REQUEST TO COLLEGE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE FOR CURRICULAR IMPROVEMENTS
DEPARTMENT: BUS PROPOSED EFFECTIVE SEMESTER: Fall 2009 COLLEGE: Haworth College of Business
PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS
Academic Program
Substantive Course Changes
Misc. Course Changes
New degree*
New course
Title
New major*
Pre or Co-requisites
Description (attach current & proposed)
New curriculum*
Deletion (required by others)
Deletion (not required by others)
New concentration*
Course #, different level
Course #, same level
New certificate
Credit hours
Variable credit
X New minor
Enrollment restriction
Credit/no credit
Revised major
Course-level restriction
Cross-listing
Revised minor
Prefix
Title and description
COGE reapproval
Admission requirements
(attach current & proposed)
Other (explain**)
Graduation requirements
General education (select one)
Deletion
Transfer
Not Applicable
Other (explain**)
Other (explain**)
** Other:
Business Administration Minor
Title of degree, curriculum, major, minor, concentration, or certificate:
Existing course prefix and #:
N/A
Proposed course prefix and #:
BUS with numbers below
Credit hours:
3 each
The proposed Business Administration Minor would consist of five courses and one elective @ 3 credit hours for a total of
18 credit hours:
 BUS 2001: Accounting
 BUS 2002: Marketing
 BUS 2003: Information Technology in Business
 BUS 3001: Finance
 BUS 3002: Management
Electives: At least one of the following is required to complete the minor:
 BUS 3003: Commercial Law
 BUS 3004: Business Communication: Analysis and Application
Existing course title:
N/A
Proposed course title:
Titles shown above
Existing course prerequisite & co-requisite(s):
N/A
BUS 2001 is a prerequisite to BUS 3001
Proposed course co-requisite(s): None
Proposed course prerequisite(s):
Proposed course prerequisite(s) that can also be taken concurrently:
Is there a minimum grade for the prerequisites or corequisites?
N/A
No
The default grades are D for undergraduates and C for graduates.
Major/minor or classification restrictions:
Minor classes are open to all WMU students who have completed 26 credit hours and are in good standing with the
university.
For 5000 level prerequisites & corequisites: Do these apply to: (circle one) undergraduates
Specifications for University Schedule of Classes:
a. Course title (maximum of 30 spaces):
See seven titles shown above
Revised May 2007. All previous forms are obsolete and should not be used.
graduates
both
b. Multi-topic course: Yes
c. Repeatable for credit:
No
X
No
x No
d. Mandatory credit/no credit:
e. Type of class and contact hours per week (check type and indicate hours as appropriate)
1.
Lecture
3. x Lecture/lab/discussion 3 each 5.
Independent study
2.
Lab or discussion
4.
Seminar or
studio
6.
Supervision or practicum
CIP Code (Registrar’s use only):
Chair/Director
Date
Chair, College Curriculum Committee
Date
Dean David Shields
Date:
Curriculum Manager: Return to dean
Date
Graduate Dean:
Forward to:
Date
Date
Chair, COGE/ PEB / FS President
FOR PROPOSALS REQUIRING GSC/USC REVIEW:
Date
*
Approve
Disapprove
Chair, GSC/USC
Date
*
Approve
Disapprove
Provost
Date
1.
Explain briefly and clearly the proposed improvement.
The proposed Business Administration Minor would consist of five required courses and at least one elective for a
total of eighteen credit hours. Students would take one course in each business subject area. Students could enroll
in these courses after completing 26 credit hours with a cumulative 2.0 GPA, a change from the current
restrictions of 56 credit hours and a cumulative 2.5 GPA. The courses with their broad content areas are:

BUS 2001 (Accounting): Introduction to financial statements, financial reporting requirements, use of financial
information for internal and external decision-making, ethics, basics of taxation.

BUS 2002 (Marketing): Introduction to marketing, ethics, advertising and promotion, sales, logistics

BUS 2003 (Business Information Systems): Introduction to Enterprise Resource Planning systems, ethics, supply
chain management, database management

BUS 3001 (Finance): Corporate financial management, banking, ethics, investments, personal finance

BUS 3002 (Management): Leadership, human resources, ethics, strategy
And at least one of the following electives:
2.

BUS 3003 (Business Law): Regulation of business vs. independence in conducting business, ethics, contracts and
product liability, trademarks, employment law, and decision-making.

BUS 3004 (Business Communication): Strategic message development within the workplace, ethics, verbal and
nonverbal communication, adapting messages to technology.
Rationale. Give your reason(s) for the proposed improvement. (If your proposal includes prerequisites, justify those,
too.)
The proposed Business Administration Minor improves the options available to non-business majors by providing
business courses designed for students pursuing a major outside the business college. This type of program has
been very successful in other colleges and universities nationally but is not offered in our area.
The existing General Business minor consists of 18 credit hours that are taken by Haworth College of Business preBusiness Administration (PBA) and BBA majors. The General Business minor requires that non-majors have a
minimum of 56 credit hours and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 for admission before declaring the minor. However,
instead of building on this platform as BBA students do, non-business students in the General Business Minor are
limited to only entry-level courses. The proposed Business Administration Minor consists of 18 credit hours that
combine the essential elements of each discipline from lower and upper division courses.
The current General Business Minor would continue to exist as the default option for BBA students without
another minor and would be open only to those students pursuing a BBA.
3.
Effect on other colleges, departments or programs. If consultation with others is required, attach evidence of
consultation and support. If objections have been raised, document the resolution. Demonstrate that the program you
propose is not a duplication of an existing one.
A number of programs outside the Haworth College of Business (HCoB) require business courses as part of the
students’ major requirements. Faculty in these programs are invited to consider the proposed minor courses as
potential replacements for the 2000 level BBA courses currently among their students’ major requirements.
Faculty in these non-business programs, such as Textile and Apparel Merchandising, or Secondary Education in
Business, may determine that the minor courses are not only sufficient but advantageous to their students’
program and career needs, as has the Aviation Administration program.
4.
Effect on your department’s programs. Show how the proposed change fits with other departmental offerings.
The newly created syllabi for the Business Administration Minor are an opportunity for HCoB faculty to offer
business concepts and applications for non-business students and settings. Courses would be overseen by boardappointed faculty and, depending on demand, may be taught by part-time instructors well-versed in the discipline.
The department or discipline named in the title of the course will offer and staff the respective courses.
5.
Effects on enrolled students: Are program conflicts avoided? Will your proposal make it easier or harder for students
to meet graduation requirements? Can students complete the program in a reasonable time? Show that you have
considered scheduling needs and demands on students’ time. If a required course will be offered during summer only,
provide a rationale.
This proposal makes meeting graduation requirements easier. The proposed Business Administration Minor will make
it easier for students to graduate in a timely way in the spirit of the Western Edge’s graduation compacts, due to
the easing of enrollment requirements: fewer credit hours (26 instead of 56 credit hours) and lower GPA (2.0
instead of 2.5 GPA). Students could complete the 18 hours required for this minor by the end of their junior year.
If students change from the BBA major to the minor programs, certain rules would apply. Students who begin the
BBA program, then decide not to pursue the major, could apply two of the BBA required fundamental courses to
the proposed Business Administration Minor course requirements at the discretion of the discipline’s department
chair. However, any non-business students who begin in the Business Administration Minor could not use the
minor courses to satisfy BBA requirements.
Course Offerings Schedule: Courses will be offered year round if demand warrants.
6.
Student or external market demand. What is your anticipated student audience? What evidence of student or market
demand or need exists? What is the estimated enrollment? What other factors make your proposal beneficial to
students?
Non-business students are expected to find the proposed Business Administration Minor an attractive option in
conjunction with a major in Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, or Health & Human
Services. The proposed business minor could provide a competitive edge for WMU students when applying for
employment in a business setting, e.g., a theatre major seeking employment with an event organizing firm, or a
chemistry major seeking a job in a chemical manufacturing firm, or a physical education major with an interest in
exercise management.
Demand within WMU is expected to be substantial. Anecdotal evidence suggests that students in other colleges
are very interested in taking business courses earlier than the currently required 56 credit hours, and without
necessarily meeting the same academic requirement, a 2.5 cumulative GPA, as the BBA students.
7.
Effects on resources. Explain how your proposal would affect department and University resources, including faculty,
equipment, space, technology, and library holdings. Tell how you will staff additions to the program. If more advising
will be needed, how will you provide for it? How often will course(s) be offered? What will be the initial one-time costs
and the ongoing base-funding costs for the proposed program? (Attach additional pages, as necessary.)
Faculty to teach the courses could be drawn from among knowledgeable persons in industry if HCoB faculty members
are otherwise assigned. A department faculty member would oversee delivery of consistent content in each course.
Effect on equipment, space, technology: Courses will be taught in Schneider Hall using existing technology.
Library holdings: No additional library resources are anticipated, as the students are current WMU students and the
materials are similar to the same current materials needed by existing courses.
Advising: In general, little advising would be needed for the non-business minors. Most students’ information needs
will be met with booklets that describe the proposed Business Administration Minor requirements and show the seven
course syllabi. The advising office would receive students’ declared minor slips and include newly declared business
minors in the relevant database. A staff member, rather than an Academic Advisor, could be trained to do this.
The main advising need would be for students who are exceptions to the general practices, e.g., those who inquire
about transferring courses for the minor or gaining minor credit for BBA courses. These individuals may require
advising from an Academic Advisor, or the Director of Advising and Admissions, or the relevant Haworth College of
Business department chair.
8.
General education criteria. For a general education course, indicate how this course will meet the criteria for the area
or proficiency. (See the General Education Policy for descriptions of each area and proficiency and the criteria. Attach
additional pages as necessary. Attach a syllabus if (a) proposing a new course, (b) requesting certification for
baccalaureate-level writing, or (c) requesting reapproval of an existing course.)
The Business Administration Minor courses are not intended to serve as General Education courses but will be
available as electives for non-business students interested in a specific discipline. Course descriptions are included
on the last page of this proposal; syllabi have been submitted separately.
9. List the learning outcomes for the proposed course or the revised or proposed major, minor, or concentration. These
are the outcomes that the department will use for future assessments of the course or program.
The measurable learning outcomes for the respective courses are shown in the accompanying syllabi.
10. Describe how this curriculum change is a response to assessment outcomes that are part of a departmental or college
assessment plan or informal assessment activities.
The proposed Business Administration Minor will provide a business-focused alternative for students who do not
require the depth of knowledge provided in the PBA and BBA courses. Our accreditation agency, The Association
to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), shows our student: faculty ratios and student: advisor ratios
currently exceed those of all our peers. Reducing enrollment in the required courses will improve our ratios and is
likely to improve the likelihood of accreditation.
11. (Undergraduate proposals only) Describe, in detail, how this curriculum change affects transfer articulation for
Michigan community colleges. For course changes, include detail on necessary changes to transfer articulation from
Michigan community college courses. For new majors or minors, describe transfer guidelines to be developed with
Michigan community colleges. For revisions to majors or minors, describe necessary revisions to Michigan community
college guidelines. Department chairs should seek assistance from college advising directors or from the admissions
office in completing this section.
Community college students who wish to pursue the proposed Business Administration Minor would be well advised
to take the minor courses in the Haworth College of Business (HCoB) at Western Michigan University, as the
proposed newly-created minor courses are built from concepts taught in more than one course in the discipline. As
concepts and practical knowledge may be drawn from upper level courses that have no equivalent in community
college offerings, the student would benefit most from HCoB’s specially-designed business minor courses.
Current Catalog Copy for the General Business Major and Minor appears in two places: under the
Finance and Commercial Law section on “Majors and Minors” as shown below, and again in more
elaborate form, as shown further below.
Majors and Minors
Majors
Undergraduate majors in Finance and Commercial Law are offered in the following concentrations:
Finance
Finance Major requires 24 credit hours. This includes four required courses (12 credit hours) and four elective
courses (12 credit hours). The required courses for the major are: FIN 3100 Introduction to Financial Markets,
FIN 3200 Business Finance, FIN 3450 Computer Applications in Finance and FIN 3510 Investment Analysis.
The electives are selected in consultation with an FCL Advisor.
Personal Financial Planning
Personal Financial Planning Major is comprised of 24 credit hours. This includes three required courses (9
hours) and five elective courses (15 hours). The required courses for the major are: FIN 3100 Introduction to
Financial Markets, FIN 3200 Business Finance, and FIN 3510 Investment Analysis. The electives are selected
in consultation with an FCL advisor. Students who plan to meet the education requirements of the CFP®
Certification Exam must take the following courses as electives: FIN 3600 Risk and Insurance, FIN 3710
Personal Financial Planning, FIN 3720 Estate Planning, FIN 3730 Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits,
and ACTY 3240 Introductory Tax Accounting.
General Business
In addition to the completion of the program requirements for all student pursuing the BBA, all students must
complete satisfactorily the following:



Six advanced (3000-level or above) business college courses from the Departments of Accountancy,
Business Information Systems, Finance and Commercial Law, Management and Marketing with a
maximum of two courses from any one department;
one advanced Economics course from among ECON 3100, 3190, 3200, 3800, 3870, or 4000;and
BUS 3700 (Integrated Communication in Business) to meet the baccalaureate-level writing requirement
for the major.
Current Catalog Copy p. 2
Minors
Undergraduate minors in Finance and Commercial Law are offered in the following concentrations:
Finance
Finance Minor is comprised of 15 credit hours for BBA students. These include three required courses (9 credit
hours) and two elective FCL courses (6 credit hours). The required courses are FIN 3100 Introduction to
Financial Markets, FIN 3200 Business Finance and FIN 3510 Investment Analysis. Non-BBA students are also
required to take ACTY 2100 Principles of Accounting and any university Statistics course. The electives are
selected in consultation with an FCL Advisor.
General Business
With the exception of general business majors, any student who has completed the BBA program requirements
will automatically receive a general business minor. Students pursuing a degree other than a BBA degree may
minor in general business by completing the following 18 hours of course work:




BUS 1750 Business Enterprise (3 credits). Must be completed during the freshment or sophomore year.
ACTY 2100 Principles of Accounting (3 credits)
BUS 2700 Information and Communication Infrastructore (3 credits)
Three of the following four courses ( 9 credits)
o FIN 3200 Business Finance
o Law 3800 Legal Environment (3 credits)
o MGMT 2500 Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
o MKTG 2500 Marketing Principles (3 credits)
Current Catalog Copy p. 3
General Business Minor (GBZN) (18 hours)
Add program to portfolio.
Advisors: Please contact the Finance and Commercial Law department, 3290 Schneider Hall
With the exception of general business majors, any student who has completed the BBA program requirements will automatically receive a
general business minor. Students pursuing a degree other than a BBA degree may minor in General Business by completing the following 18
hours of course work approved by a general business advisor (3290 Schneider Hall):
Core requirements (9 hours)



ACTY 2100 - Principles of Accounting I Credits: 3 hours

BUS 1750 - Business Enterprise Credits: 3 hours
(BUS 1750 must be completed during the freshman or sophomore year.)
BUS 2700 - Business-Driven Information Technology Credits: 3 hours
Three of the following four courses (9 hours)




FIN 3200 - Business Finance Credits: 3 hours
LAW 3800 - Legal Environment Credits: 3 hours
MGMT 2500 - Organizational Behavior Credits: 3 hours
MKTG 2500 - Marketing Principles Credits: 3 hours
Proposed Catalog Copy
This text section should appear in the Finance and Commercial Law section of the Haworth College of
Business to replace the relevant sections shown in the current catalog copy.
General Business Major (GBZJ)
In addition to the completion of the program requirements for all students pursuing the BBA, all general
business students must complete satisfactorily the following:



Six advanced (3000-level or above) business college courses from the Departments of Accountancy,
Business Information Systems, Finance and Commercial Law, Management and Marketing with a
maximum of two courses from any one department;
One advanced Economics course from among ECON 3100, 3190, 3200, 3800, 3870, or 4000; and
BUS 3700 (Integrated Communication in Business) to meet the baccalaureate-level writing requirement
for the major.
General Business Minor (GBZN)
With the exception of general business majors, students who have completed the BBA program requirements
will automatically receive a general business minor. Interested students pursuing majors in areas other than
business should select the Business Administration Minor. The general business minor requires completion of
the following 18 hours of course work:




BUS 1750 Business Enterprise (3 credits). Must be completed during the freshman or sophomore year.
ACTY 2100 Principles of Accounting (3 credits)
BUS 2700 Information and Communication Infrastructure (3 credits)
Three of the following four courses ( 9 credits)
o FIN 3200 Business Finance
o Law 3800 Legal Environment (3 credits)
o MGMT 2500 Organizational Behavior (3 credits)
o MKTG 2500 Marketing Principles (3 credits)
Proposed Catalog Copy p. 2
General Business Minor (GBZN) (18 hours)
Add program to portfolio.
With the exception of general business majors, students who have completed the BBA program requirements will automatically receive a general
business minor. Interested students pursuing majors in areas other than business should select the Business Administration Minor (see below). The
general business minor requires completion of the following 18 hours of course work:
Core requirements (9 hours)

ACTY 2100 - Principles of Accounting I Credits: 3 hours

BUS 1750 - Business Enterprise Credits: 3 hours
(BUS 1750 must be completed during the freshman or sophomore year.)

BUS 2700 - Business-Driven Information Technology Credits: 3 hours
Three of the following four courses (9 hours)




FIN 3200 - Business Finance Credits: 3 hours
LAW 3800 - Legal Environment Credits: 3 hours
MGMT 2500 - Organizational Behavior Credits: 3 hours
MKTG 2500 - Marketing Principles Credits: 3 hours
Proposed Catalog Copy p. 3 to be included under Haworth College of Business “Related Minors” and
follow information regarding General Business (GBZN)
Business Administration Minor (18 hours)
Add program to portfolio.
The Business Administration Minor is an option for all WMU students who are pursuing a major other than
a Bachelor of Business Administration when they have completed 26 credit hours or more with a
cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 2.0. Students may declare the minor in the Haworth College
of Business Office of Academic Advising and Admissions, 2130 Schneider Hall. The Business Administration
Minor requires completion of the following 18 hours of course work:
BUS 2001:
BUS 2002:
BUS 2003:
BUS 3001:
BUS 3002:
Accounting Credits: 3 hours
Marketing Credits: 3 hours
Information Technology in Business Credits: 3 hours
Finance Credits: 3 hours
Management Credits: 3 hours
Electives: At least one of the following is required to complete the minor:
BUS 3003: Commercial Law Credits: 3 hours
BUS 3004: Business Communication: Analysis and Application Credits: 3 hours
Catalog Descriptions of Required Courses for the Business Administration Minor
BUS 2001: Accounting (3 credit hrs)
This is an introductory course in accounting which focuses on the role of accounting information in the planning,
decision-making, and reporting of business organizations. Topics include transaction analysis, basic financial statement
analysis, profit planning, cost behavior and cost control, and performance evaluation. This course integrates important
subjects from both financial and management accounting. The Department of Accountancy in the Haworth College of
Business offers and staffs this course. This course is not equivalent to Accountancy 2100 or Accountancy 2110 and does
not count toward satisfaction of the Department of Accountancy core courses required for an accounting major or minor.
BUS 2002: Principles of Marketing Management (3 credit hrs)
Catalog Description: Principles of Marketing Management is an examination of marketing theory, concepts and
processes used by organizations to create customer value, achieve and sustain competitive advantage, and accomplish the
organization’s strategic mission and objectives.
BUS 2003: Information Technology in Business (3 credit hrs)
Catalog Description: This course introduces non-business students to modern business information and process
management using emerging information technologies to strengthen business process efficiency and technology
management. Technology is embedded in almost all primary and support activities that bring value to a business. The
dynamics of business technology is explored through business analysis tools as well as integrated enterprise systems, such
as enterprise resources planning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM),
Internet business & marketing technologies, business data communication, business collaboration, business
intelligence/reporting, information security and compliance, and other essential concepts. These concepts and software
functions are brought to the classroom using lectures, numerous in-class hands-on exercises, team/individual projects,
and guest speakers.
BUS 3001: Finance (3 credit hrs)
Catalog Description: A survey of financial management for non-business majors, which includes corporate financial
management, financial markets, investments, ethics, and personal finance. Prerequisite: BUS 2001.
BUS 3002: Management (3 credit hrs)
Catalog Description: An introduction to the concepts, theories, models, and techniques central to the practice of
management. Historical and contemporary thought are presented in the context of the behavioral, structural, functional,
quantitative, strategic and ethical aspects of managing organizations. Cross-cultural aspects of management are also
explored.
BUS 3003: Business Law (3 credit hrs)
Catalog Description: An introduction to the American legal system as it relates to the conduct of business and business
relationships, as well as the legal environment in which businesses must operate.
BUS 3004: Business Communication: Analysis and Application (3 credit hrs)
Catalog Description: Using cases and applications, students in this course receive an overview of the role, scope and
importance of communication in organizations (profit and/or not-for-profit). Students develop an understanding of
organizational communication by analyzing business scenarios and by creating messages with a variety of media.