Department of Management
School of Business and Public Administration
CSU San Bernardino
|
Contact Information:
Lee Hanson
Tel: (909) 880-7026
Fax: (909) 880-5736
Email: lhanson@wiley.csusb.edu
STUDENT OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT PLAN:
MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION
Policies, Procedures, and Implementation
Approved by vote of Faculty May 15, 1997
This document explains the student outcomes assessment program for the Department of Management. The following pages establish relevant policy and procedures and are to be the basis for all other departmental literature or brochures used to explain Management outcomes assessment requirements.
The Management outcomes assessment program utilizes a portfolio approach. The portfolio consists of five student assignments completed in Management concentration and elective courses, along with a student self-evaluation report submitted with the portfolio, in which students assess their educational experience as Management majors. Students are responsible for compiling and submitting their portfolios, and must take MGMT XXX, a non-credit course, in the quarter of graduation when they submit the portfolio. The portfolios are assessed quarterly by a departmental portfolio review committee, with a final year-end report being prepared each fall quarter which makes recommendations on curricular or program change as deemed appropriate.
The department intends to take a developmental approach in instituting the portfolio requirement. We will commence the basic approach explained in this document, and alter or more clearly specify elements based on our experience and judgment of what will improve the assessment method. Our expectation is to develop and improve the approach over time, in the process creating a genuine "culture of evidence" regarding student learning outcomes.
Table of Contents
I. Mission Statement
II. Goals
III. Objectives
IV. Goals & Related Objectives, Criteria, Assessment Methods, Time Frames,
Assessment Analysis, Data, and Use of Assessment in Curricular Revision
Goal No.1
Goal No.2
Goal No.3
Goal No.4
Goal No.5
V. Faculty Instruction Sheet for Outcomes Assessment
VI. Student Instructions for
Completing the Portfolio Requirement
VII. Portfolio Review Committee Policy
I. Mission Statement
The Department of Management provides the School of Business and Public Administration courses in Management and Human Resources, Small Business Management, and International Business, in addition to legal environment of business, administrative communication, and strategic management/corporate policy analysis. The mission of the department is to provide academically rigorous instruction in traditional, contemporary, and emerging management theory, research, and practice and to stimulate student interest in management studies. The Management faculty teaches students to understand the nature and needs of organizations, and to contribute both support and leadership in a variety of organizational roles. These roles include leadership in strategic and top management, and leadership at the departmental and functional levels, where skills in human relations, teamwork, and interpersonal communication must be successfully applied by managers and other employees. The Management faculty provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to act as leaders at these various organizational levels and to serve as effective, ethical, contributing organizational members.
II. Goals
I. To provide course experiences and assignments which will help develop students' proficiency in basic academic skills (writing, speaking, critical thinking*) and help nurture advanced academic skills.
2. To provide an orientation to management which emphasizes international, cultural, ethical, legal, organizational-process, and economic perspectives.
3. To familiarize students with the role of uncertainty, limited information, risk and conflict in management decision making, so as to help them build tolerance for ambiguity and recognition that problems typically lack perfect solutions and require prioritizing among options.
4. To provide opportunities for students to critically analyze and evaluate the assumptions that they make about people and their behavior in organizations.
5. To offer relevant experience in team work and group-based learning and problem-solving.
*As defined in part by the University General Education criteria, critical thinking skills include being able to identify, analyze, evaluate, and present oral and written arguments; distinguish fact from judgment and belief from knowledge; and embody intellectual standards such as accuracy, evidentiary support, clarity, logicalness and fairness. Course-related portfolio assignments shall seek to nurture these skills.
III. Objectives
Students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate basic competency in written communication (defined as writing which is clear, concise, well organized, well reasoned).
2. Demonstrate basic competency in spoken communication.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in case analyses and other written and oral communication exercises.
4. Demonstrate understanding of managerial issues and problems related to the global economy and international business.
5. Demonstrate a basic grasp of how the legal system and regulatory system affect management decision making.
6. Demonstrate familiarity with social responsibilitv issues that managers must address, including but not limited to business ethics, corporate lobbying, cultural diversity, and environmental concerns.
7. Demonstrate understanding of organizational conflict and conflict resolution, power and organizational politics, so as to cope effectively with these processes when confronted in "real world" business and managerial situations.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of both the strengths and the weaknesses of managerial problem analysis, problem-solving and decision making techniques, and an understanding of the limitations of such techniques in application.
9. Demonstrate ability to critically analyze organizational problems involving people, situations, and behavior in light of established managerial theory and practice and probable consequences.
10. Demonstrate understanding of the complexities of various organizational role expectations including leader, manager, supervisor, subordinate, and team member and of the shaping influence that organizations exert upon individuals as they perform these roles.
II. Demonstrate knowledge of the theory and practice of team-based organization and team management skills.
12. Demonstrate knowledge of the techniques of employee supervision and human resource management, including leadership, motivation, productivity, job design, and managing organizational change.
IV. Goals & Related Objectives, Criteria. Assessment Methods, Time Frames, Assessment Analysis, Data, and Use of Assessment in Curricular Revision
Goal No. I
I. GOAL
To provide course experiences and assignments which will help develop students' proficiency in basic academic skills (writing, speaking, critical thinking) and help to nurture advanced academic skills.
2. OBJECTIVES
Students should be able to:
a. Demonstrate basic competency in written communication (defined as writing which is clear, concise, well organized, well reasoned).
b. Demonstrate basic competency in spoken communication.
c. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in case analyses and other written and oral communication exercises.
3. OUTCOMES CRITERIA
(HOW WILL STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE OR COMPLETE THE OBJECTIVES?)
The student learning goals and objectives the department seeks to develop are woven throughout the concentration, such that specific objectives are not expected or intended by the department to be exclusively addressed in, or to correspond to, specific courses. Rather, development of student competencies is intended to occur continuously throughout the time that the student is taking concentration courses. Formative assessment will occur as assignments are returned to students in each class; at this time, in addition to the grade received on the individual portfolio assignment, the instructor will indicate level of attainment on the specific objectives for the assignment, using a 5-point likert-type scale indicating gradations between high and low achievement . Summative assessment of student learning will occur after students complete the concentration requirement and submit portfolios for review by the Portfolio Review Committee.
With specific regard to Goal No. I and its related objectives, in small-class format Management concentration and elective courses, students shall write papers, case analyses, and/or essays, and shall orally present papers, case analyses, essays, and/or shall participate in class discussion. As fully as possible, the foregoing written assignments will require students to apply and demonstrate critical thinking skills and to express arguments and conclusions concisely and clearly.
4. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND MEASURES TO BE USED?
Assessment for this and all of the following goals and objectives shall occur via instructor evaluation in individual courses, and via portfolio assignments which will be required in all concentration and elective courses and which will be assessed by the department Portfolio Review Committee. For written assignments, students' work will be evaluated on an ongoing basis by instructors based on their judgment on writing mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation), organization, clarity, and logical structure, using instructors' customary methods. In addition, a student portfolio will be compiled by the student, consisting of assignments designated by instructors in concentration and elective courses. Portfolio assignments shall meet the requirements specified in the attached Faculty Instruction Sheet for Student Assessment.
The principle mode of assessing students' oral communication skills will be instructors' ongoing evaluation in concentration and elective classes. Faculty will assess students on their ability to answer questions and on logic, organization, and use of appropriate terms in oral presentations, using customary methods. In addition, video, audio, or multimedia presentations are permitted as portfolio assignments, and where they may be used by instructors, they will be assessed as part of the Portfolio Review process. Also, where instructors should include a group project as a portfolio assignment, these will require a written evaluation of the student’s participation which will provide another mechanism for summatively assessing oral communication competencies via the portfolio.
5. TIME FRAME (WHEN WILL THE ASSESSMENT BE DONE?)
As stated in para. 3, written and oral communication skills will be assessed on a continuous basis in concentration and elective courses during junior and senior years; portfolios will be assessed after the quarter that students complete their concentration requirement and submit portfolios.
6. WHO WILL DO THE ASSESSMENT, COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA?
Faculty teaching the required Management courses, and the department Portfolio Review Committee.
7. TYPE OF FEEDBACK (DATA)
As stated in para. 3, formative assessment data and feedback will consist of portfolio assignment grade, written instructor commentary to students, and likert-type instructor ranking of student attainment of objectives provided on portfolio assignments. Summative data will consist of department Portfolio Review Committee quarterly summary assessment and annual analyses of portfolios.
8. HOW WILL DATA BE USED TO IMPROVE OR REVISE CURRICULA?
Per the attached "Portfolio Review Committee Policy", the department Portfolio Review Committee will present a summary assessment of portfolio performance after each quarter, and in the fall quarter will present an overall analysis of the preceding year's portfolios which will identify patterns of strength and weakness in curriculum and/or the assessment process and make recommendations for change or improvement as appropriate.
Goal No. 2
I. GOAL
To provide an orientation to management which emphasizes international, cultural, ethical, legal, organizational process and economic perspectives.
2. OBJECTIVE
Students should be able to:
a. Demonstrate understanding of managerial issues and problems related to the global economy and international business.
b. Demonstrate a basic grasp of how the legal system and regulatory system affect management decision making.
c. Demonstrate familiarity with social responsibilitv issues that influence decision making of corporate top executives, including but not limited to business ethics, corporate lobbying, diversity in the workplace, and environmental concerns.
3. OUTCOMES CRITERIA (HOW WILL STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE OR COMPLETE THE OBJECTIVES?)
As stated under Goal 1-3, the student learning goals and objectives the department seeks to develop are woven throughout the concentration, such that specific objectives are not expected or intended by the department to be exclusively addressed in, or to correspond to, specific courses. Formative assessment will occur as assignments are returned to students in each class, based on the grade received on the individual portfolio assignment and instructor ranking of level of attainment on the specific objectives for the assignment using a 5-point likert-type scale indicating gradations between high and low achievement. Summative assessment will occur after students complete the concentration requirements and submit portfolios for review by the Portfolio Review Committee.
With specific regard to Goal No. 2 and its related objectives, assignments in Management concentration and elective courses increasingly are encompassing global and social issues (e.g., ethics, politics, cultural pluralism) in response to AACSB requirements, general trends in business textbooks, and School and Management Department policy. Additionally, most Management majors are systematically exposed to global and social issues in taking the concentration course Mgmt 335 (Business and Society), and to organizational-process issues in Mgmt 451 (Organization and Management Theory). In Mgmt 455 (Human Resource Management), Mgmt 458 (Fair Employment Practices), and Mgmt 457 (Labor Relations) numerous political, legal, ethical and economic issues associated with the effective management of a diverse labor force are addressed. Students further receive exposure to global management issues if they choose the elective course Mgmt 405 (International Management). Consequently, efforts to satisfy the present goal/objective(s) are a natural outcome of the department's core mission and delivery of curriculum. Instructors shall be responsible for, and shall have full discretion to, design portfolio assignments whose requirements and content will address one or more of the objectives above.
4. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND MEASURES TO BE USED?
As explained under Goal 1-4, assessment of student learning about global, social-legal-political, and organizational-process issues will occur via instructor evaluation in individual courses, and via portfolio assignments required in all concentration and elective courses and which will be assessed by the department Portfolio Review Committee.
5. TIME FRAME (WHEN WILL THE ASSESSMENT BE DONE?)
As stated in para. 3, written and oral communication skills will be assessed on a continuous basis in concentration and elective courses during junior and senior years; portfolios will be assessed after the quarter that students complete their concentration requirements and submit portfolios.
6. WHO WILL DO THE ASSESSMENT, COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA?
Faculty teaching the required courses, and the department Portfolio Review Committee.
7. TYPE OF FEEDBACK (DATA)
As stated in para. 3, formative assessment data and feedback will consist of portfolio assignment grade, written instructor commentary to students, and likert-type instructor ranking of student attainment of objectives provided on portfolio assignments. Summative data will consist of department Portfolio Review Committee quarterly summary assessment and annual analyses of portfolios.
8. HOW WILL DATA BE USED TO IMPROVE OR REVISE CURRICULA?
Department Portfolio Review Committee will evaluate and report upon student portfolios as explained under Goal 1-8, and per the attached "Portfolio Review Committee Policy".
Goal No. 3
I. GOAL
To familiarize students with the role of uncertainty, limited information, risk and conflict in management decision making, so as to help them build tolerance for ambiguity and recognition that problems typically lack perfect solutions and require prioritizing among options.
2. OBJECTIVES
Students should be able to:
a. Demonstrate understanding of organizational conflict and conflict resolution, power and organizational situations politics, so as to cope effectively with these processes when confronted in "real world" business and managerial situations.
b. Demonstrate an understanding of both the strengths and the weaknesses of managerial problem analysis, application, problem-solving, and decision making techniques, and an understanding of the limitations of such techniques in application.
3. OUTCOMES CRITERIA (HOW WILL STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE OR COMPLETE THE OBJECTIVES?)
As Stated under Goal 1-3, the student learning goals and objectives the department seeks to develop are woven throughout the concentration, such that specific objectives are not expected or intended by the department to be exclusively addressed in, or to correspond to, specific courses. Formative assessment will occur as assignments are returned to students in each class, based on the grade received on the individual portfolio assignment and instructor ranking of level of attainment on the specific objectives for the assignment using a 5-point likert-type scale indicating gradations between high and low achievement. Summative assessment will occur after students complete the concentration requirement and submit portfolios for review by the Portfolio Review Committee.
The present goal/objective set reflects a particular concern and priority of the Management Department, from its belief that the knowledge, perspectives, and skills encompassed herein are particularly important to preparing students to serve as effective, contributing organizational leaders and members. Beyond this general policy, specific department concentration and elective courses naturally tend to address the objectives wholly or in part; Mgmt 335 (Business and Society), Mgmt 402 (Studies in Organizational Behavior), Mgmt 451 (Organization and Management Theory.), Mgmt 455 (Human Resources Management), and Mgmt 456 (Psychology of Human Resources). Consequently, efforts to satisfy this goal/objective are inherent to both the department's curriculum content and its focused efforts to develop distinctive competence in this area.
4. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND MEASURES TO BE USED
As explained under Goal 1-4, assessment of student learning about uncertainty, limited information, risk and conflict in decision making will occur via customary instructor evaluation in individual courses, and via portfolio assignment required in all concentration and elective courses and which will be assessed by the department Portfolio Review Committee.
5. TIME FRAME (WHEN WILL THE ASSESSMENT BE DONE?)
Ongoing in junior and senior year as students take courses, and as the conclusion of students' final quarter when their portfolios are reviewed.
6. WHO WILL DO THE ASSESSMENT, COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA?
Faculty teaching courses cited above and the department Portfolio Review Committee.
7. TYPE OF FEEDBACK (DATA)
As stated in para. 3, formative assessment data and feedback will consist of portfolio assignment grade, written instructor commentary to students, and likert-type instructor ranking of student attainment of objectives provided on portfolio assignments. Summative data will consist of department Portfolio Review Committee quarterly summary assessment and annual analyses of portfolios.
8. HOW WILL DATA BE USED TO IMPROVE OR REVISE CURRICULA?
Department Portfolio Review Committee will evaluate and report upon student portfolios as explained under Goal 1-8, and per the attached "Portfolio Review Committee Policy."
Goal No. 4
1. GOAL
To provide opportunities for students to critically analyze and evaluate the assumptions that they make about people and their behavior in organizations.
2. OBJECTIVE(S)
Students should be able to:
a. Demonstrate ability to critically analyze organizational problems involving people, situations, and behavior in light of established managerial theory and practice and probable consequences.
b. Demonstrate understanding of the complexities of various organizational role expectations including leader, manager, supervisor, subordinate, and team member and of the shaping influence that organizations exert upon individuals as they perform these roles.
3. OUTCOMES CRITERIA (HOW WILL STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE OR COMPLETE THE OBJECTIVES?)
As stated under Goal 1-3, the student learning goals and objectives the department seeks to develop are woven throughout the concentration, such that specific objectives are not expected or intended by the department to be exclusively addressed in, or to correspond to, specific courses. Formative assessment will occur as assignments are returned to students in each class, based on the grade received on the individual portfolio assignment and instructor ranking of level of attainment on the specific objectives for the assignment using a 5-point likert-type scale indicating gradations between high and low achievement. Summative assessment will occur after students complete the concentration requirements and submit portfolios for review by the Portfolio Review Committee.
In relation to Goal III preceding, it is the further concern of the Management Department to nurture students' capacity to think critically about the concepts and ideas of management, so as to be able to perceive where these may themselves be a source of problems in organizations which require redress. Again as with Goal/Objective Set III it is department policy for instructors of all concentration and elective courses to give particular attention to designing courses, assignments and exercises so that they nurture critical perspectives in students. And again, the concentration and elective courses identified for Goal III tend to address the objectives of the goal wholly or in part.
4. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND MEASURES TO BE USED?
As explained under Goal 1-4, assessment of student development of critical perspectives will occur via customary instructor evaluation in individual courses, and via portfolio assignments required in all concentration and elective courses, and which will be assessed by the department Portfolio Review Committee.
5. TIME FRAME (WHEN WILL THE ASSESSMENT BE DONE?)
Ongoing in junior and senior year as students take courses, and as the conclusion of students’ final quarter when their portfolios are reviewed.
6. WHO WILL DO THE ASSESSMENT, COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA?
Faculty teaching courses cited above and the department Portfolio Review Committee.
7. TYPE OF FEEDBACK (DATA)
As stated in para. 3, formative assessment data and feedback will consist of portfolio assignment grade, written instructor commentary to students, and likert-type instructor ranking of student attainment of objectives provided on portfolio assignments. Summative data will consist of department Portfolio Review Committee quarterly summary assessment and annual analyses of portfolios.
8. HOW WILL DATA BE USED TO IMPROVE OR REVISE CURRICULA?
Department Portfolio Committee will evaluate and report upon student portfolios as explained under Goal 1-8, and per the attached "Portfolio Review Committee Policy".
Goal No. 5
1. GOAL
To offer relevant experience in team work and group-based learning and problem-solving.
2. OBJECTIVES
Students should be able to:
a. Demonstrate competence in the theory and practice of team-based organization and team management skills.
b. Demonstrate competence in the techniques of employee supervision and human resource management applied in teams, including leadership, motivation, productivity, job design, and managing organizational change.
3. OUTCOMES CRITERIA (HOW WILL STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE OR COMPLETE THE OBJECTIVES?)
As stated under Goal 1-3, the student learning goals and objectives the department seeks to develop are woven throughout the concentration, such that specific objectives are not expected or intended by the department to be exclusively addressed in, or to correspond to, specific courses. Formative assessment will occur as assignments are returned to students in each class, based on the grade received on the individual portfolio assignment and instructor ranking of level of attainment on the specific objectives for the assignment using a 5-point likert-type scale indicating gradations between high and low achievement. Summative assessment will occur after students complete the concentration requirements and submit portfolios for review by the Portfolio Review Committee.
Several Management concentration and elective courses address team-based organization and related issues wholly or in part: Mgmt 451 (Organization and Management Theory,), Mgmt 455 (Human Resource Management), Mgmt 459 (Work Group Management), and Mgmt 457 Industrial and Labor Relations). Consequently, efforts to meet this goal/objective set are inherent to the department's mission. In addition, increasing emphasis is being placed on group-based projects in all Management concentration and elective classes, so that students develop practical experience with teamwork.
4. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND MEASURES TO BE USED?
As explained under Goal 1-4, assessment of students' assimilation of theory and concepts of team-based organization and team management will occur through instructors' ongoing feedback to students, through instructor and peer evaluations of students' role in team exercises and projects, and through designated portfolio assignments from concentration and elective courses.
5. TIME FRAME (WHEN WILL THE ASSESSMENT BE DONE?)
Assessment will occur on an ongoing basis in junior and senior years in courses, and at the end of students' final quarter when portfolios are evaluated.
6. WHO WILL DO THE ASSESSMENT, COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA?
Faculty teaching courses and the department Portfolio Review Committee.
7. TYPE OF FEEDBACK (DATA)
As stated in para. 3. formative assessment data and feedback will consist of portfolio assignment grade, written instructor commentary to students, and likert-type instructor ranking of student attainment of objectives provided on portfolio assignments. Summative data will consist of department Portfolio Review Committee quarterly summary assessment and annual analyses of portfolios.
8. HOW WILL DATA BE USED TO IMPROVE OR REVISE CURRICULA?
Department Portfolio Committee will evaluate and report upon student portfolios as explained under Goal 1-8, and per the attached "Portfolio Review Committee Policy".
V. FACULTY INSTRUCTION SHEET
FOR OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
The Management Department has adopted a student portfolio requirement for its outcomes assessment approach. All Management 456, 457, concentration, non-core courses (i.e., Mgmt 335, 350, 402, 405, 406, 432, 442, 451, 455, 458, 459, 515, 575, 590, 595), including internships and independent studies, are to require an assignment that will qualify for inclusion in a Management major’s portfolio. In instituting this requirement, the intent is to utilize existing assessment instruments as fully as possible, rather than require new or additional types of assignments or techniques.
The basic portfolio requirement Management majors must meet:
Management majors are required to assemble, maintain, and submit for review at the end of the quarter they complete all concentration requirements, or at the end of the quarter of graduation, a portfolio consisting of at least five pieces of work from their Management concentration courses. Each piece of work is to be from a different course. Only an assignment designated by the instructor as the portfolio assignment for that course may be included.
A standard format is to be used for assembling portfolios: an expansion folder available in the bookstore, a typewritten checklist/description of assignments indicating the nature of the assignment and course in which it was done, and a student self-evaluation questionnaire. (This typed, 5-page document requires students to reflect on what they have learned in their management studies and how it has or is expected to contribute to their life and career; the self-evaluation also provides a final integrative document which pulls the elements of the portfolio together into a unified piece and serves as a formal program requirement which students must complete in order to earn their degrees.)
Student portfolios will be reviewed at the end of each quarter by the department Portfolio Committee with the intent of better understanding strengths and weaknesses in our program for making recommendations on improvements. Additionally, it is intended that portfolios will profile impressive work which students can show to potential employers as demonstration of their knowledge and skills.
Appropriate types of portfolio assignments; minimum requirements:
Portfolio assignments are the key to the success of outcomes assessment and thus the core of the assessment program. Faculty are encouraged to reflect carefully and deliberately on the development of their portfolio assignments and to design portfolio assignments which provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their most distinguished performance and scholarly accomplishments. These should be efforts in which both students and faculty can take pride as a demonstration of the serious intellectual activity which routinely takes place in Management Department classrooms. These assignments should combine original student work and important course materials with critical Management Department objectives as identified from the Management Department objective list. These assignments and end-products will serve as examples of the best that we can produce, demonstrations of the excellence of our program, our instruction, and our faculty and student efforts. As indicators of the quality of our program we urge all faculty to give these portfolio assignments their fullest and most careful thought and consideration.
The end-product of each portfolio assignment should be 5-page minimum, typewritten, cleanly presented paper or papers (e.g., two 3-page case write-ups designated as a portfolio assignment). The portfolio assignment for a course is to be clearly designated as such in the syllabus. The portfolio assignment should be designed to address at least four (more if possible) of the objectives in the department's Statement of Mission, Goals and Objectives for Student Outcomes Assessment (see Attachment I). Each assignment should be self-contained and sell-explanatory so that the reader may quickly comprehend what the student has done without having to refer to other materials.
Examples of appropriate portfolio assignments include:
-Case write-up
-Essay, memorandum, or opinion-editorial submitted to newspaper
-Course paper
-Video, audio, or multimedia assignments
-Group projects (see remarks below)
Faculty are encouraged to consider having students redo, rework and polish portfolio assignments in order to improve the quality of the end-product. Re-write time should be considered when setting project due dates. Faculty should also consider assigning papers and longer projects in "incremental" stages so that various parts of the project are due on different dates and can thus be corrected and returned to students for revision as the project is carefully developed by the student over the full quarter.
Faculty are also encouraged to make a special effort to address Objective #2, "Demonstrate basic competency in spoken communication". This may be done by including an oral (spoken) element within the portfolio assignment and providing written feedback to students concerning the quality of their performance.
Video, audio, or multimedia material used for portfolio assignments must be accompanied by a typewritten explanation by the student of the nature of the assignment. For example, a recording of a student speech or video of an in-class presentation must have an accompanying written description which fully explains the nature and purpose of the item.
Group projects, while less than ideal portfolio assignments because of the difficulty of accurately assessing the individual student's work, may be used. If instructors choose to use them, they are subject to two requirements. First, the student's participation in the project must be substantial, meaning equivalent in effort to a conventional written assignment. Second, the student's participation in the group project must be documented in detail by some form of typewritten evaluation. The choice of evaluation approach is at the instructor's discretion. However, whether a student self-evaluation, a peer evaluation of the student's contribution by other group members, an instructor evaluation, or a mix of the preceding, it must be designed so as to present a substantive, academically legitimate assessment of the student's performance. Also, the project involved must be described in sufficient length to understand its nature and requirements, and the student's role in preparing and presenting the project must be fully described.
Portfolio assignment cover sheet, grading, and related procedures. Faculty will provide a cover sheet for each portfolio assignment which explains the purpose and objectives as well as the specific nature of the work which is to be done, based on the departmental model (Attachment 2).
Faculty are to grade and return portfolio assignments to students no later than the final examination session of the course. In grading the assignment, faculty also use a likert-type scale to indicate the student's level of attainment on the objectives included in the assignment. For their own convenience, faculty may wish to establish portfolio due dates sufficiently early in the quarter so that they can grade and return assignments before the finals week.
FACULTY INSTRUCTION SHEET
FOR OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
Attachment I: Management Department Outcomes Assessment Objectives
Students should be able to:
I. Demonstrate basic competency in written communication (defined as writing which is clear, concise, well organized, well reasoned).
2. Demonstrate basic competency in spoken communication.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in case analyses and other written and oral communication exercises.
4. Demonstrate understanding of managerial issues and problems related to the global economy and international business.
5. Demonstrate a basic grasp of how the legal system and regulatory system affect management decision making.
6. Demonstrate familiarity with social responsibility issues that managers must address, including but not limited to business ethics, corporate lobbying, cultural diversity, and environmental concerns.
7. Demonstrate understanding of organizational conflict and conflict resolution, power and organizational politics, so as to cope effectively with these processes when confronted in "real world" business and managerial situations.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of both the strengths and the weaknesses of managerial problem analysis, problem-solving and decision making techniques and an understanding of the limitations of such techniques in application.
9. Demonstrate ability to critically analyze organizational problems involving people, situations, and behavior in light of established managerial theory and practice and probable consequences.
10. Demonstrate understanding of the complexities of various organizational role expectations including leader, manager, supervisor, subordinate, and team member and of the shaping influence that organizations exert upon individuals as they perform these roles.
II. Demonstrate knowledge of the theory and practice of team-based organization and team management skills.
12. Demonstrate knowledge of the techniques of employee supervision and human resource management, including leadership, motivation, productivity, job design, and managing organizational change.
ATTACHMENT 2
SAMPLE FACULTY INSTRUCTION SHEET
FOR OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT
When you pick up your completed portfolio assignments from your instructor, you will note that a cover sheet (similar to that provided below) describing the nature, purpose and objectives of the assignment has been attached. This cover sheet is to be permanently attached to the copy of each assignment included in your portfolio. The purpose of these sheets is to inform the Portfolio Committee how these assignments relate to the student learning objectives of the Management.
PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT
MGMT 335, BUSINESS AND SOCIETY
FALL, 1997
Student name ___________________________
The following assignment is the portfolio assignment for this class. The assignment is intended to provide evidence of the following student competencies:
I. Basic competency in written communication (defined as writing which is clear, concise, well organized, well reasoned).
2. Critical thinking skills in case analyses and other written and oral communication exercises.
3. Demonstrate familiarity with social responsibility issues that managers address including but not limited to business ethics, corporate lobbying, cultural diversity, and environmental concerns.
4. Demonstrate ability to critically analyze organizational problems involving people, situations, and behavior in light of established managerial theory and practice and probable consequences.
The Portfolio Assignment
Read the Harvard Business School cases, "The Corporate Watergate" and "The Soul of the World Versus Cold Cash", both in your course reading set. Then present a 5-page, typewritten (double spaced) answer to the following question:
Considering the role of government policy in overseas bribery as discussed in the two readings, what would you do if you were an American manager overseas and were told by a foreign official that if you didn’t pay him a bribe, you wouldn't get a contract your firm wanted?
Your essay is due class I0. It will be graded and returned to you by class I5. To improve your grade, if you wish you may resubmit the essay no later than class I7. It will be returned to you by class 20.
Level of student performance on each assignment objective:
Objective No.I Lo I 2 3 4 5 Hi
Objective No.2 Lo I 2 3 4 5 Hi
Objective No.3 Lo I 2 3 4 5 Hi
Objective No.4 Lo I 2 3 4 5 Hi
NOTE; THIS COVER SHEET IS TO BE PERMANENTLY ATTACHED TO THE COPY OF THE PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT THAT YOU KEEP.
VI. STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING
THE PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT
To maintain and enhance the quality and academic excellence of the Management curriculum, the department has developed a set of student learning objectives, or competencies, that our curriculum is designed to develop. To evaluate our effectiveness in developing these competencies, we have implemented an outcomes assessment program which utilizes a student portfolio.
What is a Student Portfolio?
A portfolio is a clearly organized collection of student assignments that help the student and others understand what has been learned in the program.
Why did the Department of Management Adopt a Portfolio Approach for Outcomes Assessment?
The department has adopted a portfolio approach for a number of very important reasons. First, it provides both faculty and students an opportunity to actively participate in a process valuable for assuring a high quality management curriculum. Second, portfolios are well known and widely accepted in higher education as effective assessment devices. Third, portfolios are valuable for job searches and application to graduate study.
What are the Basic Student Portfolio Requirements?
For the quarter in which you plan to submit your portfolio, you must enroll in MGMT XXX, a no-credit course, so that you can be given credit for completing the portfolio requirement. Failure to enroll in the class could delay your final date of graduation.
Portfolios shall consist of five assignments from five of the concentration area courses. Each Management concentration area course (i.e., Mgmt 335, 350, 402, 405, 406, 432, 442, 451, 456, 457, 458, 459, 515, 575, 590, and 595) including internships and independent studies requires an assignment that will qualify for inclusion in a Management major's portfolio. These assignments are clearly specified by the instructor as portfolio assignments. Upon the completion and the return of these assignments, students are required to assemble and maintain a file of their assignments to be submitted to the department's Portfolio Committee at the conclusion of their final quarter prior to graduation. In addition, each student is required to complete and include in their portfolio a self-evaluation report reflecting on what they have learned in their management studies and how it has or is expected to contribute to their life and career.
What Must be Included in the Portfolio?
A standard expansion folder, available in the bookstore, must be used in assembling the portfolio. Each portfolio must include:
I. A typewritten index which includes a brief description of each assignment and the course number, title and instructor for which it was completed, and grade (see Attachment 1).
2. Five portfolio assignments from among five of the concentration area courses completed. Each item must be accompanied by the portfolio assignment sheet (see Attachment 2). All portfolio assignments must be the complete work product as assigned by the instructor (i.e., no portion of the assignment may be removed or eliminated).
3 One portfolio assignment providing assessment of your ability in oral communication.
4. Your portfolio self-evaluation report.
What is the Student Portfolio Self-Evaluation Report?
Each student is required to complete and include in their portfolio a self-evaluation report. The purposes of this report are twofold. First, it is important for you to reflect upon what you have learned and accomplished during your program of study, and how this relates to your career aspirations. Second, the information provided in these reports will be reviewed carefully by department faculty in evaluating the management program.
The purpose of the self-evaluation is to encourage you to reflect on what you have learned and accomplished, and on how the management program has contributed to your development. Begin by outlining your career plans in terms of what you have already accomplished, what you are currently working to accomplish, and what plans you have for future career development.
Then write an essay which addresses the following issues, using the questions as guidelines. Your report must be typed/word processed (at least five pages double-spaced), well written, and reflect your best professional effort:
- What aspects of the management program did you find most interesting? Least interesting?
- What part of your management education do you expect to be most useful? Least useful?
- Has the management program helped you change or develop your career goals? In what way? What type of positions are you now most interested in? Least interested in? Why?
- How has the management program helped you learn about your own skills and abilities? What have you learned? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What skills and abilities have you developed? What skills and abilities do you still need to learn and develop? How well prepared are you for a career in management?
- What have your classes taught you about management?
- What have you learned by doing these portfolio assignments?
Because the information you supply in the self-evaluation will be used for program assessment, it is important that you be both candid and factual. Critical viewpoints will not prejudice the overall evaluation of your portfolio.
When is the Portfolio Due?
Your portfolio should be submitted at the conclusion of the quarter in which you complete your program of study. In order to provide adequate time to obtain your portfolio assignment(s) from your instructor(s) and to complete your self-evaluation report, portfolios are due the Thursday of the week following the final day of final exams of the quarter in which you complete your program of study.
Where Should Portfolios be Turned In?
Portfolios should be submitted directly to the secretary of the Department of Management. When you submit your portfolio, the department secretary will provide you with a written acknowledgment of submission.
What Happens to the Portfolios after they are Submitted?
The department Portfolio Committee will review your portfolio to determine whether or not you have met the guidelines (e.g., included an appropriate index, five portfolio assignments from five different concentration course, and a complete and well written self-evaluation report). Upon review of your portfolio, the committee will determine that credit for MGMT XXX has been earned.
Will the Portfolios be Returned?
No. Due to the importance of portfolio information for program evaluation, portfolios will not be returned. Thus, it is important that you assemble and maintain a portfolio for yourself. Because your portfolio will not be returned, it is acceptable to submit photocopied works. However, photocopied works must be complete (e.g., includes all instructor comments and portfolio assignment sheets).
What Happens if a Student Does Not Submit a Portfolio?
Students not submitting a portfolio and/or failing to enroll in MGMT XXX during the quarter in which they submit their portfolio, will have failed to meet all of the course requirements for a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. In order to complete your program of study, you must submit a portfolio which meets the requirements specified above, before the portfolio Committee can award credit for MGMT XXX.
Isn't This an Awful Lot of Work?
At first glance, it may appear that the time requirement for assembling and submitting your portfolio is considerable. However, recognize that the portfolio assignments you complete do not constitute extra work. They are regular course assignments. Thus, the only additional work involves merely assembling your assignments, preparing an index and completing your self-evaluation report. In return for your efforts, you will have assembled a product which can be potentially valuable for your job search and for application to graduate school. Moreover, the collective analysis of the portfolios by department faculty will help provide information of considerable importance in monitoring the quality of the management curriculum. This, in turn, will help to maintain the value of your degree which you worked hard to complete.
Additional Questions?
Further information concerning portfolio assignments will by provided by the instructors of your concentration courses. However, should you have additional questions concerning the portfolio process, they may contact the Department of Management office.
STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS
FOR COMPLETING THE PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT
Attachment I: Sample Index of Student Portfolio Assignments
Per the instructions in the section "What Must be Included in the Portfolio", you are to include a typewritten index which includes a brief description of each assignment and the course number, title, and instructor for which it was completed. Please follow the format presented below:
Index of Portfolio Assignments
I. Management 455. Human Resource Management. Dr. Dredd, Grade: A:
Assignment Description: Written analyses of case questions for four human resource-oriented cases dealing with the topics of employee selection practices under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the use of performance appraisal in making promotion decisions, developing effective safety programs, and implementing the practices of Japanese management in an Eastern European automobile plant.
2. Course No. - Course Title, Instructor, Grade:
(Use the same approach used for Item I above for Items 2 - 5.)
Assignment Description:
3. Course No. - Course Title, Instructor, Grade Assignment Description:
Assignment Description:
4. Course No. - Course Title. Instructor, Grade Assignment Description:
Assignment Description:
5. Course No. - Course Title, Instructor, Grade:
Assignment Description:
STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS
FOR COMPLETING THE PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT
When you pick up your completed portfolio assignments from your instructor, you will note that a cover sheet (similar to that provided below) describing the nature, purpose and objectives of the assignment has been attached. This cover sheet is to be permanently attached to the copy of each assignment included in your portfolio. The purpose of these sheets is to inform the Portfolio Committee how these assignments relate to the student learning objectives of the Management.
PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT
MGMT 335, BUSINESS AND SOCIETY
FALL, 1997
Student name ___________________________
The following assignment is the portfolio assignment for this class. The assignment is intended to provide evidence of the following student competencies:
I. Basic competency in written communication (defined as writing which is clear, concise, well organized, well reasoned).
2. Critical thinking skills in case analyses and other written and oral communication exercises.
3. Demonstrate familiarity with social responsibility issues that managers address including but not limited to business ethics, corporate lobbying, cultural diversity, and environmental concerns.
4. Demonstrate ability to critically analyze organizational problems involving people, situations, and behavior in light of established managerial theory and practice and probable consequences.
The Portfolio Assignment
Read the Harvard Business School cases, "The Corporate Watergate" and "The Soul of the World Versus Cold Cash", both in your course reading set. Then present a 5-page, typewritten (double spaced) answer to the following question:
Considering the role of government policy in overseas bribery as discussed in the two readings, what would you do if you were an American manager overseas and were told by a foreign official that if you didn’t pay him a bribe, you wouldn't get a contract your firm wanted?
Your essay is due class I0. It will be graded and returned to you by class I5. To improve your grade, if you wish you may resubmit the essay no later than class I7. It will be returned to you by class 20.
Level of student performance on each assignment objective:
Objective No.I Lo I 2 3 4 5 Hi
Objective No.2 Lo I 2 3 4 5 Hi
Objective No.3 Lo I 2 3 4 5 Hi
Objective No.4 Lo I 2 3 4 5 Hi
NOTE; THIS COVER SHEET IS TO BE PERMANENTLY ATTACHED TO THE COPY OF THE PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT THAT YOU KEEP.
VII. PORTFOLIO REVIEW COMMITTEE POLICY
The following guidelines and procedures are established for the review and evaluation of student outcomes assessment portfolios:
A portfolio evaluation committee is established as a standing department committee:
The committee shall consist of three members each serving staggered two-year terms, the chair to be chosen from among the members. Members are to be selected from among full-time faculty on a volunteer basis or appointed by the department chair if the requisite number of volunteers is not forthcoming.
Committee responsibilities are to: review portfolios submitted at the end of each quarter and assign pass/fail credit for the portfolio no-credit course; prepare a quarterly interim summary of findings; prepare an annual evaluation of portfolios with recommendations for changes in curriculum and portfolio review process as deemed appropriate; provide periodic orientation and direction to faculty, via workshops and/or written instructions, regarding changes in portfolio requirements and procedures.
Per the procedures specified in the Outcomes Assessment Student Instructions and Faculty Instruction sheets, portfolios shall be submitted to the department no later than the Thursday after formal exams are completed each quarter. Immediately thereafter, the committee shall perform a compliance review to ensure that submitted portfolios satisfy all requirements, and shall forward pass/fail credit for the portfolio no-credit course to Admissions and Records.
Portfolio evaluation reports shall be prepared following a calendar year schedule. No later than the end of the sixth week of each quarter, the committee shall review the portfolios for content and prepare an interim summary of review findings. At a minimum, this summary report will address each of the department's outcomes assessment objectives in a paragraph.
Each fall quarter by November 15 the committee shall prepare an annual portfolio evaluation report. In addition to evaluating the quarterly summary findings for outcomes assessment objectives, the annual report shall contain an assessment of student portfolio performance generally, identifying areas of strength and weakness in the curriculum, and making recommendations for relevant modification to any specifically identified areas of concern. The report shall be submitted to the department chair who shall forward it to the faculty for discussion in a departmental meeting. Portfolios from each quarter shall be held until the committee has completed its annual report, then discarded.
First Year Requirements
1. Monitoring of portfolio assignment coverage of goals and objectives
During each of the three first-year quarterly summary assessments, the committee shall specifically assess whether all learning goals and objectives are being included in portfolio assignments. Should it be that any goals or objectives are not being covered, the committee in preparing its first-year report shall present revised guidelines and instructions designed to ensure that full coverage of goals and objectives occurs.
2. Developing an approach for employer input on student learning
The committee will study and recommend to the department a method of incorporating employer input on student skills acquisition. This may involve period surveys of employers employing students/graduates, focus groups, etc.
3. Sunset clause for the portfolio approach
At the end of the first full year of portfolio implementation, after the first-year report has been presented and reviewed by the department, the department shall vote upon whether it wishes to continue the portfolio approach. Should the vote be negative, a new outcomes assessment committee shall be convened to develop an alternative approach.
4. Transfer and transition students
The Portfolio Committee will determine how best and most fairly to handle cases of transfer students and students who entered the program before implementation of the portfolio requirement and who may not be able to submit all five required portfolio assignments. In doing so, no additional course requirements or delays to graduation will be imposed upon such students by the committee. The committee will ensure that its decisions treat students consistently, and as soon as possible, policy which specifies consistent standards and precedents should be written.
