basic computer skills. The English level needs to be TOEFL level 550 for students that start in year 1 and TOEFL level 600 for students that start in later years, or IELTS level 5 for students that start in year 1 and IELTS level 6 for years 2 and beyond. For entry into the final phase of the 2+2 programme students have to pass an English IELTS test with a minimum score of 6. The 2+2 students also must have completed the preparation for the major (PFM) programme with a minimum mark of 5.5 for all four major assessments and have successfully completed a two week placement in China in a relevant field. Lastly, the 2+2 students are also expected to successfully undertake a selection interview with two VHL staff members that especially addresses their motivation for continuing their BA study in the Netherlands. Applicants who have a higher level of relevant previous education or with relevant work experience can be offered a shorter programme instead of a 4- year programme. The students enter the BA programme with their own cultural background, learning style and expectations. Some students, especially at the start of their study, face problems adapting to the educational concept and/or the Dutch culture and/or the English language in the education. To help the students with this, special classes are given on Competence Based Learning and the Career Counsellor coaches the students in helping them to overcome any difficulties. If a student decides to leave the BA programme, an exit interview is held to find out the cause. Teaching staff VHL aims to establish expert and varied major teams with well-qualified lecturers who are able to fulfil the team tasks together in a professional way. The Major Team shares responsibility for the content of the major programme, the relation with the professional field and for looking after the students of the major. At VHL the lecturers are expected to meet the following requirements: - Substantial knowledge and experience in the professional field; - Engaged in a number of external activities in order to maintain contact with the professional field; - The proper didactical authority and the skills needed to guide the students; - Compatibility in the team and the culture of the programme; - Good command of the English language. Newly appointed lecturers who cannot show a didactic certificate are required to follow a course at the Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen (HAN). Concerning coaching students, it is important for lecturers too to experience different cultural backgrounds and intercultural communication. Therefore they themselves think it should be good to go abroad, so they can use their own experiences in guiding the students. All members of the teaching staff have a Bachelors qualification. In the IHM team, two out of four have an MSc degree and one has a PhD. Six out of seven in the IAT team have an MSc degree. One is a native English speaker. Results of student evaluations are also discussed in annual appraisal meetings of the team leader with each lecturer. If poor evaluations are given, additional research is done to find the reason. Next to formal quality systems each major team is proactive in monitoring the quality of the major programme on a day to day basis. The employee monitor 2008 shows that the staff qualifies the workload in general as high. This survey was conducted in the time of moving to Wageningen and introducing competence based learning. Those were hectic times for the teaching staff and it explains why lecturers experience a high workload to some extent. The situation has been stable for some B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

18 time now, but is still an the issue. Therefore it has been under the permanent attention of the management and additional research is being done in order to specify the right course of action. Students like the small scale of the institute. It leads to personal contact with the lecturers, which is highly appreciated. Students appreciate the level of professional and commitment of the lecturers, as well as their international network. This offers students many opportunities for contacting these people for their placement or thesis project, or so that guest lecturers can be arranged by the teaching staff. Students are not always satisfied by the level of English skills of some of the lecturers. Facilities The move of VHL to the Forum building in Wageningen brings the advantage that students and lecturers have easy access to the vast range of Wageningen UR facilities, like the library. For housing and social activities students are mixed with the international Wageningen UR student population, which is an advantage for the BA students. The new location also gives the students opportunities to follow minors, placements theses or Capita Selecta at Wageningen UR. In addition to the teaching and learning facilities at the Forum Building the students undertake practical activities at the Practical Training Centre (PTC+) in Ede. PTC+ is a modern practical training institution delivering expertise in the field of plant growth, animal breeding and agricultural and horticultural technology. Students highly appreciate the Forum building and other teaching and learning facilities. 18 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences

19 3. Assessment and achieved learning outcomes The programme has an adequate assessment system in place and demonstrates that the intended learning outcomes are achieved.. Explanation: The level achieved is demonstrated by interim and final tests, final projects and the performance of graduates in actual practice or in post-graduate programmes. The tests and assessments are valid, reliable and transparent to the students. Based on the interviews and examination of the underlying documentation, the assessment committee qualifies the assessment and achieved learning outcomes as satisfactory. In general the level that alumni reach is sufficient. Fairly soon after graduation alumni get a job within the international field of agribusiness at a junior professional level. This confirms the level of higher professional education. However, the process of graduation offers room for improvement as the quality level of the students does not always become clear in the thesis reports. More attention needs to be paid to applied research methodology. Not only in the first year of study but as an ongoing theme during all four years. Also the quality of the research proposal asks more attention, the conclusions and the literature review can be improved. The role and position of the article to be prepared is unclear, as well as the relation between assessment criteria and grades. The main shortcoming, according to the assessment committee, is the research proposal and the corresponding logical setup. The research itself was done adequate. Valid and reliable With regard to the validity of assessments the following points from the assessment policy are important: - The competences are leading the assessments; - Assessments are derived from professional practice; - Assessments are integrated; - Assessments are individual. As the competences are leading for the assessments, it is assured that the actual competences are assessed. Therefore, the assessments are valid in the sense that they measure the criteria explicitly stated in the competence descriptions. Particularly at the first level of competences, the assessments are sometimes less integrated. There are three reasons: 1. To improve the student feasibility of the programme, as the use of non-integrated stations allows the students to re-sit smaller parts; 2. To assure a certain minimum level of a specific component of the concerned competence, for instance for English; 3. To avoid an unrealistic integration disconnectted from the professional context. Even though group products might be used as an input for an assessment, the actual assessment is always individual. In this way it is guaranteed that individual results are obtained for each student. In order to assure the reliability of the assessments the following is important: - Where possible independent assessors, who are not directly involved in the related part of the programme, are used; - Two assessors conduct oral assessments. In written elements, in general, a sample is checked by a second assessor; - The Exam Board awards the credits and does a final check on the results presented by the assessor. The Exam Board ensures that the regulations are followed. All bachelor studies from VHL Wageningen together share one Exam Board. In addition, there is an B Agribusiness and Business Administration August

20 Assessment Committee. For its quality controls, all documentation is being asked for a checklist is used to make sure everything is in line and there is a clear connection between the several competency levels. This way, the Assessment Committee gets an image of the quality of testing. The checklist is used to evaluate and talk with lecturers about the quality of the tests and how it can be improved. The process is to talk to the lecturers about ways of improvement and then check the quality again half a year later. In addition to the staff involved with the assessments, input from student evaluations and from the Assessment Committee is used in order to monitor the quality of the assessments. The assessment committee makes general suggestions for improvement of the assessments. In student evaluations held at the end of each term two questions are devoted to the assessment: whether the content of the assessment is in accordance with the competences and whether the method of assessing was appropriate. Student evaluations show there are some issues, mostly related to the communication (see the next paragraph: Transparency). Transparency The students have access to the competences and the assessment criteria in: - The Course Specific Educational Regulations, which specify the competences per term; - The BA Competence Descriptions. These descriptions include the criteria that students have to meet; - The course manuals, in which the criteria are further specified towards the assessment station; - The feedback students receive during the term; - During year 1 and 2: a diagnostic test during the term or a representative trial assessment in one of the last classes of the term. In the student evaluations that are held after each term, there are two questions directly referring to clarity of competences and assessment criteria: whether the competences one had to acquire were clear to the student and whether the assessment criteria were clear to the student. The answers show that in some cases the students feel that they are not adequately informed about competences and criteria. VHL Staff gives this a lot of attention by making the information available in several ways and by explaining it in introductory classes in each term. Nevertheless, it seems the students are more focussed on the assessment criteria than on the competence descriptions. Even though it is still an issue, evaluations show progress. Achieved learning outcomes In the last two years of their study, the students have their major-specific semester, half a year of placement(s) and the thesis project. These elements are all close to professional practice, so they give the students the opportunity to assess whether their competences are at the level of a starting professsional. During the major specific semester in year 3 the students work in real life integrated assignments. IAT students work on setting up an import-export company in agribusiness, in combination with a project for an external party, in the field of marketing or logistics. IHM students undertake projects linked to their job profiles as production manager, quality manager, and researcher in the international horticulture sector. Concerning the placement, in advance the students draft a plan on how to achieve the learning objectives of the placement. This plan needs to be approved by the placement supervisor before the student is allowed to go on placement. The criteria for this are described in the placement manual and linked to the competences that need to be developed. The placement assignments and the related assessments directly come from the professional field, meeting criteria linked to the defined competences. The placement is assessed in a combination of written (placement report) and oral assessments. The assessment includes: 20 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences