Site Team Report

14. The North Central Association Criteria

The School of Business and Economics offers undergraduate degree programs in Business Administration, Economics, certificate programs in International Business and Industrial Forestry and an interdisciplinary masters degree in Mineral Economics. The School also offers dual degrees which combine the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Business with another discipline on campus. The dual degree program also is available for students majoring in Economics. The dual degree program which requires three quarters of study in addition to the first bachelor's degree are usually required for the Bachelor of Science in Administration and the Bachelor of Science in Economics.

The School is currently seeking accreditation from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). In the third year of candidacy (1997-1998) the School appears to be on target for qualifying for formal review two years hence (2000-2001).

In recent years, the School has added an Advisory Board consisting of approximately 47 alumni and/or representatives of businesses in Michigan and surrounding states. The School is currently reviewing the feasibility of a fund raising campaign for the School as part of a University initiative to conduct a major campaign designed to provide resources for non-capital related needs, including endowed chairs, resources for instruction and research support.

New faculty positions have been added to the school in preparation for the AASCB accreditation. In 1988 there were 18 full time and 2 part time faculty in the School. In 1998 there are 26 full time and 3 part time faculty. Faculty development funding is available from the University at a level of approximately $1,500-$2,000 for each faculty member. The funding is designed to encourage faculty involvement in professional meetings, associations, and to support non- capital research needs.

Library enhancements continue to be a problem area for the School. Additional funding will be critical to support the needs of a growing faculty and the demands of AACSB accreditation. The major emphasis has been on electronic data base acquisitions.

In 1994, under the leadership of a new Dean, the School developed the strategy of focusing accreditation efforts on the undergraduate program. The masters program in operations management was suspended. The undergraduate business degree was redesigned with guidance from the Schools advisory board. As part of the redesign the B.S. in Engineering Management (BSEM) is being suspended at the beginning of 1997-1998. In its place the dual degree program was developed for students in engineering seeking a business administration background.

In addition the curriculum was revised to include a very unique "technological core" as a requirement for all business undergraduates. This revision (described above as the BSBA) emphasizes the linkage between technology and business functions of an organization. In cooperation with other departments and schools , this core is designed to provide students with an interdisciplinary experience and an opportunity to understand business problems within an industrial context of their own choosing.

As the new curriculum is put into effect, the School's faculty are currently addressing a historical weakness in the coordination among courses, inadequate assessment of student learning and teaching effectiveness, and deficient student advisement. The new Dean has built a consensus for action on the above items and the School has been restructured. Divisional organization has been replaced with area chairs and an Associate Dean.

Under the new Dean and Associate Dean the School has adopted initiatives to address the above referenced weaknesses:

• A new teaching seminar series has been established along with a workshop series on teaching effectiveness and methodologies. This initiative was recommended by a new Committee within the School, the Teaching and Professional Development Committee.
• The School also initiated a requirement, recommended by its Teaching and Professional Development Committee, that faculty must provide a yearly portfolio which explains, for each course, the instructor's teaching philosophy, course goals, implementation and innovation plans, and assessment of student learning methods.
• The new curriculum includes two new courses directly related to the improvement of assessment, which are required of all students, one at the end of the sophomore year and the other at the end of the senior year. The courses are designed to address three issues: (1) are students learning?; (2) what is their evaluation of the curriculum?; (3) what do they need to do to plan for their academic and professional careers?
• The School has established a full time position as advisor to undergraduate students. The Dean receives feedback on advising through a newly appointed student advisory board.
• A newly established executive-in-residence program is designed in part to provide students contacts with business leaders and enhance their understanding of the need to plan for academic and professional careers.
• Student headcount enrollment in the School's majors has declined in recent years. Fall headcount in 1988 was 386 and in Fall 1996, 239. The School has undertaken a number of initiatives to address the decline involving enhanced recruiting efforts; two plus two programming with regional community colleges with programs similar to Michigan Tech's; and adopted a more aggressive approach to attracting internal transfers. Diversity recruitment has also been included in the enrollment management initiative.

There is little evidence of substantive community support activities in the arena of economic development in the service activities of School of Business and Economics. Suggestion: The School should consider lending its expertise to the attraction of job generating development in the immediate area of Houghton and in the upper peninsula.

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