COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
LEARNING ASSURANCE PROGRAM
I.
Assessment Philosophy and program goals
The purpose of any Learning Assurance program is to improve the quality of learning attained by students. The ultimate goal of
the CBA business program is to educate students and prepare them for successful careers in business. By utilizing a variety of
assessment tools regularly applied, the CBA can determine how successfully it is accomplishing the goals set forth in its mission
statement. By building on its strengths and improving on weaknesses, the CBA can continue to raise the quality of education
received by its students, consistent not only with CBA goals but those of the university as well.
II. Student outcomes and competencies
Students who earn a BA in any of the business disciplines represented in the CBA should have a solid grasp of business
fundamentals and management-specific knowledge skills acquired primarily through courses in the business core. In addition, our
graduates should have strong written and oral communication skills. To satisfy these goals, the CBA has established the following
outcomes and competencies for its students.
OUTCOME 1:
Graduates should have a good understanding of Essential Business Knowledge.
Competency 1.1
Competency 1.2
Competency 1.3
Competency 1.4
Master disciplinary content knowledge
Use quantitative skills to aid in business decision making
Apply information management skills to aid in business decision making
Understand business integration, in a cross-functional, global, contextual perspective.
OUTCOME 2:
Graduates should have contemporary professional skills.
Competence 2.1
Competency 2.2
Competency 2.3
Competency 2.4
Have capable written communication skills
Have capable oral communication skills
Have effective interpersonal skills
Be able to learn apply analytical thinking skills
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OUTCOME 3:
Graduates should maintain and improve on traditional work values
Competency 3.1
Competency 3.2
Understand ethical behavior
Display other work values
III. Frequency of Assessment.
Using a variety of assessment methods and techniques, students are assessed every semester. Some competencies are examined
during every assessment period while others are looked at periodically. Frequency will be discussed as each assessment is
described.
IV. Assessment methods
A. End-of-program exam
An end-of-program exam has been devised by faculty from all departments in the CBA. This exam addresses knowledge we
would like all CBA graduates to have been taught in core courses. Thus, the questions are more general or high-level than those
found in final exams for core courses. Questions also cover cross-curricular content and skills—for instance, critical thinking,
ethics, and international business—insofar as these can be assessed with machine-scorable items. Specifically, the exam evaluates
how well students have mastered disciplinary content knowledge, can use quantitative skills in decision making, and understand
business integration. In addition, interpersonal and thinking skills as well as an understanding of ethics are also evaluated on the
exam.
The exam is administered in the Business Policy and Strategy course each semester. This course is taken by all CBA business
majors in their senior year and is generally analogous to a business capstone class.
Most of this exam remains constant from year to year, but wording changes in some questions, as well as occasional
additions/deletions to reflect changes in curricular content are made. Such changes notwithstanding, student exam scores are
quite comparable from year-to-year, allowing us to determine how our undergraduate program is performing.
B. Selected Professional Skills Initiative Components
The Professional Skills Initiative (PSI) has been developed by CBA faculty and administrators, with input from the College’s
Executive Advisory Board, alumni, and members of the business community. Like other business schools, the CBA has long
recognized the importance of thinking, communication, interpersonal, and other “soft skills” for our students’ long-term career
success.
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A small number of skill development modules, typically between two and four, are offered every semester. These are minicourses delivered during evening and weekend sessions by interested faculty, adjuncts, alumni, and outside professionals. As
befits their skill development content, modules are taught through a highly interactive, experiential approach. Not all students
participate in the PSI program but those involved are considered a representative sample of all CBA students.
Assessment mechanisms are embedded in many PSI skill modules and in other parts of the program as well. Oral and written
communication skills and thinking skills are frequently assessed in the modules evaluated.
C. Samples of writing
A sample of papers written by students in selected marketing classes is examined every semester. In addition, required papers
written for co-op experiences are also evaluated. The papers are evaluated against a rubric developed to determine writing
competency.
D. Co-op evaluations
Every CBA department offers a co-op experience for students. At the end of the experience, employers fill out a form evaluating
students in three broad areas: Attitudes and Behaviors; Basic Skills; and Quality of Effort and Overall Performance. There is also
an open-ended section to be filled out by the employer/organization. These evaluations are examined on an ongoing basis by
department heads. While only a sample of the pool of CBA students, it appears to be representative as the number of students
seeking co-op experiences increases.
E. Surveys of graduating students and alumni
Periodically, an opinion survey is administered to graduating students. The survey is created and done as part of the AACSB/EBI
Student Satisfaction Project. Students complete a comprehensive questionnaire that includes a variety of demographic
information as well as 120 questions in a 1-7 scale format addressing various aspects that may be associated with student
satisfaction in undergraduate programs. Participating institutions receive extensive information about their students' satisfaction
and comparative information about six peer/competitor programs of their choice. Information provided to participating
institutions for the six peer/competitor programs is reported for each school, without specifying individual school identities.
Further, various departments periodically survey recent and intermediate term alumni for impressions of the program as well as
specific components of the CBA majors. Suggestions for improvement are solicited and evaluated for incorporation into proposed
program improvements.
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F. Samples of case study analysis and presentations
Students are regularly assigned case studies and asked to provide analyses. They then make presentations on their work and are
evaluated against a rubric developed looking at three components: Content, Structure, and Delivery. The Content Evaluation
looks for clarity, foundation, validity of analysis, and logic of conclusions. The Structure Evaluation looks for consistency,
coherence and overall structure of the presentation. The Delivery Evaluation looks for fluency, self-confidence, attire, technology
use and facilitation of a question and answer session.
In addition, a selection of final cases studies from the capstone business policy and strategy course are assessed for an
understanding of how business functions must be integrated for effective strategic decision making.
G. Course Embedded Evaluations
As part of the requirements for a small number of core courses, students are required to demonstrate mastery and control of
certain skills. Not coincidentally, these skills are also specific Learning Goals and consequently course performance is used to
evaluate competency.
H. Post-test in Business Policy and Strategy
Every year, students completing the Business and Policy Strategy class are evaluated on written communication skills, oral
communication skills and interpersonal skills.
Using a wide variety of instruments, a summary of achievement in each area
is developed.
V. Method of evaluating and interpreting results and implementing recommendations.
Every semester, the CBA Learning Assurances Committee meets with the deans and department heads to discuss the reported
results form all of the assessment methods. This group makes recommendations for improvements in three areas: Assessment
Tools, Learning Assurance/Outcomes Assessment (LA/OA) Program and Curriculum.
Recommendations for change in the assessment tools are made to the appropriate parties who then report to the LA/OA
committee. The committee then sees that the changes are implemented in the appropriate assessment tool.
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Recommendations for changes in the LA/OA program are sent to the appropriate department head. The head sees that department
faculty make the changes. The implementation of these changes is then reported to the LA/OA committee.
Curriculum change recommendations are sent to departments. The department head and faculty determine how to respond to the
recommendations. If the determined response requires formal review, the department submits the changes to the curricular review
process. Once final curricular review is completed and recommendations approved, the curriculum is changed and the LA/OA
committee notified. If the response does not need to be approved through the established curricular process, the changes are
implemented and reported to the LA/OA committee.
The LA/OA committee, heads, and deans are responsible for monitoring all phases of the program. Regular meetings and
communication ensure compliance and consistency of the program
The following flow chart provides a graphic view of the LA/OA process.
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Establish and Monitor
Learning Assurance
Program:
Mission, Ambitions, Goals, Curriculum,
and other outcomes assessment data
LA Committee defines
goals, where goals should
be achieved, how goals
are assessed, and
measurement tools for
assessment
LEARNING
ASSURANCE
PROGRAM
Assess Per the Learning
Assurance Program
Plan:
Timing and responsibilities outlined in plan
ASSESSMENT TOOL
IMPROVEMENTS
LA PROGRAM
IMPROVEMENTS
CURRICULUM
IMPROVEMENTS
Approve or Reject
Curriculum Changes:
Refine Assessment
Tools:
Faculty Council reviews
all curriculum change
requests for approval or
denial: Denials are
returned to departments:
Approvals are forwarded
Appropriate parties refine
assessments tools
RESULTS
Review Session:
Review results and make
appropriate recommendations (twice annually –
LA Review Committee*)
ASSESSMENT TOOL
RECOMMENDATIONS
LA PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATIONS
CURRICULUM
RECOMMENDATIONS
Refine Curriculum:
Department Heads and
faculty determine how to
respond to curriculum
recommendations
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Refine Learning
Assurance Program:
Appropriate LAC
members, faculty, and
heads make adjustments
to program
Implement Curriculum
Improvements
CURRICULUM
RECOMMENDATIONS
REFINED
YES
Department faculty
implement new
curriculum: Catalogue
changes made as needed
Requires
FC
approval?
CURRICULUM
CHANGES
NO
CBA LEARNING ASSURANCE SUMMARY
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
EVALUATION
MISSION
LEARNING GOALS
EOP
Exam
Essential Business
Knowledge
1. Master Disciplinary Content
Knowledge
X
2. Use Quantitative Skills
X
3. Apply Information Skills
X
PSI
5. Develop Written Communication
Skills
7. Develop Interpersonal Skills
Traditional
Work Values
CBA-LA-OA-10-7-08
9. Understand Ethical Behavior
10. Display Other Work Values
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
8. Learn to Use Thinking Skills
X
X
Post
test
BPS
X
X
6. Develop Oral Communication
Course
Alum Case Study
Coop
Embedded
& Grad Analysis &
Eval
Assessmen
Survey Presentation
t
X
4. Understand Business Integration:
Cross-functional, global,
contextual perspective
Contemporary
Professional
Skills
Samples
of
Writing
X
X
X
X
X
X