Minutes: Continuous Improvement Committee

Oct 13, 2013

Present: Lynn Jones (non voting member); Koren Borges; Adel El-Ansary; Bruce Fortado; Cheryl Frolich; Chris Baynard

Meeting began at 3:00 pm and ended 3:54 pm.

Notes taken by Chris Baynard

Committee voted Chris Baynard as Chair- during his first attendance.

Items discussed- some from the previous meeting (which Baynard did not attend):

  • Rolling window: when should assessment be conducted? Committee was waiting for sufficient data.
  • Dean had previously agreed to pay 3 times for 5 years window because of costs.
  • The rolling window was seen as less onerous on the faculty.
  • Critical thinking: the Spring 2013 BC test would provide insight into assessment.
  • Fall 2014 recommended assessment due to expire.
  • Ethics was the big topic at the undergraduate level. At the grad level, Steve Paulson would be providing Spring and Summer data.
  • Up to the Depts to decide on whether to assess in Fall or Spring.
  • Categories: above satisfactory; satisfactory; below satisfactory.
  • MBA executive round table feedback: Recommended improving writing skills, which had not yet been addressed, as well as critical thinking, communication, leadership and ethics. There is a need to integrate across the functional silos.
  • Fall 2012 (term 1):
  • We have data for some, not all classes. Chairs would inform the classes that needed to be assessed.
  • We need 3 data points for the 5-year window.
  • Nov 5, 2012- during this meeting standardizing rubrics was discussed.
  • Undergrad Curriculum Committee (UCC) felt it wasn’t a good idea to allow English and Speech to evaluate themselves.
  • Business Law- should ethics be addressed here or in the Ethics course?
  • The UCC wanted to wait till strategic plan was complete.
  • Idea: to bring in outside reviewer/facilitator to help develop strategic plan for CCB. A request for proposals (RFP) would seek outside/external consultants to facilitate this process and would include:
  • Summary of how to handle the process (i.e. surveys, face to face meetings)
  • Estimated cost
  • Client list- this could be a partial list and include non-profits.
  • Deliverables: data analysis, formalized strategic plan.
  • Once we have direction, then the curriculum can be attached.
  • Revisit leadership coverage in the Grad Curriculum Committee (GCC).
  • AACSB leadership has to be part of the graduate curriculum.
  • MAN 5036- deals with this issue, but all MBA students must be exposed.
  • It was asked if Gundlach’s marketing course in the MBA program covered this in terms of having a simulation in which students took on a leadership role. Does CAPSIM cover this?
  • 6204- Paulson had agreed to do ethics assessment.
  • Wayne Coleman and Rahul Kale had sent info to the UCC.
  • Should assessment take place at the end of each course?
  • Sample size- the current performance thresholds may be harsh. In the ETS, scores were based on percentiles, not percentages. Many students fall into the Satisfactory of Below Satisfactory level. However, thresholds would not be changed. Perhaps there were errors in the calculations?
  • In-course assessment results should come to a central assessment point: Blackboard.
  • ECO 3411 and MAN 4550 courses were discussed- in the context of which CCB students have to take which stats courses. It was mentioned that Econ students and maybe Accounting students had to take more (and harder) stats courses- and should all CCB majors be required to take these courses?
  • Marketing Majors: only majors in CCB not required to take a second statistics course. Adel was going to follow up with Ron Adams as to whether ECO 3411 would be required for Marketing majors.
  • Alternative: Business Calculus could be required of all CCB majors.
  • The Executive Committee would determine which prereqs must be taken.
  • Cheryl Campbell had (previously) noted that this could be problematic to administer through Banner.
  • Also, this causes problems for students who currently take this course at the end.
  • Diagnostic testing for incoming transfers.
  • ACG 3103 and ACG 2021- to ensure students knew material well enough; if not they would have to take these courses again.
  • Could be used as a threshold for all majors and minors and promoted widely.
  • There would likely be resistance among Depts. I.e. this may work for Accounting but not for Marketing.
  • Introduce Ethics module into non-capstone courses. But UCC we should wait until we figure out the Strategic Plan.
  • MAN 4600- Koren observed she was not pleased with the assessment, but she was willing to work on it and change it. Lynn OK’d this.

RECAP

  • Reviewed old minutes and approved them.
  • No action items for now.
  • Lynn would send out an email to remind Depts about data collection.