TEAM VISIT REPORT MAINTENANCE OF ACCREDITATION REVIEW. Longwood University College of Business and Economics

Transcription

1 TEAM VISIT REPORT MAINTENANCE OF ACCREDITATION REVIEW Longwood University College of Business and Economics I. Team Recommendation The team recommendation reflects the opinion of the Peer Review Team only. It will be reviewed for concurrence or remanded to the team by the appropriate accreditation committee. The role of the accreditation committee is to ensure consistent application of the AACSB International accreditation standards and processes across peer review teams. Within ten days of receipt of this report, the applicant should send the team any comments and corrections related to factual information noted in this report. A copy should also be sent to the appropriate committee chair in care of the AACSB International office. A. Team Recommendation Extend Accreditation Maintenance: The recommendation of the Peer Review Team is that the accreditation of the BSBA and MBA degree programs in business offered by Longwood University be extended for an additional six years with a Maintenance Review to occur in year five. Concurrence by the accreditation committee and ratification by the Board of Directors are required prior to the confirmation of the accreditation decision. Following ratification by the Board of Directors, the applicant will be notified. The applicant must wait for this official notification before making any public announcement. AACSB International provides a list of applicants achieving accreditation to its members and the public. B. Subsequent Review of Team Recommendation The Maintenance of Accreditation committee will review this report, and any response from the applicant, at its next scheduled meeting (normally, provided that the report is received at least three weeks in advance of the meeting). The committee will meet on December 10, The Board of Directors will consider for ratification via electronic ballot the team recommendations to extend accreditation or suspend accreditation that have concurrence from the appropriate accreditation committee, as soon as possible after the accreditation committee concurrence. II. Identification of Areas That Must Be Addressed Prior to Next Maintenance Review The next maintenance review will occur in five years with the expectation of Annual Maintenance Reports beginning with the current academic year. With this in mind, the College of Business and Economics (CBE) should annually update its Strategic Plan, in the form of the Annual Maintenance Reports, on the action items noted below: The CBE needs to continue to enhance the criteria for classifying faculty as Academically 1

2 Qualified and Professionally Qualified to clearly convey the college s expectations. The team recognizes that the MBA program is in its infancy. However, the CBE needs a comprehensive plan for its future development that would address the market, programs to fit the needs of the market, target size, financial and faculty resources required to meet that target, and admissions standards to assure quality students and a high-quality academic experience. Relevant Facts and Assessment of Strengths and Weaknesses in Support of the Team Accreditation Recommendation The team s judgment is that the CBE has reached a high level of overall quality, has in place processes that ensure the maintenance of this quality, and has faculty committed to continuous improvement. There is evidence of high quality in all areas covered by the standards, including strategic management, participants, and assurance of learning. In addition, the University President and Vice President for Academic Affairs have demonstrated their strong commitment to AACSB accreditation. A. Educational Improvement The established academic processes and the implementation of the assurance of learning system have reached an appropriate level of effectiveness, as evidenced by faculty commitment to refining processes and effective use of the data collected. Assurance of learning is evidenced in the CBE s assessment processes. The faculty exhibited a high level of commitment to defining and refining the process to assess student learning. The faculty use the analysis of data to close the loop resulting in plans to improve the academic programs. The team found a high level of interaction between faculty and students. Faculty members provide advice to students regarding academic and career decisions. Students are addressed with professionalism and given feedback on course assignments and whether performance uses knowledge that is current and relevant. An informal mentoring process supplements the student-faculty relationship. Students believe that the faculty members really care for their well being. Faculty members also demonstrate a willingness to continue mentoring beyond graduation. The team observed well established curriculum processes. These curricular processes are derived from the mission and support opportunities for students to reach their full potential. Innovative processes that impact student learning include the Speaking Intensive courses, with components where students are required to give presentations, and the Writing Intensive courses with extensive written assignments. The CBE has a well designed and fully functional internship program. The program requires an approved internship experience for all graduates. Nearly 1,000 organizations cooperate with the CBE to make opportunities available. Students must complete the internship seminar, and many students receive job offers at the end of their internships. The internship experience ends with an exit interview. The 2

3 internship program benefits from continuous review that leads to refinement of the processes. Currently, the Mission and Assessment Committee is responsible for the implementation of the assurance of learning process without any involvement of the Curriculum Committee. The team believes that establishing a formal linkage between the two committees would further improve the implementation process. B. Strategic Management The CBE has a strategic planning process that is closely tied to university processes and involves stakeholders consistently to achieve goals and objectives. The vision and mission of the college are well-defined and appropriately reflect and are linked to the Longwood University Mission. The CBE has a well established process to engage faculty in strategic planning. The college holds two retreats each year to focus on planning. During these meetings, the faculty review progress toward previous objectives, analyze and discuss data, explore new opportunities, decide on action priorities for the coming period, and agree on implementation strategies. Faculty members demonstrate a willingness to review and refine previous decisions and act on assessment data to improve strategies. Due to circumstances beyond its control, the college has experienced instability in its leadership for the past several years. While Interim Dean Cross has provided excellent leadership to the school, he is retiring this month. The team is very pleased with the strong commitment of the president and the provost to ensure permanent leadership for the CBE. An interim dean has been named and plans are currently in place to conduct a national search for a permanent dean. C. Fulfillment of Mission Based on information gained during the visit, as well as careful review of annual reports, the fifth year maintenance report, and other documents, the team is confident that the CBE has clarified its mission and is capable of fulfilling it. The CBE has a high quality process in place for articulating and refining its mission. This process includes all relevant stakeholders in the college and the mission is wellreceived and widely known. The mission focuses on preparing students for citizen leadership. The faculty members are very aware of and committed to this mission, and can demonstrate strategies through which they are working to encourage citizen leadership and thus achieve the mission. The students also understand the mission, embrace it, and are committed to it. To increase the probability of the academic and professional success of students, the CBE has implemented a requirement that students achieve a 2.3 GPA to continue beyond the introductory courses in the business curriculum. Placement data gathered from graduates indicates that students are well prepared for professional 3

4 opportunities. Survey results revealed that 98 percent of graduates are placed within 90 days. Although some support for faculty professional development is currently offered, faculty would benefit from additional support to help increase productivity and enhance the quality of their intellectual contributions. III. Commendations of Strengths, Innovations, and Unique Features The Internship program, which requires an approved internship experience for all graduates, is excellent. Almost 1,000 organizations, located in diverse geographic locations, cooperate with the CBE to make opportunities available. Students must complete the internship seminar and prepare a professional resume before seeking a position, and they are advised by faculty in this process. Many students receive job offers at the end of their internships, and all participate in an exit interview which synthesizes their learning experiences and provides information for future improvement of the program. Discussion with faculty and students revealed that both are committed to building strong teaching and mentoring relationships. Students expressed strong satisfaction with accessibility and support received from the faculty. The CBE building has recently been renovated and provides a high-quality learning environment. The technology is up-to-date, and facilities are appropriate. Plans have been approved for an adjacent building to be converted for CBE use as the college enrollment grows. The CBE has a well-developed Executive-in-Residence Program. Four business leaders visit campus each year and spend time with students in formal and informal settings. This program not only provides developmental opportunities for students but also has strengthened external relationships for the college. The faculty has a long-standing set of assessment processes that allow them to develop and refine instruments, collect data, and analyze the data to evaluate student learning and achievement of learning objectives. Faculty have collaborated to develop innovative ways to assess outcomes and are committed to refine the processes and use the data for academic program improvement. IV. Opportunities for Continuous Improvement Relevant to the Accreditation Standards By reallocating funds or raising additional resources to support faculty development, the CBE would provide faculty better opportunities to increase productivity and better potential to achieve the CBE s increasingly rigorous standards for academically qualified status. Due to circumstances outside the university s control, the CBE has experienced uncertainty in leadership for the past several years. Despite that, the faculty and administrators have continued to move the college forward and meet continuous improvement goals. However, efforts to assure more stable college leadership in the future will improve opportunities for achieving an even higher level of excellence. Given the important goals established by the CBE, the cultivation of potential donors and 4

5 success in raising external funds to supplement university budgets will be necessary to ensure that the CBE is able to fulfill its mission in the future. V. Summary of Visit A. Brief description of the school or accounting unit, including its size and the institutional setting; Longwood University is a state-assisted, coeducational, largely residential, comprehensive university that offers baccalaureate degrees in 22 majors and master s degrees in 5 areas. Longwood is the third oldest public institution of higher education in Virginia. The University was established in 1839 as the Farmville Female Seminary and was expanded into Farmville Female College in In 1884, the school was acquired by the state of Virginia and continued to grow and expand its offerings until it became Longwood College in 1949, and finally, Longwood University in Longwood was first authorized to offer the Bachelor of Science in Education in 1916, the Bachelor of Arts in 1935, and the Bachelor of Science in A curriculum in business education was added the same year.. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration was first offered in 1976, the same year that the college became coeducational. In 2006, the College of Business and Economics (CBE) enrolled its first Master of Business Administration class. The campus covers 54 acres in historic downtown Farmville and has been at its current location since In addition, Longwood Estate provides another 100 acres of space that have been incorporated into the campus as the official residence of the University president, as well as a nine-hole golf course and other athletic facilities. In addition to residence halls on the main campus, there are three University-managed student housing complexes: Lancer Park (70 acres with intramural facilities opening in Fall 2007); Longwood Village (15 acres); and Longwood Landings (400 condominiums adjacent to campus in downtown Farmville). The campus architecture, which blends traditional architecture with the latest in sports facilities, laboratories, and information technology, embodies the University s emphasis on both tradition and the future. In Fall 2006, the University enrolled 4,479 students (3,787 undergraduates and 692 graduate students). A statistical profile of the student body reveals that more than 80% of the students lived on campus or in University-managed housing; approximately 94% of the students were from Virginia (33% from central Virginia, 20% from the northern part of the state, 18% from the Tidewater area, and 12% from Southside Virginia); two thirds of the students were female; and nearly 13% of the student were minority. The Fall 2006 to Fall 2007 freshman retention rate (based on registrations for Fall 2007) is 81.56% and the 5- year graduation rate is 63%. The University is organized in three colleges: Liberal Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Services, and Business and Economics (CBE). Approximately eighteen percent of the students are enrolled in the CBE. The administration of the college consists of a dean, two assistant deans, and two department chairs. The 26 full-time faculty are organized into two academic departments, the Department of Accounting, Economics, Finance, and Real Estate and the Department of Management, Marketing, Computer Information Management Systems, Retailing, and Business Education. In fall 2006, the CBE enrolled 696 student including 3 students in the graduate program. 5

6 B. List of degree programs included in the review and the number of program graduates in the most recent year; Name of Degree Program Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) Master of Business Administration (MBA) Major(s), Concentration(s), Area(s) Graduates of Emphasis Accounting, Economics, Finance, Real Estate, Business Ed., CIMS, Management, Marketing, and Retailing 128 Accounting, Retailing NA C. List of Comparison Groups: i. Comparable Peers Arkansas Tech University Eastern Washington University University of Montevallo University of North Carolina Asheville Northern Michigan University Northwestern State University of Louisiana Radford University ii. Competitive Group James Madison University Radford University iii. Aspirant Group Elon University Fairfield University James Madison University Montana State University Shippensburg University University of West Georgia D. Review Team Members Mostafa H. Sarhan, Savannah State University Dixie L. Mills, Illinois State University William Rupp, University of Montevallo E. Visit Schedule 6

7 Longwood University College of Business and Economics AACSB Maintenance of Accreditation Visit September 23-25, 2007 Date Activity Location Individual/Group Sunday, September 23, :30 am Tour MBA classroom facilities in Richmond & Lunch Retail Merchants Association (RMA) Building, Dixie Mills, PRT Member Jim Cross, dean, College of Business & Economics Bob Dame, assistant dean for external relations Linda Wright, director, MBA Program Steve Barnett, marketing director, MBA Program Bill Baxter, executive director, RMA 4:30 5:30 pm PRT Planning Hampton Inn Suite Meeting 6:00 pm Dinner Longwood House Patti Cormier, president Raymond Cormier, visiting professor in French and English Wayne McWee, provost Jim Cross, dean, College of Business & Economics Melinda Fowlkes, assistant dean Bob Dame, assistant dean for external relations & director of McGaughy Professional Development Center Mikie Flanigan, team leader, AACSB Maintenance Report Linda Wright, director, MBA Program Bill Brown, chair, Accounting, Economics, Finance, and Real Estate department Cheryl Adkins, chair, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, Retailing, and Business Education department Barry Case, member, Board of Visitors Hunter Watson, chair, Corporate Advisory Board Craig Rogers, VP for Institutional Advancement 7

8 Date Activity Location Individual/Group Monday, September 24, :30 Breakfast Lewis Room Dorrill Dining Hall 8:30-9:15 am Team meets with Mission and Assessment Committee 9:15-10:00 am Team meets with Faculty Development & Intellectual Contributions Committee Hiner 102 Hiner 102 Jim Cross Melinda Fowlkes Bob Dame Bill Brown Cheryl Adkins Mikie Flanigan, Chair Abbey O Connor Steve Samaras Melinda Fowlkes Cheryl Adkins Bill Brown Cheryl Adkins, Chair Bill Brown Evelyn Hume 10:00 am -10:15 am PRT Meeting Hiner :15-11:30 Team meets with College of Business & Economics Faculty as a whole Hiner 109 CBE Faculty 11:30 am 12:15 Curriculum Committee Hiner 109 Bennie Waller, Chair David Lehr Roy Creasey Ron McPherson Graduate Students Hiner 103 Selected graduate students Undergraduate Students Hiner 101 Selected UG students 12:15 pm Lunch Hiner 102 1:15 pm 2:45 pm Promotion & Tenure Committee Hiner 102 Mo Sarhan Melanie Marks, Chair Frank Bacon Linda Lau Linda Wright 8

9 Date Activity Location Individual/Group Review Relevant Hiner 103 Dixie Mills Documents Bill Rupp 2:45 pm 3:15 pm Team meets with Department Chairs 3:15 pm 4:00 pm Team meets with Dean Cross 4:00 - Team meeting to discuss findings, form a tentative accreditation recommendation, and report drafting Hiner 103 Hiner 103 Hiner 102 Bill Brown Cheryl Adkins Jim Cross 7:00 pm PRT Dinner Hampton Inn Suite (catered by ARAMARK) 8:30 pm Team meeting, Hampton Inn Suite discussion of report drafts and finalizing recommendations Tuesday, September 25, :30 am 8:30 am Breakfast & Team Lewis Room Recommendation 8:30 am Team Recommendation 9:30 am Team departs Hiner 102 Jim Cross Melinda Fowlkes Mikie Flanigan Patti Cormier Wayne McWee Jim Cross Melinda Fowlkes 9

10 F. Materials Reviewed : 1. Longwood University 5 th Year Maintenance Report 2. Annual Reports for 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, and 2007/ AACSB Accreditation Statistical Reports for Longwood University. 4. Faculty vitae 5. Revised AQ and PQ standards 6. Assurance of Learning data analyses, results, and recommendations for improvement 7. Revised Faculty Qualification and Participation tables 8. New Policy on Graduate Faculty Membership 9. Documentation of recent tenure and promotion decisions 10. Business Maintenance application 10