Five Column Program Assessment Report EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY. Assessment of Academic Achievement. For. Bachelor of Science BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

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1 Five Column Program Assessment Report EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY Assessment of Academic Achievement For Bachelor of Science BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SPRING 2009

2 Institutional Mission and Program Centrality A. Institutional Mission Statement East Central University s mission is to foster a learning environment in which students, faculty, staff, and community interact to educate students for life in a rapidly changing and culturally diverse society. Within its service area, East Central University provides leadership for economic development and cultural enhancement. B. Program Relationship to Institutional Mission The Business Administration Program contributes to the overall mission of ECU by offering a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. The primary focus is to provide a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration designed to furnish the necessary academic skills for entry-level employment with private business enterprises, financial institutions, federal, state, and local governmental units or entry into professional graduate programs. To achieve this focus the Business Administration Department offers concentrations in entrepreneurship, finance, general business, management, management information systems, and marketing. The Business Administration Program has five learning outcomes for its graduates. Upon graduation, students capabilities include: 1. Understand and apply the general body of knowledge associated with an undergraduate education in Business Administration 2. Interpret and utilize converging information 3. Think critically and strategically 4. Possess team-building and leadership skills that enhance group work 5. Utilize communication skills that produce effective results To achieve these multiple goals, faculty members teach in a variety of formats. Most instruction in the Business Administration Program is presented in a lecture/discussion format, with faculty incorporating in-class question-and-answer activities and requiring students to organize themselves into groups for certain activities. Students also prepare and present cases of simulated Business Administration activities and situations, prepare solutions to problems and questions requiring quantifiable and/or essay type answers, develop technological skills through work assignments that must be accomplished using a computer or other technology, and display communication skills through written reports and in-class student presentations. Analytical thinking is encouraged throughout the curriculum, and the students are expected to retain previously introduced material in order to synthesize information with new topics of study. Assessment instruments used to evaluate the Program s effectiveness include university generated comparison data, the Educational Testing Service Major Field Achievement Test (MFAT) in Business Core Courses, embedded assessments of student learning objectives in both the business core courses and selected upper-division business administration courses, and

3 feedback provided by current students and alumni regarding student learning of the core competences. The program annually produces an Assessment of the Major report and complies with the accrediting body, Association of Collegiate Business School and Programs (ACBSP) that requires a yearly review and annual report addressing compliance issues and actions taken by the Department. The result of these processes is a continual review of Program goals, objectives, and outcomes. In the Spring of 2004 the School/Department Assessment committee recommended use of an embedded assessment process as the tool by which to assess the Business Administration students. As stated in the 2005/2006 report: The Department of Business Administration assessment committee, with full faculty approval, suggested five primary learning outcomes: communication and leadership skills; strategic and critical thinking skills; focus on the customer, client, and market; interpretation of converging information; technologically adept. Although, each faculty member established their individual assessment goals for each of their classes taught in the spring 2005 semester, the Assessment Committee of the University has recommended that the School/Department create a single rubric with components supporting the five core competencies. Beginning in the fall semester of 2006 the School/Department began assessing in that manner. These assessment goals are based on completing the mission of the School of Business, the course description and the learning outcomes of each of the individual classes. Each of the faculty created their specific rubric whereby they identify the course objectives, identify the assessment goals and as the course progresses throughout the semester, the faculty will insert the student outcomes as they occur. If the assessment goals are not met, the faculty member will make an adjustment for the next time the course is taught. That adjustment is recorded on the rubric and forwarded to the Departmental Assessment Committee for review. If on the other hand the assessment goals are met, the faculty member will increase or alternate the goals and offer to the assessment committee the path that they will take to achieve the new goals. The process is to continuously improve the quality of teaching and student s knowledgebase. On a parallel track, the ETS MFT exam was also given in the same manner as in the past, once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester to the graduating senior in the Strategy and Policy course. Primary Program Goal and Student Outcomes The primary goal of the Business Administration Program is to prepare students to enter and perform well in the professional business world in either the public or private sector, to become successful entrepreneurs, or to pursue post-baccalaureate studies. To fulfill this goal, Program graduates should attain the following student outcomes: Program graduates should be able to understand and apply the general body of knowledge associated with an undergraduate education in Business Administration. 1. The ETS Major Field Achievement Test in Business (ETS MFT) The ETS Major Field Achievement Test in Business Scores of East Central Business Administration Graduating Seniors Academic Year Examinees Examinees Scoring at or above the Fiftieth Percentile %

4 % % % % % % % % Total % Performance Goal: Fifty percent of the students taking the exam will score at or above the 50th percentile. While student scores decreased in 2008/2009, the overall number and percent of student scores reflect that ECU students scored at or higher than 44% of other groups of students tested. Business Administration students taking the exam during the fiscal year, 27 (42%) scored at or above the 50 th percentile. For the 2008/2009 MFT test, scores are reported in nine different categories and are listed below. Comparisons with nationwide scores are provided in Table III by providing the percentile in which the score falls. The national percentiles differ for each subject category; that is, the same percent correct may result in different percentile standings. Percentiles are based on nationwide test results from January June 2009 with a test redesign in year MFT Assessment Scores by subject category percent correct answers Fall 2008 Spring 2009 National Scores Accounting Economics Management Quantitative Finance Marketing Legal Environment Information Systems International Issues Comparison Fall 2007 Accounting 51 Economics 44 Management 48 Quantitative 42 Finance 52 Marketing 44 Legal 48 Information Systems 60 International Issues 50

5 For , an interesting observation is the increased scores during the spring semester. No apparent changes were made in the courses from fall semester to spring semester that explains the obvious increase in the spring scores. Another concern is the great swings in performance in some of the subcategories from one year to the next (For example, the drop in the students score in the Legal and Social Environment category). These changes are difficult to explain when there has not been any changes made in the courses and pedagogy related to the teaching of the topics. By using the ETS MFT Exam, the departmental curriculum can be measured against a national, standardized external measure of student learning, and it can provide valuable trend information. Evident in the trends is a consistent scoring in/around the 30th percentile in the topic areas of marketing and management. The Faculty of the department is aware of these scores and are in the process of evaluating both the courses in these areas as well as the specific content of the courses in each of the areas. The Department of Business Administration will continue to use the ETS MFAT Exam until the Department, School and University are confident that other effective assessment tools are in place. 2. Student performance from embedded assessment from the core business courses in the Business Administration degree. Performance goals: 70% of the students will understand the customer, client, and market 70% of the student will think critically and strategically 70% of the students will develop communication and leadership skills 70% of the students will be able to interpret converging information 80% of the students will demonstrate being adept with business related technology 82% of students responded through the capstone course as demonstrating critical and strategic thinking. 89% of the students developed communication and leadership skills documented through peer evaluation assessments. 74% of students demonstrated an ability to interpret converging information. 92% of students demonstrated an ability to adequately function through technological abilities. Understanding customer, client, and the market was not assessed. The above percentages do not reflect student drop rates perhaps causing a higher performance level. The tracking and retaining of this assessment process is still tedious and not statistically valid. A modular based certification testing process is under consideration as an effective and efficient method for tracking student learning and achievements as is a capstone project geared toward each concentration.

6 Five Column Program Assessment Report Mission Statement Student Outcomes Criteria & Performance Goals Assessment Results Uses of Results The Program s mission is to facilitate an interactive, experiential, and dynamic learning environment where students are treated as colearners who continuously acquire knowledge and skills to enable them to contribute successfully to a dynamic and culturally diverse society. The Department s vision is for its multiple constituencies to recognize it as an exemplary leader in undergraduate business education. Goal Statement The Program s primary goal is to prepare students to enter the professional business world in either the public or private sector, to become successful entrepreneurs, or to pursue post-baccalaureate studies. A. Program graduates should be able to understand and apply the general body of knowledge associated with an undergraduate education in Business Administration. A2. Embedded assessment for core business courses A3. Program graduates should be able to understand and apply the specific body of knowledge associated with their concentration(s) of entrepreneurship, finance, management, management information systems and marketing. Student performance will be determined by the student s ability to master the following five core competencies: (1) communication and leadership skills; (2) strategic and critical thinking skills; (3) focus on the A1. Student performance on a nationally standardized test in business core subjects (ETS MFAT). Goal: Fifty Percent of the scores of students taking the exam are at or above the fiftieth percentile. A2-3.70% of the students will Understand the customer, client, and market. 70% of the students will think critically and strategically. 70% of the students will demonstrate good communication and leadership skills by scoring 80% or higher on exams, quizzes, and in class discussions dealing with communications and leadership skills. 70% of students will demonstrate interpretation of converging information by scoring 70% or better on exams, quizzes, and in class discussions dealing with A1. The results for the testing include: 42% of business administration majors taking the exam scored at or above the national average (50 th percentile.). While not reaching the goal, this is a 1% decline over the scores last year. A2. Last year the department, working with the Dean, attempted to embed assessment measures into the individual core business courses of the business administration degree. While this practice can be valuable for each of the professors teaching the course, it has been difficult to administer and manage. Further, the performance goals listed, while appropriate for the overall program are not always appropriate for specific courses. A3. 82% of students responded through the capstone course as demonstrating critical and strategic thinking. 89% of the students developed communication and leadership A1. Upon review of last year s scores, a continuation of previous changes were held constant, namely a change in the pre-requisites for BUS 4303, the course in which the standardized test is administered, were changed: Beginning Spring 2007 students must take the course during their last semester. Further, the prerequisites for Principles of Marketing and Principles of Management were changed to include ECON 2003 Principles and Problems of Economics.

7 customer, client, and market; (4) interpretation of converging information; (5) technologically adept business related technology by scoring 80% or higher on related exams, quizzes, class discussions or other class activity. A3. Graduating senior alumni, employer, and current skills documented through peer evaluation assessments. student feedback on student learning related to the business core subjects. Performance goals have not yet been established....