About This Member
Accredited Programs: AAS: Advertising and Marketing Communications , AAS: Fashion Business Management , AAS: Production Management , AAS: Textile Development and Marketing, BS: Advertising and Marketing Communications , BS: Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing , BS: Fashion Business Management , BS: Home Products Development , BS: International Trade and Marketing , BS: Production Management , BS: Textile Development and Marketing Institution Type: Assoc. & Bacc/Grad Degree Institution Classification: Local Business School Website: http://www.fitnyc.edu/4404.asp Accreditation Status: Yes Accreditation Category: A1 - Accredited with Notes Year Initially Accredited (Bacc./Grad.): 2018 Year Initially Accredited (Assoc.): 2018 Term of Accreditation: 10 Years Separate Accounting Accreditation?: No Champion: Carolyn Comiskey Champion Title: Assistant Dean ENACTUS Team: No Basis for Decision: Basis for Decision/Program CommentsStrengths (13)Standard 1: Leadership The site visit team noted an extraordinary commitment from all levels of the business unit and institution to the accreditation process. It was apparent that the nearly 70 individuals contributors to the study used the process to implement a spirit of continuous quality improvement as a strategic element of their programs. Verified: This Strength was verified on site.Standard 2: Strategic Planning The business unit has strong partnerships with members of industry, which go beyond advisory board involvement. These partnerships have provided: equipment, consumables for use in the classroom, internships and other opportunities for students, and invaluable and timely connection with the industry. Categories: Approach, Deployment, Results Verified: This Strength was verified on site.Criterion 4.1 The alignment of each program to the business department goals is clearly demonstrated in the program specific ladders. Categories: ApproachCriterion 4.2 The program review process is 360-degree view and assessment of the performance of a program and vehicle for capturing stakeholder feedback. Additionally, the five-year program review is reviewed by two external auditors, one member of the academic community and one member of the professional community. Categories: Approach Verified: This Strength was verified on site.Criterion 5.1 The HR hiring plan ("FIT Faculty of the Future") is a key element of the Strategic Plan. This formal commitment to hiring faculty with strong industry knowledge and experience and in alignment with the Strategic Plan is a strength within the business unit. Categories: Approach, Deployment Verified: This Strength was verified on site.Criterion 5.2 Each faculty and course in the business unit is evaluated in a robust manner including peer evaluations, student evaluations, and self reflections. This feedback is incorporated in iterative program improvement plans.Criterion 5.7 The CET provides extensive training both online and on-ground for full-time and part-time faculty. This training includes 60-80 onsite training events annually; a well-developed repository of online trainings; adjunct-specific tools and trainings; two-day mandatory, immersive orientation for new full-time faculty hires; and an optional, online orientation for new part-time faculty hires. Additionally, all faculty have access to online tools such as Lynda.com and VoiceThread.Criterion 6.1.1 The business unit approaches curriculum design, development, and revision by including input from multiple stakeholders including industry partners, current students, alumni, faculty members. This was reiterated with each stakeholder meeting. Categories: Approach Verified: This Strength was verified on site. There is a strong, strategic commitment present within the business unit to focus on interdisciplinary collaboration in curriculum development. Categories: Approach Verified: This Strength was verified on site.Criterion 6.1.2 Four- and six-year graduation rates are higher among students in the business unit than national graduation rates. Students receive third and seventh semester audits to ensure they remain on track for a timely graduation. Students are prompted through multiple communication means to apply for graduation.Criterion 6.1.4 The business unit provides a wide variety of co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities for student development including professional certification opportunities, partnerships with international schools, international FIT locations, membership in IFFTI, and notably the "Style Shop", a fully functional store managed entirely by students for practical experience in retailing, store styling, etc. Verified: This Strength was verified on site.Criterion 6.1.7 The business unit engages in ongoing process evaluation and improvement. Each of the programs within the business unit has an active advisory board of industry professionals that guides the program's alignment with trends and changing standards in the respective fields. These advisory boards meet at a minimum of two times per year. The feedback of the advisory board has specifically shaped the curriculum revisions in the FBM program as well as the name change of the FBM program.Criterion 6.2.1 The business unit and institution has a wrap-around student support system. The institution has a top-down strategic focus on student success and has invested greatly in support systems including a well-developed Writing Studio, Academic Advisement Center, Career and Internship Center, etc. Student and industry feedback is used for continuous improvement of service offerings for students. An example of this is the development of a Presentation and Speech Studio to be included with the Writing Studio.Opportunities for Improvement (OFI) (10)Criterion 3.4 While the business unit has very strong connections with stakeholders, there is an opportunity for a formalized plan for gathering stakeholder feedback, including ensuring documentation. Categories: Approach, Deployment, Results, Improvements Verified: This OFI was verified on site.Criterion 5.3 According to the self study, for course sections for which instructor qualification data was available, 59 percent of the student credit hours were taught by instructors who meet the definition of “qualified” per ACBSP. For course sections taught by full-time faculty, instructors who meet the definition of “qualified” per ACBSP, taught 80 percent of the student credit hours. For course sections taught by part-time faculty, instructors who meet the definition of ACBSP’s “qualified” category taught 44 percent of the student credit hours. Additionally, 75 percent of faculty in the business unit are part-time. There may be an opportunity for improvement by hiring additional full-time, academically qualified faculty members. However, this does not appear to have a negative effect on student learning or achievement of learning outcomes. Categories: Approach, Results Verified: This OFI was verified on site.Criterion 5.5 Some faculty members are not engaged in any non-teaching load activities. There is an opportunity for improvement by achieving 100% engagement in non-teaching activities given the excellent programming and opportunities provided through the CET and industry partnerships. Categories: Approach, Results Verified: This OFI was verified on site.Criterion 5.7 Although considerable funding exists for domestic development opportunities for faculty and students; there could be an opportunity for improvement by directing additional funding for international experiences for faculty and students.Criterion 5.8 There is an opportunity to increase faculty involvement in scholarly activities. There is a plan in place to increase this percentage with the current HR plan and overarching strategic plan. Additionally, the CET provides a meaningful resource to accomplish this.Standard 6: Educational and Business Process Management There may be an opportunity for improvement for the business unit in adopting the universal digital syllabus for all courses. Currently, the document is optional leaving manipulation of learning outcomes or other critical information a possibility. The CET provides meaningful instruction on the creation and deployment of the universal digital syllabus. And, although the business unit is currently the largest adopter of the document, it is still not used consistently by all faculty in the business unit.Criterion 6.1.1 There is a possible opportunity for improvement in continuing to include globalization throughout the curriculum with both in-class and extracurricular programming elements. Based on meeting with current students, another opportunity for improvement in curriculum is the addition of content related to business finance. Categories: Approach Verified: This OFI was verified on site.Criterion 6.1.3 There is a continued opportunity for improvement to ensure there is adequate coverage of all CPCs in each of the programs.Criterion 6.2.2 After meeting with multiple stakeholder groups (faculty, current students, alumni, and advisory board members), there may be an opportunity for improvement in the allocation of financial resources for additional professional/ industry-specific databases, product development software, lab equipment which covers state and federal guidelines and mandates, 3D printers, and current industry-standard television and radio production equipment. As globalization continues to be embedded in all of the programs, there may be an opportunity for improvement in allocating additional resources for international travel by faculty and students, as well as directing international internship programs.© 2020 ACBSP. All rights reserved.Powered by Campus Labs
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