COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Curriculum Committee
January 20, 2015
2:00 p.m.
2014-15 #6
Page i of ii
Present
E. Towell (chair), A. Dzuranin, J. Johnson, J. Burton, V. Krishnan, C. Petersen, C. Higgins,
A. Buhrow, L. Marcellus, M. Salmon
Absent
A. Singh
Action on Minutes
Minutes from the Fifth Meeting, December 2, 2014, were approved.
Undergraduate Student
Representative
Crystal Higgins (marketing major) was introduced as the undergraduate student
representative to the committee for the spring semester.
Undergraduate Learning
Goals and Objectives
It was announced the new college undergraduate Learning Goals and Objectives were
approved by the College Senate December 17, 2014. Next a Learning Goal and Objective
mapping process will take place, assessment indicators will be identified, and a means for
measuring the objectives will be established. Parallel MBA projects will also take place this
semester.
Assessment Update:
MBA Program
A. Buhrow gave an update on the MBA program assessment. The MBA program has one set
of learning goals and objectives for all delivery formats. Objectives were assessed in fall
2013 or spring 2014 with the target performance level set at 85% of students will meet or
exceed expectations. Objective 1: Strategic Integration fell below target for the Evening
Hoffman Estates, Evening Naperville, and Executive MBA delivery formats.
The following A-Team recommendations made at their September 30, 2014 meeting were
approved by the College Curriculum Committee:
 The MBA faculty group revising the MBA learning goals, learning objectives, and
curriculum should consider the delivery formats performing below the target
performance level for strategic integration.
 The A-Team should make the following improvements to the MBA Assurance of
Learning process starting spring 2015.
o Ensure the correct primary traits are being used to assess student work.
o Ensure the right depth of learning is occurring, being demonstrated, and
being assessed.
o Ensure appropriate placement of embedded assessment measures in
courses.
o Ensure faculty are assessing student work correctly
o Use multiple measures, including indirect measures.
o Use pre-post design.
o Use appropriate targets to identify opportunities for improvement.
Assessment Update:
CBK 1-5
An update was given by A. Buhrow on the assessment of the Common Business Knowledge
1-5 objectives. These Common Business Knowledge learning objectives are assessed in
UBUS 310 and UBUS 311 using embedded exam questions. The target performance level
for the spring 2014 results is 65% of questions answered correctly by learning objective.
Assessment was reported for both DeKalb and Rockford student groups. All topics were
above the target performance level for both groups. For DeKalb students only five of the 52
primary traits (bond valuation, time value of money, external environment, current ratio, and
fixed asset turnover) fell below the 65% target. Rockford students also fell below the target
on five primary traits (risk and return, debt/equity, current ratio, fixed asset turnover, and
interpretation change). Several initiatives were put in place to help improve the items which
fell below target including voice over slide decks were prepared for all lectures pertaining to
Finance content, a study guide/review sheet/self-quiz was created to help with the Ratio
Analysis Interpretation topic, peer tutors were made available, and additional review material
was added for the Cross-Functional Expertise topic.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Curriculum Committee
January 20, 2015
2:00 p.m.
2014-15 #6
Page ii of ii
At its October 14, 2014 meeting, the A-Team recommended to move the assessment project
to an even year spring cycle. The College Curriculum Committee approved this
recommendation.
Assessment Update:
Written Business
Communication
A. Buhrow gave an update on the Written Business Communication assessment. The target
is that 75% of students will meet or exceed expectations. The most recent data was collected
from one section of MGMT 346 and from FINA 395 during fall 2013 and spring 2014.
Students in MGMT 346 were asked to deliver a negative message using a memo or to write a
persuasive letter. Finance students were asked to write a cover letter for a resume
submission. The college business writing rubric created by the MGMT 346 faculty in 2010
was applied. The target was met with 96.84% of students meeting or exceeding
expectations.
The following A-Team recommendations made at their November 11, 2014 meeting were
approved by the College Curriculum Committee:
 Continue to monitor the results.
 Evaluate the assessment process to ensure the following:
o Consistent assignments and draft/revision processes are used across
majors.
o Coder bias is eliminated through blind review.
o A representative sample is selected.
Evaluation of UBUS
310 and UBUS 311
As UBUS courses fall under the purview of the College Curriculum Committee, the
committee started a discussion to evaluate UBUS 310 and UBUS 311. The initial review
will focus on UBUS 311. Faculty teaching the course will be invited to the next meeting.
Prior to the meeting, committee members will be supplied some background materials
related to the course and are to seek input from their departments which will help drive the
next meeting’s discussion.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 2:47 p.m.
Minutes approved: February 17, 2015
________________________________________
James Burton, Assistant Faculty Chair/Secretary
JB:cw