Weber State University   

Masters of Business Administration 

Results of Assessment

2002-2003 (submitted 10/02/03)

Numerous assessment measures have been put in place and learning goals have been formulated for the program in consultation with the MBA Faculty, the MBA Advisory Council, and in keeping with guidelines for learning goals currently being revised by our accrediting body, AACSB International.

The learning and student success goals formulated for the MBA Program include the following:

• Graduates will be able to demonstrate graduate-level competency in both oral and written communication skills including ability to plan, organize, research and present reports using current technologies.
• Graduates will have an ongoing, professional, and interactive relationship with the business community in the University’s service area, enhancing their networking skills and professional employment opportunities.
• Graduates will exhibit a graduate-level knowledge of theoretical concepts, ideas, and topics in each of the following areas:

- Ethics
- Organizational Behavior
- Financial Management
- Marketing Management
- Logistics and Operations Management
- Management Accounting and Control
- Global Macroeconomics
- Information Technology in the Enterprise
- Strategic Management.

• Graduates will become proficient in interpersonal/human relation skills while acquiring the ability to effectively work in a team environment.
• Graduates will be offered opportunities for placement in positions befitting their graduate-level education and with competitive salaries.

As the program has developed in its first two years, numerous assessment measures had already been put in place prior to the formulation of learning goals and their formalization in an assessment plan for the MBA Program. These include the following assessment & feedback instruments, which have resulted in numerous changes in the MBA Program:

Assessment methods:

a. MBA-specific course evaluations
b. graduate exit surveys
c. annual student focus groups
d. new student employment interest surveys
e. follow-up alumni placement surveys
f. standardized testing using nationally- benchmarked data (ETS MBA Major Field Survey).
g. embedded course assignments and examinations

Faculty feedback: results of assessments are shared with faculty and department chairs, including course evaluations, departmental rankings of evaluations and grade distributions, transcripts from focus groups, videotaped student interviews, and external benchmarking data (ETS MBA Major Field Test results). Faculty input and idea-sharing concerning curriculum, course structure and utilization of online practices takes place during an annual MBA faculty retreat and during bi-annual meetings of the MBA Advisory Council.

Beginning in summer 2002, all matriculated MBA students must complete the newly-created MBA Major Field Test (MFT) from Educational Testing Service as part of their capstone MBA 6180 course in order to graduate. The benchmarked test results from the first two administrations of the MBA-MFT indicate that WSU MBA student scores compared very favorably with those of students from other institutions overall and in the learning goals outlined above. The institutional results are summarized in the table below:

Our 2001 exit focus group indicated that our MBA graduates desired more assistance with career placement. Subsequently, several career placement initiatives were initiated:

• A non-credit MBA career development seminar series was subsequently developed and has been offered annually since the Fall Semester of 2001.
• The WSU Career Services Center has undertaken a dialogue with two other MBA Programs in the state in order to collaborate in bring employers to Utah for on-campus recruiting for MBA students.

Program changes based on assessment results include:

1. MBA student interviews indicated some dissatisfaction with the use of undergraduate courses to provide the MBA foundation requirements. MBA-level foundation courses have been developed in order to streamline the leveling requirements and fit the MBA evening hybrid course format
2. Interviews with MBA students indicated a desire for more MBA electives from which to choose. Seven new elective courses were developed in order to provide a greater assortment of electives from which to choose, raising the total number of from five elective courses during the first year of the program to the current total of twelve, with three more in development.
3. Student interviews and course assessment data for the MBA 6041 statistics course indicated that many students struggled to acquire the necessary competency in an eight week time frame. The MBA 6041 course was changed to incorporate a 2 week pre-session, a competency exam, and the use of a statistics tutor assist MBA students.
4. In addition to discussing improvements to advisement in the MBA Advisory Council, students have also provided useful suggestions for improvement in our focus groups and exit interviews. For example, since 2002 we have held a New MBA Student Orientation twice each year for incoming students, providing basic information about graduate study in business, use of the case method, library resources, program advisement and campus resources.
5. An MBA Student Handbook is currently being developed which will provide a single source of information for students regarding program policies and procedures, advisement, university services, etc. This will be made available to students in both print and online formats
6. Academic Advising is provided by the MBA Program Director and the MBA Enrollment Director. These MBA staff members now have offices at the new WSU Davis Campus, beginning in Fall 2003 semester, enhancing student access to advisement before MBA classes begin in the evening. The addition of a MBA Department Secretary has enhanced program efficiency in student record-keeping and advising.
7. An Access database was constructed for the MBA Program during the Spring 2003 semester, and the MBA Department Secretary is currently entering all existing and new program data during Summer and Fall 2003. This database will greatly enhance the ability of the MBA Enrollment Director to track student performance, time to degree completion, and communication with MBA students.

Mission Statement / Student Learning Outcomes / Curriculum Grid / Assessment Plan / Contact Person