School of Business

The Saint Francis University School of Business seeks to enable students and graduates to know more, do more, and be more. The School of Business will graduate students who have the knowledge, skills, love of learning, confidence, drive, and ethical and moral values needed to be spiritually fulfilled in life and successful in professional careers.

GOAL STATEMENT

The School of Business aims to serve the educational and developmental needs of a broad constituency, from traditional-age students desiring enrollment in undergraduate business programs; to working professionals who desire executive development opportunities that come with the Master’s of Business Administration and the Master’s of Human Resource Management Programs; to the aspiring entrepreneur who plans to begin a business; and to existing businesses that want to grow, expand, and reach new markets.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS PROGRAMS

The School of Business offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and graduate (master’s level) degrees in Business Administration and Human Resource Management. All undergraduate programs combine a theoretical and practical education in business with general education in the arts and sciences, consistent with the University's mission as a liberal arts-based institution.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Curriculum provides a strong common business core (CBC) and major programs of study in accounting, economics, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing. The common business core provides course work in areas fundamental to a broad-based business education and includes courses in accounting, economics, business communication, finance, the legal environment of business, management, marketing, production and operations management, statistics, and strategic management. The CBC will also develop the skill competencies and themes of undergraduate business education at Saint Francis University. The skill competencies are effective communication (writing and speaking); creative, critical thinking, and mathematical thinking; human relations and teamwork; and productive use of information (computer) technology. The unifying themes of undergraduate business education at Saint Francis University are global business, understanding and appreciating diversity, fostering empirical links with the business community (realism), making connections across business functions and disciplines, and seeing the ethical dimensions of business practices and decisions.

The Accounting Program prepares students to enter private, public, or governmental accounting in a variety of fields including financial accounting, cost accounting, auditing, taxes, and financial analysis. The program begins with comprehensive coverage of generally accepted accounting principles as a basis of recording business transactions and preparing financial statements. Once this foundation is established, students develop critical thinking skills to analyze financial statements, control costs, prepare budgets, and make decisions based on accounting information.

The Economics Program educates students to participate in the decision-making process of allocating scarce resources and prepares them to function as informed and responsible citizens in a free market economy. Specifically, this program is designed for students who seek careers in the financial services industry, such as investment and commercial banking, and/or wish to pursue graduate study in economics or business. In the macroeconomic dimension, students learn the basic forces underlying the economic organization of society, the theory of national income, aggregate supply and demand, unemployment, inflation, taxation, money and banking, and governmental fiscal policy. In the microeconomics realm, students learn the theory of price under various market conditions, economic functions of government, the theory of the firm, economic functions of labor unions, and elements of international economics.

The Finance Program prepares students for careers in corporate finance, investment and commercial banking, financial analysis, real estate finance and development, and insurance. Students can choose from two tracks, corporate finance and investment and commercial banking. Students alternatively can use the program as preparation for graduate school.

The Management Program prepares students to manage profit or non-profit organizations through an education in the classic principles of management developed by the field's major thinkers and practitioners. The program emphasizes the history of management, business ethics, the legal environment of business, human resource management and labor relations, organizational behavior, production management, risk management, marketing, decision-making, statistics, quantitative methods, leadership and strategic management. In Fall 2011, a new concentration in Healthcare Management was approved and implemented in the School of Business as a program option within Management.

The Management Information Systems Program prepares students to analyze, design, develop, implement, integrate, manage, and maintain management information systems and information technology. The program blends business administration education with the technical and conceptual aspects of computer-based information systems and electronic commerce.

The Marketing Program prepares students for careers in sales, marketing research, advertising, retailing, and marketing management. The program emphasizes a strong business core combined with advertising, consumer behavior, marketing research, international marketing, and marketing management.

The Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) Program is designed as an executive development experience for practicing managers and those who aspire to be managers. The program prepares students to manage profit and non-profit organizations by providing them with an opportunity to develop their managerial knowledge, skill sets, and perspectives. As part of the rich Franciscan Heritage of the University, the MBA Program requires students to explore ethical dilemmas that face managers everyday and learn to manage with responsibility and compassion. Students will learn to think critically, to express their ideas clearly, and to make decisions with confidence. Students can opt for a general MBA or focus in a specific academic discipline, such as accounting, finance, health care administration, human resource management, information systems management, or marketing. The Saint Francis University MBA Program enables students to receive a comprehensive, high-caliber executive business education close to where they live and work, and with a class schedule that fits their active lives.

The Master’s of Human Resource Management (MHRM) Program The Human Resource Management program serves both the HR professional established in a career as well as those aspiring to enter the field. The program is career focused, comprehensive in scope and structured to meet the needs of working professionals as well as persons studying full-time to earn the degree. The MHRM program prepares new and experienced HR practitioners to meet the changing expectations of HR in shaping policy and practice as strategic partners. The curriculum is based on the professional body of knowledge defined by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).

The purpose of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), including the Center for Global Competitiveness (CGC) and Renewable Energy Center (REC) is to assist aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in helping their businesses to begin, grow, and prosper. The CGC is dedicated to assisting regional small businesses with expanding their markets domestically and internationally. The REC is dedicated to fostering community-based wind projects, developing and promoting sustainability initiatives using renewable energy resources, and providing environmental education.

Our aim is to serve the educational and professional development needs of a broad constituency, from traditional-age students desiring enrollment in undergraduate business programs; to working professionals who desire executive development opportunities that come with the MBA and Master’s of Human Resource Management Programs; to the aspiring entrepreneur who wishes to begin a business; and to existing businesses that wish to grow, expand, and tap into new markets.

II. Broad-Based Learning Goals for School of Business Students

BROAD-BASED GOALS FOR ALL BUSINESS STUDENTS

The broad-based goals for students are tied directly to our mission statement.

Saint Francis University School of Business seeks to enable students and graduates to know more, do more, and be more. The School of Business will graduate students who have the knowledge, skills, love of learning, confidence, drive, and ethical and moral values needed to be spiritually fulfilled in life and successful in professional careers.

If we could build an ideal graduate of our Business Administration undergraduate program, we would want the person to:

Know

the foundation areas of business and have an in-depth understanding in his or her major area.
the environmental aspects of business, including the political and regulatory, economics, social and cultural, technological, ecological, and competitive dimensions.
and appreciate the value of a broad-based liberal arts education by experiencing and learning within this context.
the ethical dimensions of business decision making.
how to see across academic disciplines and various business functions.
and understand how business operates in the global economy.

Be Able to Be

effective communicators, in speech and in writing.
creative, critical, and mathematical thinkers.
effective in human relationships at work and to foster teamwork.
productive in the use of information and information technology.

Be More By

acting like Saint Francis in the Marketplace, or in essence, being an ethical person and making the right decisions even when he/she could get away with doing the wrong thing.

understanding and valuing differences in people (diversity) while building a unified team.
cherishing people and demonstrating a management style that reflects humanism.
having the knowledge, skills, love of learning, confidence, drive, and ethical and moral values needed to be spiritually fulfilled in life and successful in professional careers.

These same ideals can be applied for graduate business and human resource management graduates at Saint Francis University, except at a more advanced level and with greater sophistication.

III. Outcomes Assessment Report

A. Undergraduate Business Program Outcomes Matrix

Identify Each Intended Outcome	Identify the Assessment Activity	Assessment Results Intended Outcome was:
		Realized	Not Realized
Direct Measures
Assess knowledge of the common business core (CBC)	ETS Major Field Test in Business (NEW in 2010)	X1
Mgmt, 401 Strategic Management Final SWOT analysis paper	Senior SWOT analysis Project	X2
Mktg 302 Marketing Strategy Profile Assessment	Course-embedded written marketing strategy profile assignment	X3 More than 95% of study (n=4) participants achieved a basic proficiency level or higher rating in: Organization of Report Content Writing Clarity	X3 90% of the participants achieved basic proficiency or better in the category of research skills, documentation, and attribution. The goal was having 95% of the students be able to meet a basic level of research acumen
Fin 202 Finance Case Study	Course-embedded written financial analysis report	X
Indirect Measures
Graduating Senior Satisfaction with Learning Experience and Self-Perceptions of Learning	Annual Survey of Graduating Seniors	X
Student Course Evaluations	IDEA Course Evaluation Instrument and System	X
Career and Graduate School Placement Data	Career Services Office Annual Survey of Recent Alumni	X

X1: The ETS Major Field Test in Business was offered for the first time to all graduating business seniors in January 2010. The Saint Francis University Graduating senior median score on the exam was near the national average. The School of Business faculty will use the results of this exam to strengthen the learning outcomes of its students. However, in 2011, since there were not as many higher scoring students in the test batch, the School of Business mean performance fell below the 40th percentile. The program faculty are investigating an alternative CPC test that might be more relevant to the Saint Francis University undergraduate Common Business Core.

X2: Two seniors failed the capstone project in MGMT, 401 Strategic Management and will need to retake the course next year. They failed on at least one of the two canons of project success: Content or Clarity. One student successfully completed a new project this summer, while another one left the University for personal reasons.

X3: There are four program-level assessment measures used for this particular program-level assessment project: Organizing Report Content, Content, Clarity of the writing, and Research Documentation and Attribution. Our targeted goal is to have 95% of students achieve the "Basic Proficiency" level or higher on all four measures. In the study, there were 104 participants, mostly sophomores and juniors. 99% of the students reached the basic proficiency in their ability to appropriately structure a business report, whereas 98% of them demonstrated proficiency in including appropriate content for the project. In clarity of written communication, 97% of the students of the students were at or above the basic proficiency level. The lowest scoring area was the students demonstrating appropriate research skills, documentation, and source attribution. Only 90% of the students completing this major report met the threshold of basic proficiency in research acumen. We are preparing an updated student research guide for Business students to use in the coming academic year to address this minor deficiency since our students nearly met the targeted criterion.

B. MBA Program Outcomes Assessment Matrix

Identify Each Intended Outcome	Identify the Assessment Activity	Assessment Results Intended Outcome was:
		Realized	Not Realized
Direct Measures
MBA 550 Strategic Management SWOT Analysis Project (2009)	MBA Capstone SWOT Analysis project	X
MBA 550 Strategic Management Capstone Simulation Project (2010 – replacing the SWOT analysis)	Results from the Computer-based, Team-based Capstone Simulation used in MBA 550	X
MBA 502 Marketing Management Case Presentations	Course-embedded Team Case Study Analyses	X
MBA 502 Marketing Management Simulation	Marketplace Computer-based Team Simulation	X

Indirect Measures
Student Perceptions of Learning and Satisfaction with the MBA Program	Annual Survey of Graduating MBA Students	X
Student Course Evaluations	IDEA Course Evaluation Instrument and System	X
Career Placement Data	Career Services Office Annual Survey of Recent MBA Alumni	X

Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) Outcomes Matrix

Identify Each Intended Outcome	Identify the Assessment Activity	Assessment Results Intended Outcome was:
		Realized	Not Realized
Direct Measures
MHRM 550 Strategic HRM Project and Presentation	Comprehensive research paper and presentation.	X
Completion of the PHR or SPHR Exam offered by the Society for Human Resource Management Institute	PHR or SPHR Certification Exam Completion	X1

Indirect Measures
Student Perceptions of Learning and Satisfaction with the MHRM Program	Annual Survey of Graduating MHRM Students	X
Student Course Evaluations	IDEA Course Evaluation Instrument and System	X
Career Placement Data	Career Services Office Annual Survey of Recent MHRM Alumni	X

X1: Complete the PHR or SPHR Certification Exam prior to graduation. This exam is offered by the Society of Human Resource Management. Students are not required to pass the certification exam, but must offer proof they completed the exam. We try to monitor pass rates of graduates, and they have generally been around 80% per testing year. However, effective in January 2011, graduating MHRM students lacking two years of exempt-level professional experience in the HRM field are not permitted to sit for the exam. We are currently exploring an alternative program-level assessment exam of HR knowledge in 2012.

IV. Sample Outcomes Data

School of Business Average Class Size in the 2010-2011 Academic Year

Academic Program Unit	Class-size
Undergraduate Business Program	22.25
MBA Program	14.42
MHRM Program	8.0

School of Business Client Satisfaction and Other Relevant Outcomes

2011 Summary Likert Scale Ratings on a Five Point Scale (1: Lowest and 5:Highest) Using Annual Graduate Exit Surveys

Select Client Satisfaction Indicator or Measure	2011 Rating
Graduating Senior in Business Admin. Satisfaction with Business Faculty	4.70
Graduating Senior in Business Admin. Satisfaction with Quality of Business Courses	4.26
Graduating Senior in Business Admin. Satisfaction with Academic Advising	4.54
Graduating Senior in Business Admin. Overall Satisfaction with SOB	4.56
Graduating Senior in Business Admin. Satisfaction with General Education	3.06
Graduating Senior in Business Admin. Satisfaction with SFU Overall	4.11
MBA graduate rating of the overall quality of the program	4.14
I would recommend the MBA program to others.	4.24
MBA professors are knowledgeable in their fields	4.24
MBA professors teach relevant real world material in their courses.	4.38
MBA Program Office met or exceeded student expectations	4.48
MHRM graduate rating of the overall quality of the program	4.17
I would recommend the MHRM program to others.	4.67
MHRM professors are knowledgeable in their fields	4.50
MHRM professors teach relevant real world material in their courses.	4.50
MHRM Program Office met or exceeded student expectations	4.83

2010 Career Placement Rates (% placed in relevant employment or grad school within 6 months of graduation)

Academic Program (Placement Rate)	2008 Class
Accounting	93%
Business (Economics, Finance, Marketing, Management, and MIS)	97%
MBA	100%
MHRM	96%

Reported School of Business Teaching Effectiveness Measures Using IDEA Course Summaries (Using a Five-Point Likert Scale)

Instructional Quality Factor	Fall 2010 Semester	Spring 2011 Semester
My Saint Francis University business professor was an excellent teacher.	4.5	4.5
SFU teacher average in excellence on teaching	4.3	4.3
The national average on the IDEA teaching assessment item of excellence in teaching	4.2	4.2

V. Closing the Loop on Assessment

The Saint Francis University School of Business uses its comprehensive Outcomes

Assessment System to evaluate and enhance student learning, as well improving each educational program’s overall quality. Direct learning outcomes are used to assure that program learning outcomes are being achieved (to provide assurance of student learning). Indirect learning measures examine student and graduate satisfaction and teaching effectiveness. Programmatic changes are always based on outcomes assessment studies.