Review of MBA
College of Business and Economics
University of Canterbury
November 24-25, 2011
Table of Contents
REVIEW PANEL MEMBERS ............................................................................................................................. 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................... 2
STRATEGIC POSITIONING ................................................................................................................................ 2
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................ 6
Core and Electives ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Course Content .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Staffing ............................................................................................................................................................... 9
Contact hours ...............................................................................................................................................10
Blended models...........................................................................................................................................10
Short courses ................................................................................................................................................10
Assessment ....................................................................................................................................................10
Moderation ....................................................................................................................................................11
TEACHING AND LEARNING QUALITY.......................................................................................................... 11
STUDENT SUPPORT ....................................................................................................................................... 12
ROLES OF EXTERNAL GROUPS .................................................................................................................... 13
Advisory Board............................................................................................................................................13
Alumni ..............................................................................................................................................................13
Employers.......................................................................................................................................................14
Other Universities .....................................................................................................................................14
COMPLIANCE WITH AMBA AND AACSB REQUIREMENTS..................................................................... 15
GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................................................................. 15
APPENDIX 1 TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE MBA ADVISORY GROUP .............................................. 17
APPENDIX 2 DOCUMENTATION MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PANEL ....................................................... 18
APPENDIX 3 REVIEW SCHEDULE ................................................................................................................ 20
SUMMARY OF COMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................ 22
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................... 22
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Review Panel Members
Chair, Associate Professor Lindsey Conner College of Education, UC
Gerrard Quinn, Chief Executive, Canterbury Development Corporation
Dr Peter Sun, Associate Dean Enterprise, Centre for Corporate & Executive
Education, University of Waikato
Donald Matheson, Senior Lecturer, School of Social and Political Sciences, UC
Associate Professor Susan Freeman, Discipline Leader for International
Business in the Adelaide Business School, University of Adelaide
Executive Summary
An internal review of the University of Canterbury (UC) MBA programme was
undertaken between the 23-25 November 2011. The review panel considered
that the programme has a clear vision and direction. While there is clear
alignment with the UC’s vision and direction, there is the need to find alignment
with the vision and direction of the College of Business and Economics. It was
also the considered opinion of the review panel that the MBA Director be
positioned at a more strategic level so as to provide input into the strategic
direction of the College.
There were aspects related to course delivery and assessment that could be
strengthened. It is a strong regional programme that could be repositioned both
nationally and internationally.
There are clear strengths of the programme, such as its focus on responsible
leadership and the project, which was considered by staff and students to be
very useful for connecting with businesses and analysing a case in depth.
Consideration needs to be given to the number of electives offered and the level
of staffing, especially the administration support for the programme. There may
be opportunities to support students to study anywhere, in their own time, by
developing more blended models of delivery.
While there are strong connections with businesses in the Canterbury region,
consideration needs to be given how the programme could utilise the expertise
of Alumni more directly at national and international levels. Strategic alliances
with other institutions, e.g. Waikato and University of Adelaide, may provide
further opportunities to enhance students experiences of international business
models and being connected internationally.
Strategic Positioning
New Zealand’s sustained economic development will require sophisticated, high
profit, high value products and services that are distinctive and desirable. The
self review report identifies that the way forward for the New Zealand economy
is to compliment existing agriculture/ horticulture, tourism and manufacturing
with sophisticated knowledge intensive, high-value, export orientated products
and services. New Zealand’s organisations must therefore be internationally
competitive and requires leadership that will drive innovation and growth. The
recent earthquakes in Canterbury and other industrial changes challenge future
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leaders to balance commercial orientation with the need for community care and
concern.
The UC MBA programme’s mission statement, which is “to develop leaders who
create vibrant, internationally competitive organisations and contribute to the
well-being of their communities,” brings out three key themes:
 Developing leaders
 Internationally competitive organisations
 Well-being of communities
These themes are clearly linked with the primary economic drivers for New
Zealand, as stated previously.
The strategic positioning of the UC MBA is aligned with the UC statement of
strategic intent:
“We have a vision of people prepared to make a difference - tangata tū, tangata
ora. Our mission is to contribute to society through knowledge in chosen areas of
endeavour by promoting a world-class learning environment known for attracting
people with the greatest potential to make a difference.
We seek to be known as a university where knowledge is created, critiqued,
disseminated and protected and where research, teaching and learning take place
in ways that are inspirational and innovative.
Looking towards 2023, the 150th anniversary of our founding, the primary
components of our strategy are to Challenge, Concentrate and Connect.”
UC is among the top 2-3% of universities in the world (QS rankings:
http://www.topuniversities.com/institution/university-canterbury). UC wants
to find ways to distinguish its programmes and graduates. There are four
dimensions to this:
 The opportunity to go on exchange and study abroad for credit
 Work integrated learning
 Community engagement
 Cultural confidence and competence to work in bicultural or multicultural
environments.
The MBA programme has the potential to meet all of these dimensions. In
addition, the growth of the MBA programme will also contribute to the UC’s
intention of growing its postgraduate offerings. There is also the support of the
Vice Chancellor who regards the qualification as a key stone of the University.
The purpose of the College of Business and Economics is:
 To prepare well-rounded commerce graduates with the critical thinking
skills to contribute effectively to the organisations within which they
work and to equip them to continue learning throughout their lives;
 To extend our knowledge domains through internationally connected
research and scholarship; and
 To support Canterbury 's economic and social development.
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The review panel feels that there is a greater disconnect between the UC MBA
strategic positioning and the strategic purposes of the College, than with the
wider UC strategic positioning. There are no references to developing
responsible leaders, international competitiveness and community engagement
in the College’s strategic plan. The review panel realises that the College is
currently in a holding pattern with an acting Pro Vice Chancellor. When a
permanent appointment is made, there is the opportunity to rethink the
College’s strategic positioning and its purposes so as to achieve alignment.
Recommendation: Rethink the strategic purposes of the College, and ensure that
the UC MBA is aligned with it.
Commendation: The curriculum committee and the MBA director are to be
congratulated on deriving a core and secondary themes for the MBA programme.
Further work is planned to integrate these more fully into the programme. Four
out of 12 core papers and 2 out of 6 elective papers are dedicated to leadership.
The clear intent for this MBA programme is to provide students with outstanding
leadership development (responsible leadership) experiences. The marketing
material promotes the programme as enabling business leaders to make a
difference - “transformational leadership” - and highlights the main themes of
the programme. Both staff and students, when interviewed, confirmed that
responsible leadership was the key focus and overarching theme of the
programme and that this intent is realised.
While the mission and intent of the UC MBA are to develop leaders who create a
vibrant and internationally competitive organization and to make a difference in
their communities, staff could identify specific student experiences that
contribute to this and students profiles could be developed to indicate how the
programme made a difference to them as leaders.
Recommendation: A specific graduate profile for the MBA could be developed.
Market Positioning
There was consensus that the UC MBA programme was a good regional one.
There have only been 1-3 international students in the programme over the last
5 years. The enrolments in 2008- 21010 indicate that approximately half the
students are full-time. However, in 2011, the majority of students were part
time. The self-report Table 7, also indicates that for 2009-2011 there were
almost twice as many males than females in the programme. The 2012
marketing materials have a female on both the front and back covers to promote
female images.
The composition of students in the UC MBA programme, and the growth of part
time working students, offers a unique market positioning for UC MBA. Since UC
is the only university offering an MBA part time in the South Island (Otago’s MBA
is primarily for full-time international students and Lincoln does not offer a MBA
programme), the panel is of the opinion that this could be a point of difference
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that could be highlighted. Previously, many more businesses sponsored students
to undertake this qualification. Students find it more manageable to fund
themselves, if they participate part time.
The discussions with some current UC MBA students highlighted some key
reasons for them enrolling in the UC MBA:
 The MBA had prestige in NZ business
 Broadening of business and people related soft skills
 Location in Christchurch was important
 It will help me during a career transition
 Meeting people and making networks is a real bonus
 I didn’t want to do an MBA by distance learning
The above reasons point clearly to the distinct needs of working executives,
further solidifying the need for UC MBA to position and focus the programme to
the part-time market segment. The UC MBA programme is distinctive because of
the experiential and developmental nature of the MBA programme, with an
emphasis on responsible leadership and intra-personal and inter-personal
development. Although all MBA programmes within New Zealand are
experiential and developmental, it does not emphasise it to the extent that the
UC MBA does. This is seen in the comments made by current students with an
overall emphasis that the programme had “made a difference” to them. Some
examples of statements are:
 I have learned on a wide variety of business fronts
 It has changed my life
 I have personally gained much in terms of career direction and clarity
about what my strengths are
 I have learned how to bring a group of individuals together into a team.
The review panel considered that the programme distinguishes itself from other
programmes in its emphasis on the development and experiential nature of the
programme. However, there is a need to strengthen international connectedness
to promote further distinctiveness. The mission statement “to develop leaders
who create vibrant, internationally competitive organisations and contribute to
the well-being of their communities”, is reflected in many of the learning
outcomes detailed in the course descriptions. However, there could be a
stronger emphasis and explicit identification throughout all of the courses about
how knowing the information and applying it, can lead to stronger contributions
by students to their businesses.
Marketing
Table 9 in the self-review report indicates that the number of applicants for the
programme ranged between 43-45 since 2007. Between 35 and 45 places per
year have been offered. Students need to have 5 years business experience prior
to entry. If students do not have a degree on entry, they can enrol in the Graduate
Diploma in Business Administration, and transfer to the MBA on completing the
core courses with a “B” grade average.
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The mix of Graduate Diploma students and degree students, as well as quality of
students can have a huge impact on the participation experience. Consideration
should be given to this mix, so as to enhance the perception of quality. Currently
the UC MBA programme is a small, regional programme.
Recommendation: The panel encourages staff to consider how the programme
positions itself externally, especially within the South Island. The importance of
positioning the programme to part-time working executives should be given
consideration.
There is a scope of reaching students who may not necessarily have degrees but
have some tertiary studies with extensive leadership experience. We recommend
having a Postgraduate Diploma programme (instead of the Diploma in Business
Administration), segregating such students from the current UC MBA cohort, and
then bring them into the MBA programme once they achieve the required grade
average on completing some core courses. Through this, a wider market can be
targeted, and the perception of quality can be enhanced.
The best advertisers are the alumni.
Recommendation: Find additional ways to build on existing connections with
alumni so that examples of how they are making a difference in their
organisations can be profiled and incorporated into the programme.
Recommendation: An international location study tour will increase the
exposure of students to international best practice in their learning, as part of
their projects. This could also be achieved by working with other MBA programs
in overseas locations.
Curriculum Development
Core and Electives
The course of study requires the completion of 12 core 10 point courses, six
elective 10 point courses and a final project (60 points). The programme can be
completed after 15 months of full time study. This structure seems to provide
both common core elements and opportunities for students to choose electives.
However, the panel also noted that the students have to choose six elective
papers out of 8 papers available. The panel therefore questions the need for
electives, especially given that there is no wide variety of choice. From 2012 one
of the elective (MBA D663) will be made a core paper. As more electives become
compulsory, the concept of electives diminishes.
Recommendation: That the curriculum committee seriously consider the role of
electives and how many are offered in future years. Expanding the total numbers
gradually will give students a greater choice but will also impact the financial
viability of these electives.
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Course Content
The course core is focussed on responsible leadership, which was clearly
identified by staff and students. Staff are to be commended for establishing and
emphasising this and subthemes as a programme design. The subthemes of
strategic perspective and business acumen were recognised by staff more than the
subtheme of innovation.
The integration of these themes across the programme were the subject of a
research project conducted by Tracy Hatton in 2010. She found that students
clearly identified strategic perspective and responsible leadership as themes but
that business acumen and innovation were less evident across the courses. The
vision of the UC MBA also states the well-being of the community. The review
panel did not identify any courses that addresses this aspect of the UC MBA
vision.
The elective courses provide opportunities for students to develop knowledge
and skills in additional areas, or to develop a particular aspect (e.g. leadership or
interpersonal skills or governance) in more detail. However, as noted above, we
question the validity of electives given the small number of choices provided for
students.
Full course descriptions of all core and elective courses were available to the
review panel. These need to be updated regularly and the panel notes that there
needs to be closer alignment between the learning outcomes and the assessment
tasks in some courses. In addition, greater effort needs to be made to expose
students to the most recent research as well as practice, by encouraging a more
explicit research-teaching nexus by staff.
Students considered that the core papers: The Foundations of responsible
Leadership, Managerial Skills and Organisational Behaviour, Leading Change,
and managing People and Performance provided experiences for both personal
and professional development. These core papers seem to provide a
comprehensive basis, which can lead to further development of leadership skills
if students choose the elective papers – Interpersonal Skills for Leaders and
Creative Leadership.
Sustainable practice is identified in the MBA documentation as a key part of
responsible leadership. The Sustainable Enterprises course is a key focus for
sustainable practice therefore the curriculum committee has decided to make
this course compulsory in 2012. However, it was unclear which other parts of
the programme and courses emphasised sustainable practice specifically.1
Students considered that the suite of courses offered for business acumen
provided the introductory knowledge they needed in accounting, economics,
1
The curriculum committee decisions to make the Sustainable Enterprises and International
Business Strategy courses part of the compulsory core in the near future, will reduce the number
of courses students can take as electives. Therefore, the curriculum committee may need to
consider whether there are electives in the future, or how many electives are offered.
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marketing and operations. While knowledge recall is important, assessment also
includes application of this knowledge to business situations.
The elective International Business Strategy course has not attracted many
students in recent years. Due to the importance of international business for
New Zealand enterprises, the curriculum committee have decided to make this
course compulsory in 2013. This course involves an international study tour and
hence considerable cost to students. The intention is to build the cost into the
overall MBA course fees. The panel commends the staff for making this decision
as the course is also likely to help develop students’ strategic perspectives and
challenge students to look beyond New Zealand examples and opportunities.
The review panel encourages the programme to continue providing chief
executive forums as these were identified as being extremely valuable by
students. They also provide a vehicle for businesses/ employers to connect with
the University and students to connect with potential businesses.
Commendation: The student project was considered to be a highly valuable
component of the programme by students.
It is a substantial part of the programme (60 points). Students highly valued
being able to research a specific challenge within an organisation. In some
instances, students gained employment with the businesses where they
conducted their projects. The project process has undergone significant
development over the last two years. For example, the creation of a Business
Research Methods course to support the MBA project seems a valuable step
forward. Students are provided with clear guidelines to enable them to meet the
project outcomes. The establishment of a Business Research Methods course will
enable students to gain valuable knowledge and skills for conducting the MBA
project. This is highly commended.
The review panel also noted the substantial credit points for the project paper
(60 credit points). It is our view that such substantial credit points can be
sustained if:
1. The Business Research Method paper can be incorporated into the project
paper – rather than being treated as a separate paper
2. The project paper should assess and provide evidence that the key
learning outcomes of the UC MBA programme are met (i.e., assurance of
learning). This will satisfy EQUIS and possible AACSB accreditation.
The opportunity to introduce service learning into the project was discussed.
This provides a wonderful opportunity for the UC MBA students to connect to
their community – one of the core emphases of the UC MBA vision. The review
panel also noted there is uneven workload on academic staff involved in project
supervision. The panel has no specific recommendations, but wish to draw this
to the attention of the MBA Director.
There is a need to make sure the courses have elements related to the
international scene, through interactions with students and staff from other
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countries and for current international practices and innovations to be profiled.
This would enable greater opportunity for students to learn about new,
innovative and best practice, in globally responsible leadership.
Recommendation: Engage MBA staff from overseas universities (Visiting
Professors Program) to share their expertise in research and teaching.
Recommendation: Consider international exchanges, the international study
tour, overseas internships and increasing the target for international students in
the programme.
Recommendation: That staff identify how they will link aspects of sustainable
practice to responsible leadership within their courses.
Recommendation: That all course description outlines are updated regularly
and that learning outcomes are checked, along with their alignment with
assessment tasks.
Recommendation: That all course description outlines are updated with recent
and relevant research and cases that provide illustrations of best practice.
Staffing
The Director of Management Development (Dr Peter Cammock) is responsible
for the MBM, the MBA and the new Post Graduate Diploma in Strategic
Leadership. This role has 0.5 administration and 0.5 teaching responsibilities
with a requirement to maintain published research. The strategic direction has
developed well during the last two years but this has been driven by several key
staff. There is a full-time Management Development Programmes Co-ordinator
who also oversees student advice, day-to-day administration matters and
assignment management.
The review panel has noted the enormous pressure placed on the Director of the
programme as well as the Programme Co-ordinator. Because of the strategic
nature of the UC MBA programme and its connectivity to the corporate world (an
important stakeholder for UC), we recommend that the staff within the
programme have sufficient say in the strategic direction of the College. It is
important that the Director is part of the College executive.
All twelve core courses are taught by UC full-time academic staff with a wide
range of experience in leadership and management. In 2011, six of the eight
elective courses were taught by adjunct lecturers on a contract basis. The adjunct
lecturers add a useful practitioner perspective to the programme. The panel
considers that it is important for the integration of themes and cohesion of the
programme for these adjunct staff to participate in staff meetings and the
development of the programme.
Recommendation: That career plans be put in place for key staff members and
a succession plan be considered for the role of Director.
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Recommendation: To undertake an appropriate staffing level study to see if the
existing level of staff can provide the service required for all the programmes.
Contact hours
Prior to 2011, the programme was delivered in three twelve-week terms with
classes being taught from 4:00- 6:00pm and 7:00- 9:00 pm on Mondays Tuesdays
and Thursdays. This enabled some part-time students to attend classes in one
evening. The break also allowed the students to socialise.
In 2011, the programme moved to a four-term year (each 8 weeks duration).
This was to help alleviate student work-loads, particularly in the last term. The
classes are taught on Monday- Thursday 5:00- 8:15pm, longer sessions than in
the previous model. While the longer sessions are beneficial, the total length of
courses has shortened and therefore there is less time for students to develop
their thinking, embed learning, and prepare for assessments. However, staff
considered the benefits of the new structure outweighed the disadvantages. Staff
have noted less stress for students as a result of the new structure, especially
during winter.
The self-review notes the disproportionately high number of contact hours for
the electives Brand Management and Corporate Governance. This is historic and
related to the modular delivery of these courses but needs to be reviewed.
Blended models
One of the distinguishing features of the UC MBA programme is the experiential
and developmental nature of learning, especially centred around the theme of
responsible leadership. For this reason the review panel is of the opinion that
face-to-face sessions, and whole class discussions, be maintained. This is highly
valued by the students.
That said, the review panel urges the consideration of new technology in order
to provide a more blended delivery. There are certain elements of content
within courses that could be offered on-line, for students to access in their own
time. There is also the possibility to offer on-line video conferencing interactions
and these should be given consideration as the UC MBA progresses and
embraces the new generation of technology ‘natives’ who are entering the MBA
market as students.
Short courses
The Creative Leadership course was offered as a three-day residential course in
2011 and used psychodrama as its main methodology. This course was very
well-received by students. Other courses may also lend themselves to be
delivered as intensives.
Assessment
Students considered that generally the assignments were useful. They
particularly enjoyed the presentations, even though at times some students
found them challenging. There is huge variance in the number of assessments for
each course. There needs to be a clear rationale as to why there needs to be more
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than two assessments per 10 credit course for workload of both staff and
students.
Recommendation: The programme could develop an assessment template. That
is, for a 10 credit point paper, the number of individual and group assignments
need to be set and these assignments must directly relate to the learning
outcomes of the paper. This template should then be used across all courses
offered and key outcomes indicated.
Moderation
Currently there is internal moderation between lecturers in the programme. The
panel recommends implementing an external moderation process, to provide
assurance of contemporary and exemplary student learning experiences. The
panel also noted that the MBA projects have a written report as well an oral
presentation. The oral presentation is made in the presence of the supervisor,
the project convenor, the MBA Director, and a practitioner (if available). The
presence of the practitioner provides some form of external moderation and this
is very commendable.
Recommendation: That external moderation processes be developed for the UC
MBA courses.
The delivery of courses was interrupted in 2011 by earthquakes and snow days.
In each case, the teaching timetable was adjusted, new ways of communicating
with staff and students were developed (i-phone) and alternative venues sought
to accommodate classes, which could not take place in the damaged Commerce
building. The programme is now housed on level 4 of the UC Law building with
good teaching and office spaces.
Recommendation: That the delivery models for all courses be reconsidered in
light of offering intensives and how much support can be offered on-line. In
particular, the number of contact hours for the Brand Management and
Corporate Governance courses needs to be reviewed.
Teaching and Learning Quality
Students considered that there was a wide range of variability in quality of the
courses. All courses are subject to course and teaching evaluations every year.
Recent evaluations indicate general student satisfaction with most courses.
These have been reported in the self-evaluation report, Table 2. Of the core
courses, the Managerial Accounting, Business Economics and Operations
Management received high student ratings. The strategy courses are also well
regarded. The Marketing course received the least favourable rating. There is
strong evidence in some courses of innovative teaching approaches e.g. use of
ICT and the UC Learn sites as well as psycho-drama. The panel encourages staff
to think creatively about how it might use pod casts and social media to support
face-to-face sessions.
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There are regular staff-student focus group meetings to discuss and review
courses. The self-review report indicates that students have indicated their
desire for greater “relevance” in some courses. In particular, students have
requested links to more local case studies and less emphasis on large US and
European corporations. Staff are reviewing the examples used to ensure greater
“relevance”. One student commented:
“Papers that are the most successful take the core stuff and add value on top
which you cannot get out of a textbook.”
While there is strong evidence about changes to content in response to student
feedback, there was less evidence of responses to how courses are delivered and
teaching methods. Data for course evaluations are provided in the self-review
report, however data for teaching evaluations were not reported. The panel were
not aware of planned professional development staff have undertaken either
individually or as a group, or intend to undertake to make their teaching more
effective.
Both staff and students identified that students are able to demonstrate
significant personal and professional development at the completion of the
programme. Students particularly commented that the leadership courses
developed their interpersonal skills and that they were much more prepared to
deal with complex organisational issues. No graduate destination data was
available at the time of this review. Such data could be generated as part of an
ongoing connection with alumni.
Recommendation: That staff consider what they need in terms of professional
development for teaching and learning processes for individuals and groups of
staff by engaging in a review meeting with the MBA Director.
Specific objectives and targets around evidence that recent research, best
practice in cases, opportunities for student interaction with the business
community, (e.g. guest speakers) and flexibility in delivery in terms of mode and
timing and location should be discussed as part of course and programme
reviews.
Student Support
The students interviewed as part of the review process were extremely positive
about the level of student support offered by the staff generally, and in particular
by the Management Development Programmes Co-ordinator. She meets
regularly with the Director and knows the students well. She supports them
through the application processes, initial and on-going course advise, the
information evening, recommends mentors, advises on academic progress and
career information.
Students who have difficulty with writing are encouraged to participate in the
academic writing course offered by the UC Learning Support team. Some
students also take advantage of the on-line maths refresher course.
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The self-report identifies that an area for enhancement is support for career
development and job searching. The UC careers team will provide a more
structured programme in 2012 that includes CV writing, job assessments,
interview skills, etc. Students would also like more contact with potential
employers as part of the programme. The MBA advisory Board will discuss
potential events to support this.
An important point to note is that the majority of UC MBA students are part-time
working managers, and they may not necessarily be interested in new jobs. It is
important that the UC career team provide career development support for such
students, especially how they can use their skills and personality profile (gained
from the UC MBA programme) to enhance their career progression.
Roles of External Groups
Advisory Board
Membership
Stephanie Feldbrugge, Support Services Manager Foodstuffs
Alan Head, Epi Global
Ian Brooks, Aotearoa Group
University of Canterbury Faculty
Adrian Sawyer
Peter Cammock
Bob Hamilton
Glenda Lorimer
Tony Mortensen
University of Canterbury students
Jacki Moore
Aaron Smith
Vanessa O’Neill
See Appendix for Terms of Reference for the MBA Advisory Group
Alumni
Students were very clear that alumni networks were very important to them
both from developmental and employment perspectives. The concept of being
alumni should start from day 1 of the programme. The Alumni provide a
potential source for meaningful mentoring of both staff and students. Therefore
more opportunities for developing relationships with Alumni through MBA
functions and inclusion in MBA activities would be beneficial for students and
the reputation of the programme. The programme has hosted a number of
events for alumni, most notably the 25th anniversary dinner, which was attended
by nearly 100 people most of whom were UC MBA alumni. Where possible such
events could be extended to capture the opportunity for professional
engagement and development of leaders in business.
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Commendation: The panel supports the MBA programme hosting alumni
events. The College can continue to support the programme by including MBA
alumni in a range of professional networking activities, including research.
Employers
The College of Business and Economics has its own External Relations Director
and staff who are working with business linkages. This is a central cost within
the College as a whole that covers this service. Students considered that links
with businesses were crucial to the programme. Some of the student comments
included:
It would be good to have contact with Ngai Tahu, AMI, Foodstuffs etc.
UC’s relationships are weak with the outside world.
Lecturers who have real world experience are great. Or if they can bring
in people to the course who have real world experience, this works well.
The University needs to increase links with business.
Links with businesses are crucial for the MBA programme to ensure the
programme is current, adapting to trends and providing the development of
graduates who have the knowledge, skills and personal attributes that
employers are seeking.
Recommendation: Explore additional partnerships and ways of working
together with businesses.
This might include business executives giving presentations in the UC MBA
courses. A possible start would be to invite alumni, occupying responsible
positions within the organization, to make such presentations to the UC MBA
classes.
While there is already some use of the existing advisory panel of business
executives to provide guidance and directions to the UC MBA in terms of the
relevance of its content and delivery, greater business support could be gained
through Canterbury businesses having direct input into the direction and
content of the UC MBA.
Recommendation: Consider offering short intensive courses, extracted from the
UC MBA alumni programme, to business executives.
Recommendation: Consider offering internship programmes for any full-time
UC MBA students.
Other Universities
There is the potential to collaborate with other New Zealand Universities. We
urge the UC MBA to consider collaborations in the following areas:
 Joint international study tours
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
Allowing students to take for credit certain courses offered by other
Universities, especially with Universities that do not compete in the same
market
Compliance with AMBA and AACSB requirements
The review panel recognises that the UC MBA will be reviewed by AMBA in 2012.
The recommendations that are made in the documents will cover some of the
requirements of AMBA and EQUIS. In summary, the relevant recommendations
are:
1. While the mission and intent of the UC MBA are to develop leaders who
create a vibrant and internationally competitive organization and to make
a difference in their communities, staff could identify specific student
experiences that contribute to this and profile students who specifically
indicate how the programme made a difference to them as leaders. A
specific graduate profile for the MBA could be developed.
2. While the UC MBA has obvious alignment with the UC strategic purposes,
its alignment with the College of Business and Economics is less clear.
Rethink the strategic purposes of the College, and ensure that the UC MBA
is aligned with it.
3. All assignments in the courses must clearly be aligned with learning
outcomes – AMBA, especially EQUIS are very particular about this.
4. The project paper should provide evidence that the key learning
outcomes of the UC MBA programme are met. This will satisfy EQUIS and
possible AACSB accreditation.
5. Internationalisation is key for accreditation. This aspect needs to be
strongly considered, and the recommendations in the review report
should be implemented.
6. AMBA, recently, has placed much emphasis on alumni and corporate
engagement. As recommended, please ensure there is a clear strategy and
implementation for engaging with alumni (especially how alumni can be
used to mentor current participants), as well as enhancing corporate
engagement.
7. The mix of Graduate Diploma students and MBA students in the same
cohort needs to be noted and considered before the AMBA review.
Governance
The programme has a designated Director who reports to the Pro-Vice
Chancellor, College of Business and Economics. There is an MBA advisory Board
comprised of academic staff, student representatives, alumni and 10 local
business leaders. The Board advises on strategic matters. Curriculum
development is overseen by the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and
contributions are made and supported by MBA academic staff who make up a
curriculum committee. This committee meets very infrequently. Significant
changes to the curriculum require approval by the College Executive, the Faculty
of Commerce, the UC Academic Administration Committee and the UC Academic
Board. When there are major changes, approval is required by the NZVCC
Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP).
15
16
Appendix 1 Terms of Reference for the MBA Advisory Group
College of Business and Economics
Master of Business Administration
MBA Advisory Board
23 September 2011
Purpose: To advise and provide strategic direction to the MBA Programme Director and is
aimed at keeping the academic programme on course.
Terms of reference:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Advise the MBA Director on matters regarding management of the MBA Programme
Oversee the strategic direction of the MBA Programme
Advise the Director on the programme’s academic structure
Provide alumni input
Provide current student input
Provide input on business/industry requirements for the Programme
Members of the board:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, College of Business & Economics (ex officio)
The MBA Director (ex officio)
The External Relations Director
Two current students (one full-time and one part-time)
Two Alumnus
One Senior Manager / owner representing Business sector (unrelated to MBA)
One other academic member nominated by the board
Duration of membership:
2 years for nominees and alumnus.
Current students’ term of office elapses when they are no longer current students
Frequency of meetings: 3 times a year
17
Appendix 2 Documentation made available to the panel
General UC/College Information
1
UC Strategic Plan 2011 – 2013
2
UC Facts as at 31 July 2010
3
College Strategic Plan 2010 – 2012
4
College Affiliations
5
College Organisational Chart
6
Advisory Board Members:
- College Advisory Board
- MBA Advisory Board
7
Profiles of Staff Teaching into 2011 Programme
Programmes Information
8
CUAP Definitions of Awards
9
Regulations 2011
10
Graduate Profile
11
Programme Structure
12
Course Outlines:
- 2010
- 2011
Responses to Requests for Information
13
UC Library
14
College Manager - Facilities Report
15
Association of MBAs Assessment Report – UC College of Business and
Economics, March 2007
Reports
16
College of Business and Economics
- 2010 Survey of graduate destinations
17
UC Enterprise Reporting:
- Student statistics 2008 – 2011
- Grades distribution statistics 2006 - 2011
- Scholarship Statistics 2007 – 2011
18
Survey & Testing Unit
- 2007 - 2009 course survey summaries
19
UC Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring:
18
20
2010 course survey summary
2011 Jan to Jul course survey summary
UC Careers, Internships & Employment
- Extract 2010 Graduate Destination Survey
Student Surveys
21
Currently Enrolled Students
- Focus Group notes
22
Graduates
- UC online MBA graduate survey 2011
Samples of Assessed Student Work (hard copy – available at site visit
only)
Handbooks (hard copy – available at site visit only)
1
UC Handbooks 2010 and 2011
2
University Profile 2008 – 2010
3
NZVCC’s Committee on University Academic Programmes
Functions and Procedures 2011-2012
4
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Handbook
5
UC Research Report 2009
19
Appendix 3 Review Schedule
FACULTY OF COMMERCE MBA PROGRAMME REVIEW
REVIEW PANEL SITE VISIT 23-25 NOVEMBER 2011
Meetings held in Law Room 427 unless stated otherwise
Wednesday 23 November
6.00pm
Panel members meet with UC staff
at [
] for introductions and
pre-dinner drink
[
]
Panel members x 4
[Adrian Sawyer, Acting Pro-ViceChancellor]
Sonia Mazey, Academic Manager
Peter Cammock, Postgraduate
Management Development
Programmes Director
[Clare Lange, MBM Director]
[Leigh Davidson, Programmes
Coordinater]
Julie Robertson-Steel,
Administrator
7.00pm
Dinner at Cook’n With Gas
(Panel members and UC guests as
above)
Cook’n With Gas [need
to book]
23 Worcester Boulevard
Christchurch
Thursday 24 November
8.30–10.15
am
Panel briefing
(Sonia Mazey to be available if
required)
10.15-10.30
am
Morning tea break
10.30-11.15
am
Current Full-Time Students
11.15-12.00
pm
Current Part-Time Students
12.00- 1.15
pm
Buffet lunch with Students/Alumni
1.15- 2.00
pm
Alumni Students
2.00-2.45
pm
Leadership Teaching Team
20
2.45-3.30
pm
Business Accumen Teaching
Team
3.30-3.45
pm
Afternoon Tea break
3.45-4.30
pm
Strategy Teaching Team
4.30-5.15
pm
Project Supervision Team
5.15-6.45
pm
[Wine & Cheese with MBA
Advisory Board and College
Advisory Board
members/stakeholders]
UC Campus venue to be
confirmed
Friday 25 November
8.30-9.15
am
Leigh Davidson/Clare Lange
(Administrative Support)
9.15-9.45
am
Matt Morris UC Sustainability
9.45-10.15
am
Chris Bridgeman (Careers
Support)
10.15-10.30
am
Morning tea break
10.30-11.00
am
Glenda Lorimer, BSEC director of
External Relations
11.00-11.30
am
Hamish Cochrane, AVC
(Academic)
11.30-12.00
am
Bob Hamilton, Chair BSEC PG
Committee
12.00-1.30
pm
Panel lunch
(Panel members x 5 + Sonia
Mazey [+ Peter Cammock?])
1.45-2.15
pm
Adrian Sawyer, BSEC PVC/Dean
2.15-3.00
pm
Darryn Russell, AVC Maori
3.00-3.15
pm
Afternoon tea break
3.15-5.00
pm
Panel debrief with Adrian Sawyer,
Peter Cammock and Sonia Mazey
Brigittes [need to book]
Aikmans Road
Merivale
Christchurch
21
Summary of Commendations
1. The curriculum committee and the MBZA director are to be congratulated on
deriving a core and secondary themes for the MBA programme.
2. The student project was considered to be a highly valuable component of
the programme by students.
3. The panel supports the MBA programme hosting alumni events. The
College can continue to support the programme by including MBA alumni
in a range of professional networking activities, including research.
Summary of Recommendations
1. A specific graduate profile for the MBA could be developed.
2. Rethink the strategic purposes of the College, and ensure that the UC MBA
is aligned with it.
3. The panel encourages staff to consider how the programme positions
itself externally, especially within the South Island. The importance of
positioning the programme to part-time working executives should be
given consideration.
4. Find additional ways to build on existing connections with alumni so that
examples of how they are making a difference in their organisations can
be profiled and incorporated into the programme.
5. An international location study tour will increase the exposure of
students to international best practice in their learning, as part of their
projects. This could also be achieved by working with other MBA
programs in overseas locations.
6. That the curriculum committee seriously consider the role of electives
and how many are offered in future years. Expanding the total numbers
gradually will give students a greater choice but will also impact the
financial viability of these electives.
7. Engage MBA staff from overseas universities (Visiting Professors
Program) to share their expertise in research and teaching.
8. Consider international exchanges, the international study tour, overseas
internships and increasing the target for international students in the
programme.
9. That staff identify how they will link aspects of sustainable practice to
responsible leadership within their courses.
10. That all course description outlines are updated regularly and that
learning outcomes are checked, along with their alignment with
assessment tasks.
11. That all course description outlines are updated with recent and relevant
research and cases that provide illustrations of best practice.
22
12. That career plans be put in place for key staff members and a succession
plan be considered for the role of Director.
13. To undertake an appropriate staffing level study to see if the existing level
of staff can provide the service required for all the programmes.
14. The programme could develop an assessment template. That is, for a 10
credit point paper, the number of individual and group assignments need
to be set and these assignments must directly relate to the learning
outcomes of the paper. This template should then be used across all
courses offered and key outcomes indicated.
15. That external moderation processes be developed for the UC MBA
courses.
16. That the delivery models for all courses be reconsidered in light of
offering intensives and how much support can be offered on-line. In
particular, the number of contact hours for the Brand Management and
Corporate Governance courses needs to be reviewed.
17. That staff consider what they need in terms of professional development
for teaching and learning processes for individuals and groups of staff by
engaging in a review meeting with the MBA Director.
18. Explore additional partnerships and ways of working together with
businesses.
19. Consider offering short intensive courses, extracted from the UC MBA
alumni programme, to business executives.
20. Consider offering internship programmes for any full-time UC MBA
students.
23