Academic Program Review SUMMARY*
Department under review____Management_________________
Date self-study received in Dean’s office 7/30/2013
Date of external consultant’s review 4/24/2013
Date APR received report 1/3/2014
APR’S summary of self-study (first two boxes must be completed)
APR’s summary of how the academic program attempts to reach its goals and objectives
and the extent to which those goals and objectives have been achieved.
The Management Department is an integral part of the College of Business Administration and the
Masters in Business Administration program. To that end, it offers an undergraduate major (no
minor), administers three courses which are required for all business students (MGT 308, 393, and
449), offers elective courses and team teaches courses in the MBA, and contributes personnel to
courses that are a part of interdisciplinary minors (e.g., sustainable business minor). Its goals are to
be an integral part of the College of Business, and to offer students an education in current, ethical,
and sustainable business management practices in a global economy.
The number of majors has remained relatively stable; however, the number of graduates has
recently decreased (mean number of graduates was 92 from 2006-2010; mean was 86 and 72 in
2011 and 2012, respectively). The department notes that this may be due to the change in how the
major was configured (see more detail under curriculum), and also a result of the economic
recession. The CBA Dean noted that numbers are expected to begin rising with the improved
economy.
The department itself is changing and growing, with the majority of the faculty being relatively
new (2 tenured, 8 probationary). This, coupled with a flexible program, allows for current
information in the major, and the ability to meet students’ interests and needs. Departmental
SLO’s have been defined and revised in response to assessment data. While the assessment
practices the department uses in relation to the college are more clear than those for the department,
there are rudimentary measures in place that demonstrate that SLO’s are being accomplished.
There is evidence of responsiveness to assessment data, and the department appears to be meeting
their goals of being an active collaborative member of the college through their interdisciplinary
work with college minors and the MBA program, and of educating students in current, ethical,
sustainable business management practices.
APR’s comments including:
Notable Strengths
1. Current information in course content.
2. Flexible program, with students able to fashion electives to their individual interests.
3. Engaged faculty, who are active in their respective fields.
Notable Weaknesses/Challenges
1. Low ratio of tenured faculty to probationary faculty.
2. Ongoing search and screens that demand time and energy from an under-staffed faculty.
3. An assessment plan for departmental SLO’s, while present, is not clearly developed.
4. Large turnover of faculty, partly due to non-competitive wages. This can lead to difficulty in
developing consistent coursework (which is based on faculty expertise), and hence, a consistent
plan of assessment for departmental SLO’s.
APR comments on any/all of the six specific components of the self-study (if applicable)
Self Study: Purposes
The Management Department, as an integral part of the College of Business Administration and
Masters Degree in Business Administration, embraces the visions of each. These address
educating students in becoming responsible global citizens, serving their communities, and making
sound decisions that serve organizations and communities. In addition, the department’s vision
addresses the provision of an education that facilitates an understanding of business and its
management, including the practices of sustainability and ethical decision-making, within the
current global business environment.
Self Study: Curriculum
Acceptance into this major requires admission to the College of Business. The major consists of 24
credits, 9 of which are required (MGT 328, 360, & 408), and 15 of which are electives, which
reflect current trends in the field (e.g. Business in China, Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Management, Green Operations Management), along with 36 credits of college core requirements.
Some of this coursework is applicable toward a new Sustainability Business Minor.
Major changes in the curriculum were made in order to keep pace with changes in the field, and
were based on assessment data. First and foremost, the department moved from a major with three
tracks (Technology, Human Resources, and International Management), to a “trackless” major,
where students take electives to support their individual interests. As part of this move, two
courses for program requirements were replaced so that the curriculum better supported the
department’s mission and vision. While the department allows work experience to count toward
graduation, only 3 of an obtainable 6 credits can be applied toward the major itself. Although
advising is optional, it is strongly encouraged so that students can fulfill their goals toward
graduation in a timely manner.
Self Study: Assessment of Student Learning & Degree of Program Success
Assessment work is completed by the department for college-wide assessment in the three
management courses (MGT 308, 393, and 449) required by the college. This work is outstanding,
and is in keeping with the recognized strong culture of assessment in the CBA. It includes
embedded course assignments, along with common rubrics which assess student learning traits
(e.g., critical thinking, written and oral communication, global context of business, etc.). In
addition to these three courses, the college requires students to take a nationally standardized test,
which measures knowledge competency in key areas, including management. Data obtained at the
college level is added to data obtained through a survey taken by management seniors, with it
directly and indirectly measuring the department’s SLO’s. Besides illuminating ways to improve
the methodology for the next cycle, the data demonstrated that all SLO’s were being met.
As a result of assessment data, the department identified four learning objectives that were
documented in the 2010 biennial report. Again, as a result of assessment data, those outcomes
were revised in 2012 to address: management practices and their evaluation in both global and
domestic contexts, with emphasis on ethics and social responsibility; the evaluation and
recommendation of management practices that addressed group/organizational behaviors; and,
using management foundational knowledge to analyze and recommend solutions to business
problems. Due to this change, the department is in a period of transition as a plan for the
measurement of the new objectives is fully developed. This self-study mostly addressed 2010
SLO’s.
The plan for direct measures of the department’s SLO’s in courses other than the three
management courses for the college assessment, is unclear. Descriptions of key assignments were
reported in relation to two of the department-required courses (MGT 360, 408), and a few elective
courses (MGT 485, 486, and 450-452). Although assignments and their relationship to college
and/or departmental SLO’s, student performance in those assignments, and subsequent planned
revisions for teaching were all reported, the data was mostly narrative in nature, and lacked clarity
with regard to how they directly measured departmental SLO’s. In addition, MGT 450-452 are
internship courses, where students are given feedback by people outside of the university setting.
Data suggested that stronger assessment of these internship experiences would be helpful in the
future.
Besides direct assessment, the department also engaged in several indirect assessment measures for
the management program, including a survey that measured the students’ perceptions of their
learning and an alumni survey. Each of these provided the department with valuable program
information.
In summary:
 The department’s participation in the college level assessment process is strong, with clear,
positive outcomes reported, along with a process of revision.
 Narrative reports for a few courses (MGT 360, 485, 486), along with a Competency in the
Major survey/report (2011), support a process of assessment, analysis, and revision within
the department. However, the pieces and measures that make up the departmental
assessment process for courses beyond those required by the CBA, along with departmental
SLO’s, are not well-delineated and/or organized within a unified department-wide
assessment plan.
Self Study: Previous Academic Program Review and New Program Initiatives
Previous academic program review occurred at the college level. There were no specific
recommendations made that were particular to the Management Department.
Self Study: Personnel
The department chair reports that there are presently ten faculty on tenure track, only two of which
are tenured. All new hires have either taken the place of retirees, or are new hires connected to the
department and college missions and visions for cross-disciplinary minors (International Business
and Sustainability), and to supporting Business Communication, Entrepreneurship &
Sustainability, and Health Care Management. In addition, there are three IAS faculty, and a fourth
that is shared with and housed in the Marketing department. There are still two unfilled tenure
track positions. It was noted that recruiting and maintaining faculty is difficult, given the non-
competitive wages that UW-L offers, and that this difficulty impacts subsequent efforts on
coursework and assessment efforts.
At the present time, with the exception of the ongoing searches, there was no mention of
overloads. However, upon speaking with the department chair, two exceptions to this were noted:
1) the need for a second IAS to teach in the areas of Business Communication (to implement a
CBA Undergraduate Curriculum Committee recommendation that Business Communication be
required for all business majors); and, 2) The Production Management area, which has declined
from three tenure-track faculty members in 2005 to one tenure-track faculty member plus one IAS
(who is close to retirement).
Self Study: Support for Achieving Academic Program Goals (Resources)
At the time of the self-study, the department had enough resources in relation to both physical
facilities and supplies/equipment. However, the department is growing, and there is a possibility
that there will not be enough office space once they are at full staff. While the move to Wittich
may solve some of these issues, solutions are not guaranteed at this time.
With regard to external funding: the department states that resources within the college,
department, and university have been adequate to support research. Even so, funding for summer
salaries is low, with some staff acquiring second jobs in the summer in order to secure additional
income, which can detract from research time.
External Reviewer Recommendations
APR’s Comments on External Reviewer (if applicable)
The college, as a whole, received another 5 years of accreditation, with no specific
recommendations for the management department.
Department’s response to the Reviewer Recommendations
APR’s Comments on the Department’s Response (if applicable)
There was no specific information that addressed the management department. It is
assumed that the management department will be affected by steps the Dean delineated with regard
to updating qualifications of staff in order to align with new standards, and redefining standards for
scholarly productivity in relation to staff qualifications at the college level.
Dean’s Letter
APR’s Comments on Dean’s Letter (if applicable)
Within a contextual description of the CBA as a whole, the Dean described the Management
Department as strong. Enrollment is now rebounding; assessment measures are strong; revisions
are made based on assessment data; faculty are engaged with students; and, new hires have reenergized the department with regard to scholarship and teaching. The Dean reiterated the concern
regarding the ratio of tenured to probationary faculty.
APR’s Recommendations (must be completed)
Recommendations:
This committee recognizes the strong culture of assessment within the college, and that expanding
that culture to individual departments takes time. In addition, it recognizes the transitions for this
particular department in relation to faculty, and the subsequent impact this has on the revision of
the major itself, the student learning outcomes within the major, and the assessment processes.
With that in mind, the following is recommended:
1. Continue the established excellent assessment practices in which the department
participates with regard to the three college-required courses.
2. While assessment practices are in place with regard to college assessment, further
developing a department assessment plan that is related to the newly developed program
SLO’s is recommended.
3. Given the ratio of tenured to probationary faculty, the department should seek support
(from the Dean’s office and/or other departments) so that probationary faculty’s efforts
toward tenure do not become compromised. Strong mentorship will be especially important
in light of the new requirements the Dean is putting in place with regard to staff
qualifications and accompanying scholarship requirements.
4. Continue to advocate for faculty that will support the departmental needs in relation to
Business Communication and Production Management.
5. The department is encouraged to be proactive with regard to needed faculty office space
with the move to Wittich, especially given that the department is growing.
X No serious areas to address – review in next regularly scheduled cycle
□ Some areas to address – review in next regularly scheduled cycle
□ Some areas to address – department should submit short report on progress to Fac
Senate/Provost’s Office in 3 years
* APR’s report to faculty senate will consist of this completed form in electronic form.