UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS

 

Academic Program Approval

 

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs.  Proposing department should complete this form.  For more information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.

 

 

Submitted by: __Christine Kydd_____________phone number__x1783_

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Action:  _Change requirements for BS degree in Marketing

(Example:  add major/minor/concentration, delete major/minor/concentration,  revise major/minor/concentration,  academic unit name change, request for permanent status, policy change, etc.)

 

Effective term______06F__________________________________________________________________________

                                                (use format 04F, 05W)

 

Current degree_____BS                                                              ___________________

                                    (Example:  BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

 

Proposed change leads to the degree of: ______BS______________________________

                                                                                             (Example:  BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

 

 

Proposed name:__________________________________________________________

                                            Proposed new name for revised or new major / minor / concentration / academic unit

                                                                                (if applicable)

 

Revising or Deleting: 

 

Undergraduate major / Concentration:__Marketing         

                                                                                    (Example:  Applied Music – Instrumental  degree BMAS)

 

Undergraduate minor:_______________________________________________

                                   (Example:  African Studies,  Business Administration,  English, Leadership, etc.)            

 

Graduate Program Policy statement change:____________________________

                                                                        (Attach your Graduate Program Policy Statement)

 

            Graduate Program of Study:__________________________________________

                                 (Example:  Animal Science: MS  Animal Science:  PHD  Economics: MA Economics: PHD)

 

 

                Graduate minor / concentration:______________________________________

 

List program changes for curriculum revisions:

 

  1. Add as a requirement a new freshman business course (BUAD110) described below.
  2. Change the communications requirement.  The table below shows the current and proposed requirements:

Current Communication Requirement

Proposed Communication Requirement

COMM 212 Oral Communication in Business …………………………….3

 

One of the following courses: ...……3

ENGL 301 Expository Writing

ENGL 312 Written Communications in Business

ENGL 410 Technical Writing

ENGL 415 Writing in the Professions

COMM 212 Oral Communication in Business ...…………………………….…3

 

 

 

 

List new courses required for the new or revised curriculum:

 (Be aware that approval of the curriculum is dependent upon these courses successfully passing through the Course Challenge list. If there are no new courses enter “None”)

 

Course Number:  BUAD110

Course Title:   Basics of Business

Course Description:

     An introduction to business for Business majors to inform them about each of the functional areas of business through lectures, readings, discussions, guest speakers, cases and projects.  Course will include topics relating to Operations, Marketing, Finance, Management, Accounting and MIS, as well as business ethics, and critical thinking and decision making.

 

PREREQS:  None

RESTRICTIONS: Open only to freshmen in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics

 

This course has been taught two semesters and is planned for a third semester as BUAD167

 

Other affected units:

(List other departments affected by this new or revised curriculum.  Attach permission from the affected units.  If no other unit is affected, enter “None”)

 

Reduced demand for courses in the English Department.  The Arts and Sciences college would see a net decrease in demand of approximately 300-400 students (900-1200 student contact hours) per year.

 

Rationale:

(Explain your reasons for creating, revising, or deleting the curriculum or program.)

 

The purpose of this proposal is to describe a new business course and the broader Freshman Experience that we envision for our freshmen in the departments of Business Administration and Finance within the Lerner College of Business and Economics.  We describe the goals of the course and experience.  The reduction in communications/English requirements provides room in our curriculum for this course and reflects the fact that written and oral communication is a significant part of the new freshman course experience and an increasing part of courses throughout the Business Administration Department curriculum.

 

1. Goals of the course and experience

 

            The purpose of the Business Freshman experience is three-fold.  The first goal is   to introduce our business majors (including finance) to all aspects of the field of business when first entering our College.  Currently, business students do not receive any formal exposure to business functional areas until they begin taking courses in their junior year, even though they now must declare a major at the start of their sophomore year.  Given their limited exposure to each of the business areas up to that point, their decision is a difficult one.  We have found that many of our Business students are unprepared for successfully completing business courses and choosing careers.  If students begin to learn about the different options within business during their Freshman year, they will have more time to consider how the fields are inter-related and which field best matches their own skills and interests.  The new BUAD110 course will include a variety of pedagogical approaches and will give the students an overview of all of the basic functional areas of business, including operations, marketing, organizational behavior and theory, finance, accounting, management information systems, and international business.  The course will attempt to utilize plant tours, guest speakers, and case analyses, as well as class lectures, and problem-based-learning activities.   All of these will give students exposure to real business problems and people.  The cases and problems will provide the students with the opportunity to identify business issues and develop decision-making skills. 

 

Second, the Business Freshman experience will clearly communicate the importance of developing high personal standards for academic performance.  The course will reinforce good study skills, and will instill the strong work ethic necessary for success in the Lerner College of Business and Economics as well as in careers beyond college.  High standards are of paramount importance to the business world today. Thus, the high personal and professional standards that the students will develop in this course will be beneficial to them during both their educational and career experiences.  This course will also help to acculturate the students into the world of business and professional standards much earlier than is now possible.  Business standards and ethics will be topics that are addressed in the BUAD110 course. 

 

Third, the revised course will require business students to begin preparation for their eventual careers through a resume development exercise which stresses the importance of both excellent academic performance and well rounded extracurricular activities, such as taking leadership positions in student organizations, volunteering in the community, and obtaining relevant summer work or internship experience. This goal places high importance on our students learning to communicate appropriately, in both written and oral formats.  It will also emphasize the appropriate use of technology to solve business problems, as well as provide practice in solving real problems.  The course will demand that students evaluate their current skill set and career aspirations so that we can then provide guidance for obtaining or improving skills that need further development.   By beginning this process in the freshman year, students will have ample time to round out their skill sets during their time in our College.  Freshmen in the Business School do not really have this opportunity at the current time since they do not get into the full Business curriculum until their junior year. 

 

In summary, the goals for the new Business Freshman experience emphasize content, process, and skills.  The content goals stress providing the students with a solid understanding of business problems and issues, and potential areas where they can match their strengths to the problems and make a contribution (i.e., find a major that they like).  The process and skills goals focus on setting the appropriate and desired expectations for the students and giving the students the skill set that they need (communications, problem-solving and technology related) to ensure success in the Business School and beyond school in their eventual careers.  

 

Course Components that will address Gen Ed Goals Specifically

 

The Business Freshman experience will address several of the General Education goals.  Attaining effective oral and written communications skills, quantitative reasoning and information technology use (Goal 1 of UD’s Gen Ed goals) will be partially achieved through collaboration with the English and Communications departments.  Several joint individual and group assignments will provide students practice in oral and written communications skills. Possible collaboration with the Accounting and MIS department will provide technology-related skills through joint projects emphasizing appropriate choice and use of technology for problem solving.  Several projects will require quantitative reasoning regarding business data and the use of information technology for analysis.  In addition, this course may include a review module of quantitative and information technology skills needed for future Business courses.  Faculty in the college may be polled to ascertain the knowledge and skill sets required for higher-level courses.  These skill sets will then be incorporated into course projects.

 

Goal 2 (thinking critically to solve problems) is particularly important to Business majors, since many of them will assume roles in management.  Thinking critically so as to be able to analyze and solve complex problems is among the most important skills required for a successful career in business.  One method that will be used to introduce and develop these skills is the use of a business case or problem that will address all functional areas within business.  Students will be taught the process of 1) analyzing the situation or setting, 2) identifying the problem, 3) formulating alternative solutions, 4) collecting and analyzing past research and possibly data for each alternative, and 5) selecting and recommending the best solution. The new Business Freshman course will incorporate the use of cases and/or problem-based learning (PBL) to address this goal.

 

 The course will also address the ability to work and learn both independently and collaboratively (Goal 3).  There will be independent assignments that will encourage students to investigate various business problems and solutions through library research as well as contact with practicing business people.  Collaborative learning will be emphasized in the required collaborative group project. There will also be instruction relating to the formation and maintenance of teams in a business setting. This skill is of paramount importance to business students, as they will have to work in many different teams on many different levels in the business world.  By understanding how groups should function to be effective, our students will be better prepared to work in real business teams upon graduation.

 

Finally, the development of intellectual curiosity, confidence and engagement (Goal 6) will be addressed by having students meet local business people and alumni, and hear about real business problems. Students will be expected to investigate various types of business problems, and learn the best ways to approach such problems.  This may involve working with an external contact or solving problems within the context of a business case, and will likely involve active learning or PBL on the part of the student. 

 

 

Program Requirements: 

(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the Course Catalog.  If this is a revision, be sure to indicate the changes being made to the present curriculum.)

 

See attached catalog copy

 

 

 

 ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION:        (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

 

Department Chairperson                                                                                                        Date                                       

 

Dean of College                                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Chairperson, College Curriculum Committee___________________________________Date_____________________

 

Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR Studies                                                                   Date                                       

 

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com.                                                                 Date                                       

 

Secretary, Faculty Senate                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Date of Senate Resolution                                                                                                      Date to be Effective               

 

Registrar                                                                  Program Code                                         Date                                       

 

Vice Provost for Academic Programs & Planning                                                                  Date                                       

 

Provost                                                                                                                                   Date                                       

 

Board of Trustee Notification                                                                                                                Date                                       

 

Revised 11/03/04   /khs