Academic Achievement Report for 2007
A. BUS. in Business
Arizona Western College
Statement of Purpose
Graduates will demonstrate
basic knowledge in business
that will prepare them for
transfer to a university and
demonstrate competency in
communication, critical
thinking, quantitative analysis,
and technological applications
Intended Student
Learning Outcome
Tools for Assessment
& Criteria for Success
Summary of
Data Collected
Graduates will demonstrate the
ability to analyze the results of
financial data through their
understanding of ratio analysis
from a user perspective and
preparing a complete set of
financial statements
Students will comprehensive
project to review critically the
results of a firm’s business
activities. Students will prepare
a complete set of financial
statements and analyzing their
results. 85 percent of
completers will achieve at least
an 80 percent on the project.
88 percent of students
completing the comprehensive
project to at least an 80percent
level.
A different set of problems/case
will be used in the next cycle
and the results compared.
Graduates will understand
fundamental micro and macro
economic concepts of price,
productivity, supply/demand,
and fiscal & monetary policy in
the American economy.
Students completing ECN 240
and 250 will be presented
specific essay questions on
exams (70% to pass).
Comprehensive final exams
will again assess critical
concepts (70% to pass).
Periodic and final surveys will
be conducted.
95% of students either fully
understood or some-what
understood the concept of
production possibilities. 79% of
Macro and 95% of Micro
students fully understood or
somewhat understood the
concept of supply/demand.
Macro students were also
assessed on fiscal/monetary
policy. 89% met the criteria. In
Micro, 86% of students met the
criteria for the elasticities
concept and 97% of students
were able to exhibit proficiency
in market structures.
A revamping of assessed
concepts will be made for the
2007/8 cycle. Macro students
will be tested on the aggregates
and Micro students will be
assessed in the comprehensive
final exam in production costs.
Graduates will demonstrate
computer & Internet literacy to
secure timely statistics and data
about national and local
economies or businesses, and
effectively interpret and
communicate findings.
By successfully completing, at
a minimum, CIS 120 and
utilizing those learned skills in
projects across the curriculum,
students will demonstrate
literacy.
This measure was not taken.
This measure proved to be too
difficult to coordinate across
courses and will be abandoned
for the 2008 cycle.
Use of Results
Academic Achievement Report for 2007
A. BUS. in Business
Arizona Western College
Statement of Purpose
Intended Student
Learning Outcome
Tools for Assessment
& Criteria for Success
Summary of
Data Collected
Use of Results
Graduates will demonstrate
understanding of the legal
issues of business
A comprehensive case problem
will be embedded into the final
exam to measure the students’
understanding of current ethical
and legal problems.
80% of students completing the
course were successful in case
analysis, even though the
overall test scores were that
only 59% of students taking the
exam achieved at least a 70%.
The case problem for the final
will be changed to challenge
additional concepts. The results
in relation to the overall exam
scores will be compared again
next cycle.
Learners will gather, interpret
both graphically and
numerically, business and
economic data. They will
include data analysis in
descriptive and inferential
formats and presentations. They
will investigate data set
development, appropriateness,
and set sample parameters, as
well as create statistical
distributions
Analysis interrogation will
focus on appropriateness,
accuracy, dispersion,
variability, terminology,
statistical evaluation for
business and economic data
including confident interval and
probability adequacy.
Terminology will focus on data
set elements, variables,
observations. Numerical
analysis will focus on averages,
variance, standard deviation,
sample size, margin of error,
confidence levels, median,
mode, percentiles, quartiles, and
inter quartile range. Test scores
in complete areas will exceed
70% in correctness within
parameters and learners will
achieve an overall pass rate of
70%.
The pass rate for the
comprehensive question on the
final exam was 85%. Control
questions were assessed and the
pass rate for the control
questions was 83%, indicating
consistency in the results.
Concepts will continue to be
emphasized and the next cycle
will assess these concepts again
for consistency.
In a survey, learners will rate
this department as effective in
helping them gain competency
in 9 personal effectiveness
skills that support the learning
outcomes.
This survey was changed for
the 2007 assessment cycle. The
results of the survey will be
discussed in the annual report.
Academic Achievement Report for 2007
A. BUS. in Business
Arizona Western College