Promote The Development And Maintenance Of Quality Academic Programs
In support of the University's and College's missions, the Department will develop and maintain quality academic programs.
Objective
Expand Online Course Offerings
To meet student needs and demands for a variety of course options, particularly the online BBA degree in General Business Administration and the online MBA program, the department will continue to expand the number and frequency of online course offerings by departmental faculty.
KPI
Expand Online Course Offerings
The department will continue to expand the number and frequency of courses offered through distance (online) education.
Result
Online Course Offerings
49 unique sections of online courses were offered during the year, 37 undergraduate, 12 graduate. The 37 undergraduate sections were comprised of 13 different undergraduate courses, four (BUAD 2321, BUAD 3345, FINC 4315, and FINC 4345) of which were offered for the first time online. Students in the General Business degree program are now able to complete a minor in Finance online.
The 12 graduate sections were comprised of 6 different graduate courses, including BUAD 5355, which was offered for the first time online.
Action
Expanded Online Course Offerings
The department will continue to support the online BBA and MBA degrees by offering more sections of existing online courses as well as develop new ones.
Objective
Support The Development Of The BBA Degree In General Business Administration At The Woodlands Center
To meet student demand and assist with the College's commitment to offering the BBA degree in General Business Administration daytimes at the Woodlands Center, the department will add elective courses to its scheduling of classes at TWC.
KPI
Delivery Of BBA Degree In General Business Administration Daytimes At The Woodlands
Begin delivering the required upper-level (i.e., COBA) courses to support the BBA in General Business Administration degree offered daytimes at the Woodlands Center
Result
BBA Degree At The Woodlands Center
Four daytime courses (two sections of FINC 3320, and one each of BUAD 3335 and BUAD 3355) were offered at TWC during the academic year. An additional section of BUAD 3355 is being offered in the fall 2014 semester, along with a new course, BUAD 3360.
Action
Support The Daytime BBA Degree In General Business At TWC
The department will continue to support the daytime BBA degree by regulaly offering sections of required coures as well as expand the offering of elective courses offered at TWC.
Objective
Support The Assurance Of Learning Process
As part of the department's commitment to continuous improvement, it will continue to encourage and support the efforts of the faculty in improving the Assurance of Learning (AoL) process for courses and degree programs housed within the department as well as the AoL process in support of college-wide learning objectives.
KPI
Refine Assurance Of Learning Process
The department will document changes it has undergone to adapt and refine its Assurance of Learning Process.
Result
Adjustments To AoL Process
Results from and changes to the AoL process for degrees housed within the department (Banking and Financial Institutions, Enrepreneurship, Finance, and General Business) are described under the OATdb entries for the respective degrees.
Action
Support Department AoL Process
The department will strive to better document changes/improvements in the AoL processes for majors housed in the department.
Objective
Conclude Formal Reviews Of Degree Programs Housed In The Department
The department will ensure that the initial program reviews of the BBA in Banking and Financial Institutions degree, BBA in Entrepreneurship, and BBA in Finance are concluded by department faculty.
KPI
Complete Initial Examination Of Degree Programs
The department will complete initial reviews of the BBA in Banking and Financial Institutions, BBA in Entrepreneurship, BBA in Finance, and BBA in General Business degree programs.
Result
Program Reviews
Although some preliminary steps were taken to begin the formal review of academic programs housed within the department, little formal progress was made. New initiatives in this area will be made for the new academic year.
Action
Conduct Program Reviews
The department will strive to conduct and complete formal reviews of the BBA in Banking and Financial Institutions and BBA in Finance degree during the upcoming academic year. Reviews of the BBA in General Business and Entrepreneurship degrees will also be undertaken if current efforts to adjust the degree programs are completed in a timely fashion.
Objective
Develop Online Academic Support Materials
To meet the needs of students requiring addtional reviews of critical conceptual and quantitative course materals, the department will support and encourage faculty efforts to develop academic support material that is readily accessible online for those students requiring such assistance.
KPI
Develop Academic Support Material
The department will develop academic support materials that is available for students to use in reviewing conceptual and quantitative concepts.
Result
Academic Support Materials
Associated with the many online courses offered by the department, a wide variety of online support materials have been developed. However, the faculty is waiting on the development of a proper conduit through which to make such materials available to students.
Action
Provide Academic Support Material
With the proper implementation of a viable delivery system, a multitude of academic support material will be made available to students, particularly in the area of basic finance principles.
Objective
Develop And Publish Long-Term Schedules
To assist students with completing their degree plans, develop and publish long-term schedules of planned BUAD and FINC course offerings that include daytime and evening courses at TWC, online courses, and traditional face-to-face courses in Huntsville.
KPI
Develop Long-Term Schedule
The department will develop a long-term schedule to assist students with planning future course registration.
Result
Develop Long-Term Schedule
A working draft of a long-term schedule has been developed. However, given the changing dynamics of the daytime Woodlands campus and online program offerings, the schedule has not yet been made available for student use. Such a schedule should be completed early during the 2014-2015 academic year.
Action
Development Of Long-Term Schedule
Although a skeleton schedule has been developed, considerable changes in various programs within COBA as well as changes in faculty availability have rendered this process quite difficult to complete. It is planned to have such a schedule documenting expected course offerings online, at TWC, and in Huntsville for courses taught with the department by spring 2015.
Goal
Support The Recruitment And Retention Of A Productive, High-Quality Faculty
The most valuable asset for an academic department is its faculty. The faculty are responsible for the creation and delivery of quality academic programs, the creation of new knowledge as well as other intellectual contributions, and for providing service as it relates to shared governance and serving students, the academy, employers and the community. As such, it is vital that the department recruits and retains a high quality faculty.
Objective
Maintaining SA, SP, PA, And IP Percentages
Policies will be implemented to help ensure that AACSB guidelines for the percentage of classes taught by qualified faculty continue to be met. At least 40% of departmental faculty must meet the college and AACSB definitions of Scholary Academic (SA); 60% must be Scholarly Academics, Scholarly Practioners (SP) or Practice Academics (PA); and 90% must be Scholarly Academics, Scholarly Practioners, Practice Academics, or Instructional Practioners (IP).
KPI
Maintenance Of SA/SP/PA/IP Percentages
The department will ensure that the number of course sections taught by SA (scholarly academics), SP (scholarly practioners), PA (practice academics), and IP (instructional practioners) meets or exceeds AACSB guidelines.
Result
Maintaining AACSB Academic Qualifications
Of 35 faculty members, 23 (65.7%) are designated as SA, 26 (74.3%) are SA + PA + SP, and 33 (91.4%) are SA + PA + SP + IP).
Action
Maintaining AACSB Academic Qualifications
The percentage of courses taught by SA. SP, PA, and IP faculty exceed minimum guidelines. Continued monitoring will ensure that virtually all courses will be taught by fully academically-qualified faculty.
Objective
Recruit New Highly-Qualified Faculty
The department will conduct national searches for new faculty members in business communications and business law.
KPI
Complete Faculty Searches
Following national searches, the department will hire a new tenure-track faculty member in Business Communication and Business Law.
Result
Recruit New Highly-Qualified Faculty
Diana Brown, J.D. was hired as a new professor teaching in the business law area.
The Business Communication position was not filled during the year. A new search will be undertaken next year.
Action
Recruit Highly-Qualified Faculty
The department successfully filled the new position in business law by hiring Dr. Diana Brown. The position in business communication will be filled during the next academic year.
Objective
Expectations For Teaching, Research, And Service
The faculty will meet or excee expectations in teaching, research, and service commensurate with the mission and goals of the College of Business Administration and Department of General Business and Finance.
KPI
Effective Teachers
The university, college, and department utilize the IDEA System as part of its evaluation of classroom performance. The IDEA System, developed by the IDEA Center at Kansas State University, is a nationally normed, validated and reliable measure of classroom performance based on up to 12 learning objectives. The IDEA scores are a major portion of the department's Faculty Evaluation System (FES) as it relates to classroom performance. The percentage of effective teachers as defined and measured using IDEA and FES will provide data as to the quality of instruction within the Department of General Business and Finance.
1. Eighty percent (80%) of all faculty in the department will meet or surpass the departmentally-set minimum IDEA score of 45 on the Discipline Weighted Average. 2. Eighty percent (80%) of all faculty in the department will meet or surpass the departmentally-set minimum score for the average of FES 1 and 2. Consistent with the department's post-tenure review process this average score must be 2.5 or above.
Result
Effective Teachers
90.9% (20 of 22) of the faculty had average IDEA scores of 45.0 or greater.
90.9% (20 of 22) of the faculty had average FES 1 and 2 scores of 2.5 or greater.
KPI
Effective Researchers
In support of the College's accreditation by AACSB International, the Department of General Business and Finance expects sustained research output from the faculty. The department uses the Faculty Evaluation System (FES) Form 3 to document the publications and other intellectual contributions of the faculty. The percentage of effective researchers defined and measured using FES 3 will provide information about the quantity and quality of intellectual contributions provided by the department's faculty.
1. Ninety percent (90%) of all Academically Qualified eligible faculty, based on the College's self-defined standard for AASCB International accreditation purposes of Scholary Academics (SA), Scholarly Practioners (SP), Practice Academics (PA), and Instructional Practioners (IP) in the department will meet or surpass the departmentally-set minimum FES 3 score of 2.5.
Result
Effective Researchers
100% of all Academically Qualified faculty members received FES 3 scorses of 2.5 or higher. 95.6% (22 of 23) of faculty teaching full-time for the department met the same level of performance.
KPI
Effective Service Providers
The Department of General Business and Finance uses the Faculty Evaluation System (FES) Form 4 to document the service activites of the faculty. The percentage of effective service providers defined and measured using FES 4 will provided data concerning the service activities of the faculty.
1. Eighty percent (80%) of all Participating Faculty (as defined by AACSB International standards) in the department will meet or surpass the departmentally-set minimum FES 4 score of 3.0.
Result
Effective Service Providers
19 of 21 faculty members (90.4%) received FES scores of 3.0 or higher for 2013.
Action
Continued Excellence In Teaching, Research, And Service
Through the use of the Faculty Evaluation System, the department will maintain and enhance the overall teaching, research, and service effectiveness by its faculty.