DEAN’S RESPONSE
Planning and Review Committee
Program: BS Sustainable Management
College: College of Management
Year: 2013
Recommendations for the Program Director:
Issue/Concern: #1. There are too many program objectives (total of 16) (Self-study)
Response from Program Director: On December 13 and 14, 2012 the following people from the
Sustainable Management Administrative Team met to address this issue of program objectives found
within the BS in Sustainable Management (BSSMGT) Program:
David Schejbal, Dean Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning (CEOEL), University of
Wisconsin-Extension
Gregory Trudeau, Associate Dean, CEOEL, University of Wisconsin-Extension
George Kroeninger, Assistant Dean, CEOEL, University of Wisconsin - Extension
Crystal Fey, Program Manager for the BSSMGT, CEOEL, University of Wisconsin – Extension
Jerry Hembd, Academic Director - BSSMGT, University of Wisconsin – Superior
Robert Baker, Academic Director - BSSMGT, University of Wisconsin – River Falls
Richard Walasek, Academic Director – BSSMGT, University of Wisconsin – Parkside
Dennis Weibel, Academic Director – BSSMGT, University of Wisconsin – Stout.
The group worked for a day and half to review the 16 original program objectives and revamped them.
The end product of those efforts includes a list of six learner competencies. These six overarching goals
will provide guidance to the four campuses, the academic directors and instructors located on those
campuses, and establish a solid framework for the program to move forward. The end product also
contains 18 program outcomes, which provide further definition of the overall course of the program.
These outcomes are measurable and are meant to provide individual instructors specific measures for their
courses. Said competencies and outcomes:
A. Students will analyze sustainability issues from local to global perspectives
B. Students will describe and interpret social, scientific, and business related information in the
context of sustainability
C. Students will be able to make informed judgments that lead to sustainable outcomes
D. Students will employ systems thinking approaches to evaluate sustainability issues
E. Students will be able to communicate sustainability principles to diverse audiences
F. Students will integrate sustainability concepts into applied settings and projects
The academic directors are in the process of assigning a suite of 3 to 4 outcomes to each course
originating from their campus (with input from instructors on their campus). The ultimate goal will be
the assessment on a semester basis of these outcomes within individual courses by the respective
instructors. The Program Manager at CEOEL will assemble those assessments and develop a semester
report on the status of the program as a whole as it relates to the set of Learning Competencies and
Program Objectives. Those reports will be disseminated to the four campuses.
Response from Dean: UW-Stout College of Management will monitor the progress of the six identified
learner competencies and make sure that faculty members assigned to teaching courses adhere to these
learning outcomes.
PRC Sustainable Management – COM Dean’s response
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Issue/Concern: #2. The program objectives are unclear and do not reflect the nature of the program (Selfstudy)
Response from Program Director: See above response as it relates to this concern. It should also be
noted that John Stone from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater has been contracted by the Dean of
CEOEL to assemble a team of people (both external and internal to the program) to provide a formal
review of the entire program beginning in June of 2013. At the end of the review, results will be
disseminated to the four campuses. Upon arrival of those results at Stout campus the Academic Director
will forward them to the Dean of the College of Management and the Program Review Committee (PRC)
for review and comment.
Response from Dean: COM Dean’s office will await the aforementioned formal review of the entire
program for review and comment.
Issue/Concern: #3. The membership of advisory board is unclear (Self-study)
Response from Program Director: The Sustainable Management Program is a collaborative project
between four universities and CEOEL within the University of Wisconsin System. Currently there is no
agreement among those entities on the makeup of advisory boards for specific programs, nor on the role
of those boards. With that said, the role of advisory boards has not been absent from this program.
Indeed, the basic structure of the program, its competencies and outcomes were developed with direct
input from the following businesses and industries in Wisconsin:
B.S. Sustainable Management Founding Advisory Board Membership
Organization
City
Leonardo Academy
Madison
Appleton Papers
Appleton
Sacred Heart Hospital
Eau Claire
Mayor's Office of Sustainable Development, City
of Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Business For Good
Whitefish Bay
Representative Fred Clark
Wisconsin State Assembly
42nd District (Baraboo)
Madison and Baraboo
Riley Construction Company
Kenosha
Quad Graphics
Sussex
Kohl's Department Stores
Menomonee Falls
Representative Tamara Grisby
Wisconsin State Assembly
18th District (Milwaukee)
Madison,WI
Haig Jackson Communications
Milwaukee
Enbridge Energy Company
Superior
Aurora Health Care
Milwaukee
JohnsonDiversey
Sturtevant
Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce Milwaukee
Minnesota Power
Duluth
Wisconsin Focus on Energy
Madison
Ecolution and Innovation for Sustainable
Operations
DePere
The Natural Step-Canada
Madison
American Society for Quality
Milwaukee
PRC Sustainable Management – COM Dean’s response
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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Madison
Waukesha County Economic Development
Corporation
Pewaukee
Johnson Controls
Milwaukee
Kranz Inc
Racine
Ford Motor Company
Dearborn
Anxiter International, Inc
Glenview
Stone Creek Coffee Roasters
Milwaukee
American Red Cross-SE Wisconsin
Milwaukee
SC Johnson
Racine
Veolia Environmental Services
Milwaukee
Zimmerman Design
Milwaukee
The individual members from these businesses were critical to the development of the program; they “sat
at the table” during the program’s conception. Their involvement continued through the inception of the
program, and ended at that point. The collaborative nature of the program fills some of the void left by
the absence of a consistent advisory board. For instance, the program has monthly input from the
aforementioned administrative team, consisting of the four academic directors and the personnel from
CEOEL. Each of those individuals brings with them input from their campus and their area of the state.
They also bring with them ongoing conversations with businesses within their area, and the broader
evaluation of the program as a whole. This reviewer does see a need for a set of individuals from
businesses across the state that provides more frequent and systematic review of the program and
feedback. As mentioned previously, this item is one item that will continue to be addressed.
Response from Dean: The College of Management supports the composition of the B.S. Sustainable
Management Administrative Team who serves in an advisory capacity. The College of Management will
provide assistance, when needed, to identify individuals from business and look forward to the outcome
of discussions for increased representation by external stakeholders.
PRC Sustainable Management – COM Dean’s response
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