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Basis for the Decision/Program CommentsStandard 1: LeadershipCollectively and individually, VUU's administrators and faculty are engaged in creating and sustaining values, business school or program directions, performance expectations, student focus, and a leadership system that promotes performance excellence, continuous improvement in teaching and learning, address of societal responsibilities and community involvement. Integration of these values and expectations into the VUU culture and the Sydney Lewis School of Business' (SLSB) leadership system is clearly a priority of the acting president, Dr. Joseph F. Johnson, the vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Zakir Hossain, and the dean, Dr. Brenda Ponsford.This commitment is evidenced by reaffirmation of VUU's vision and mission, systematic review of the guiding principles supporting the institution's strategic plan, and the initiative to invite external review of programs, processes, and practices by the AGB (Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges).Categories: Approach, Deployment, ResultsDespite transitions in the President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dean's positions, review of the Self-Study and on-site conversations revealed unreserved support of the business unit from central administration. While some identified processes are in the beginning stages, e.g., improved processes for data collection and analysis and disaggregation of data, an initial cycle of improvement is evident The Site Team is confident that the existing management culture will continue to encourage the application and continual improvement of existing systems and the introduction of innovative ones.Categories: ApproachCriterion 2.1The school has instituted a 2016 plan that lists its strategic priorities: Student Success and Enrollment, Academic Excellence, Community Partnerships, Financial Viability, and School Prominence. The 2016 plan is consistent with previously established strategies priorities at the university.Verified: This Strength was verified on site.In a satisfaction survey, the school's faculty rated their involvement in academic planning, achieving its mission, reviewing degree programs, new course/program development and curriculum innovation each greater than 4.0 on a 5.0 scale. Categories: ResultsCriterion 2.2The school provides its short-term action plan, by semester, to Fall 2020. The plan has appropriate performance measures that allow the school to assess its performance.Categories: DeploymentCriterion 3.1The SLSB has deployed a dedicated, dynamic Business Advisory Council that includes alumni of the SLSB. Pursuant to conversations with representatives of this Board, members are not only committed to the success of the program and its students but vested in that success. The Board has identified as its priorities the Business curriculum (i.e., pedagogical innovations, preparedness of students), resources (fiscal and human), and external relations (including fund raising, student recruitment, internships). This Board will be a definitive asset in the sustainability of the SLSB.Categories: Results, ImprovementsCriterion 5.2The school has a diverse faulty, which is considered a strength at the institution. More specifically, the school indicates "Because the historical and current mission of VUU is to provide educational opportunities, primarily to African-American students and other students who have a desire to earn a degree, who will need to operate in a multicultural environment, the composition of the SLSB provides a good mixture of characteristics."Categories: DeploymentVerified: This Strength was verified on site.The school has a composition of faculty with business and theoretical knowledge. It indicates "the faculty . . . provides a balance between those with both practical business experience and those with more theoretical knowledge through the attainment of the Ph.D. degree--some having both." Criterion 5.3All of the courses in the school are taught by academically or professionally qualified faculty. This exceeds the required minimum of 80% of the undergraduate credit hours taught by academically or professionally qualified faculty.Categories: DeploymentFifty-seven percent of the school's courses are taught by academically qualified faculty. This exceeds the required minimum of 40% of the undergraduate credit hours taught by academically qualified faculty.Categories: DeploymentCriterion 5.7The school reports "Virginia Union University has a campus-wide program that provides financial assistance to those seeking doctorates." One business faculty member is in discussions with the university so that he can finish his Ph.D. Categories: DeploymentCriterion 6.1.1The newly re-established business advisory board members selected were very impressive in terms of member qualifications and their desire to share their knowledge and expertise with business students. This same enthusiasm and desire to improve the business department was also noted on site.Categories: Approach, Deployment, Results, ImprovementsVerified: This Strength was verified on site.Opportunities for Improvement (OFI) (11)Criterion 2.2The school has the opportunity to monitor and re-calibrate its short-term action plan, by semester, to Fall 2020. Close monitoring may facilitate the fulfillment of the action plan. The plan's success will facilitate student success, academic excellence, and school prominence. Categories: DeploymentStandard 3: Student and Stakeholder FocusOn site conversations with stakeholder groups revealed some common expectations in the areas of pedagogy, curriculum, opportunities for experiential learning, professional development, and technology. An opportunity exists to enhance the listen and learn methods available to these groups in order to ensure that programs and services are appropriate to meet stakeholder needs and expectations.Categories: Deployment, ResultsCriterion 3.1An opportunity exists to enhance efforts to target and attract transfer students. Current efforts include a proposal to harmonize the Business curriculum to encourage enrollment (i.e., modifying the credit hours assigned to identified accounting classes from 4 credit hours to 3 credit hours to facilitate transferability). Categories: Approach, DeploymentCriterion 3.2While a description is provided for the methods employed to gather and use relevant information from students, faculty and administrators, there is an opportunity to enhance the process of gathering and utilizing relevant information from other stakeholders, e.g., alumni and employers/prospective employers. Embracing this opportunity will facilitate not only the exchange of information but investments of expertise and resources (fiscal and human). Categories: Approach, DeploymentCriterion 3.3While listen and learn methods for various stakeholders are addressed, and periodic review of these methods was articulated in the Self Study, application of the review process was not apparent. Such review may benefit the SLSB efforts to assure that educational services are current, relevant and appropriate to meet the needs of stakeholders.Categories: ResultsCriterion 3.4There is evidence that internal stakeholder input is a factor in planning efforts and service improvements, however, the integration of feedback from external stakeholders appears to be an informal process. Absent a formal, systematic process, valuable information which could be used to proactively impact performance may be lost and continuity of stakeholder-informed improvements compromised.Categories: Deployment, ResultsCriterion 4.4The business department would benefit from identifying specific improvements based on the results of data analysis gathered from the assessment of student learning outcomes. Categories: Approach, Deployment, Results, ImprovementsVerified: This OFI was verified on site.Criterion 5.2An opportunity exists to establish a more formal and in-depth orientation program for new and part-time faculty members. A formal orientation program may ease new and part-time faculty members' transition into the business school, enhance their productivity, involve greater faculty interaction, and reduce the burden on department chairs.Categories: DeploymentCriterion 5.7The school reports "the promotion and tenure policies in the current Faculty Handbook are being reevaluated by the VPAA at the request of the President. The goal is to have a system that is more consistent with other similarly situated universities." Pursuing this course of action, with strong faculty input, may produce well-crafted policies that promote fairness, transparency, and greater faculty productivity. New policies may eliminate the school's stated concern that the status quo"enable faculty to serve for decades on annual contracts."Criterion 6.1.1Since this current business advisory board was recently re-established it may benefit the business department to work closely with its members for input into curriculum changes that may improve student learning and success.Categories: Approach, Deployment, Results, ImprovementsVerified: This OFI was verified on site.Criterion 6.2.2The business department would benefit from the diaggregated data to determine the effectiveness of business operations. The various components of business operations may also want to set measurable goals and monitor the achievement of those goals. Finally, it may also benefit the business department to incorporate the feedback from other stakeholders, in addition to faculty, into the process of evaluating key business operations.
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