Business Administration Department
(Business Administration, Finance, International Business, Management, Marketing)
Assessment Report
Fall 1999

Assessment data were gathered during Fall Semester 1998 and Spring Semester 1999 from a graduating senior survey administered in all sections of Business 498, Business Policy. The survey contains questions relating to the Business Administration Department's desired student outcomes including skill development, such as oral and written communication, problem solving, usage of tools and technology, and the global and diverse nature of business; and knowledge acquisition in the related area requirements and business core courses. Thirty-eight (38) students completed the survey during fall semester, while seventy-one (71) students completed the survey during spring semester. Survey instruments and statistical data are attached.

A. General Departmental Survey Skill Development

In the area of skill development, students in the Fall 1998 senior survey group rated themselves strongest in the following areas: (numbers in parentheses indicate the percentage of students who feel prepared or very prepared in each area)

Exhibit basic knowledge of the processes of business (86%)

Exhibit basic knowledge of the principles of business (84%)

Utilize the technologies appropriate to your discipline (83%)

This same group rated themselves weakest in the areas of:

Understand the global nature of business (70%)

Understand the culturally diverse nature of business (65%)

The Spring 1999 senior survey group indicated their strongest areas were:

Exhibit basic knowledge of principles of business (91%)

Understand the culturally diverse nature of business (90%)

Exhibit basic knowledge of the processes of business (87%)

The 1999 group indicated weaknesses in:

Communicate effectively in writing (79%) Understand the global nature of business (77%)

Knowledge Acquisition

When asked to rate satisfaction with their knowledge acquisition in courses in the related area requirements and the business core, Fall 1998 students indicated the highest satisfaction with: (number in parentheses is the percent of students rating their satisfaction level as satisfied or very satisfied)

Computer concepts (79%)

Management information Systems (77%)

Managerial Accounting (76%)

The lowest level of satisfaction was in the following areas:

Speech Communications (58%)

Applied Mathematics, Probability and Statistics (53%) The Spring 1999 students rated the following the highest:

Operations Management (80%)

Management Information Systems (77%)

Computer Concepts (77%)

The lowest ratings include:

Principles of Marketing (59%)

Managerial Accounting (57%)

Principles of Micro- and Macro- Economics (56%)

Though there are some differences in opinion, students in both survey groups feel well prepared in knowledge of principles and processes of business and least prepared in understanding the global nature of business. In the knowledge acquisition area, both groups were generally satisfied or very satisfied with computer concepts and Management Information Systems. Low ratings differed between the two groups.

Open Ended Question

Students were asked the question "How could the Business Administration Department be improved?" Their responses are summarized below. A complete list of comments is attached.

More computer classes (4 responses)

Offer more courses (4 responses)

Teaching methods (7 responses)

B. Individual Major Surveys

The survey administered during Spring Semester 1999 also included a separate survey page for each major in the department: Business Administration, Finance, international Business, Management, and Marketing. Students were asked to rate their perceived level of preparation in specific areas of knowledge in their majors. Each survey also contained the question "How could _______ major be improved." A complete list of comments is attached.

Business Administration Major (n=23)

Students indicated their strongest preparation was in: (numbers in parentheses indicate the percent of students who indicated prepared or very prepared)

General understanding of management functions (95%)

Analysis of competitors in the competitive environment (91%)

Marketing planning process and alternatives (87%)

Areas perceived as the weakest were:

Risk return characteristics of different investment opportunities (60%)

How businesses make purchase decisions (56%)

Content and effects of contract and financial laws (39%)

Finance Major (n=11)

Finance majors perceived their highest levels of preparation were in the areas of:

Time Value of Money (100%)

Relationship between risk and return (91%)

Basics of capital budgeting (91%)

The weakest areas were:

Financial problems and solutions of multinational firms (54%)

Dividend theory and policy (54%)

Capital structure theory and policy (45%)

International Business Major (n=5)

Eighty percent (80%) of international business majors indicated they feel prepared or very prepared in: alternative entry strategies for doing business abroad; economic policies for exchange rates, tariffs, and trade; role of foreign exchange rates in international business; ethical and social responsibilities in international business, international product life-cycles and business decisions; regional economic and trade blocks; your value system relative to those in other countries; multiple cultural, social, and economic perspectives; and basic comprehension of a second language. The weakest area on this survey was foreign accounting practices, reporting Systems and taxes (40%)

Management Major (n=11)

Management majors indicated a high level of preparation in:

General understanding of management functions (100%)

Theories of organizational behavior (90%)

Global management and the impact of cultural differences (90%)

Lowest perceived levels of preparation were in:

Management of service operations (54%)

Quantitative techniques applicable to management (45%)

Employment laws (27%)

Marketing Major (n=5)

Marketing majors indicated very high levels of preparation on all items on the survey (80-100%) with the exception of develop an understanding of the role and management of middlemen or channel members (40%).

There are no major budgeting problems for our assessment activities at this time. The majority of the cost of our assessment instruments is in duplication of surveys. However, if we administer the ETS exam again, there will be some funding requirements.

IV. Using Assessment Results for Improvements

The Business Administration Department plans to meet this semester to discuss assessment results and how they can be used to improve curriculum/instruction.

Business Administration plans to implement an assessment policy which will include a time table for assessment plan revision, implementation of assessment activities, process for using assessment results for improvement, etc. The plan is to be implemented this year.

Intern Survey (already in use-needs to be adapted for assessment purposes)

ETS Exam-possibly Spring 2000 (for longitudinal data)

Alumni Survey-similar to format of Spring 1998 survey used in last assessment report

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