Montana State University, College of Business  
Dean: Richard Semenik

Background. Since 1995 the Montana State University-Bozeman College of Business (COB) has used a cascading process to link curriculum content with specific learning goals as specified in general by the college mission. The initial process and the lessons learned are described below.

Description. The initial process was initiated by involving various stakeholder groups, including students, faculty, alumni, and business advisory board members in a comprehensive Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat (SWOT) analyses. The exercise presented a clear picture of the internal capabilities and the external environment of the College. It indicated a uniquely suitable competitive niche in providing skill-based programs with a predominantly undergraduate focus. A new mission statement was appropriately fashioned.

The mission of the college of business at Montana State University–Bozeman is to prepare students for leadership roles in a diverse and global business world.  Our students will:

• acquire knowledge of current business practices and theory and be conversant in the language of business.
• develop competencies in critical thinking and problem solving, rational and ethical decision-making, communication and leadership skills, and current technology.
• become lifelong, self-directed learners as demanded by the dynamic business environment of the future.

The College of Business is committed to serving the needs of its stakeholders who include students, faculty, staff, the University, employers, the citizens of Montana, families, the business community, and others providing support.  The College supports faculty intellectual contributions emphasizing applied research and instructional development in furthering the College’s primary mission for undergraduate teaching.  Service activities will have an outreach component in keeping with the University’s mission as a land grant institution.

The next step in the process was to “operationalize” the mission by defining key terms and ideas.  These definitions would provide a tangible means to develop measures and collect data that could be used in the assessment cycle to support continuous curriculum improvement.

The COB curriculum committee developed learning goals with support from subject experts on the faculty. The mission statement was segmented into seven learning goals (listed below), each with operational definitions (see Learning Goals with Operational Definitions).

• Acquire Knowledge of Current Business Practices and Theory and Be Conversant in the Language of Business
• Competency in Rational and Ethical Decision Making
• Competency in Current Technology
• Leadership
• Become Lifelong, Self-Directed Learners
• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
• Oral And Written Communication

Instructors were required to include mission-linked course objectives in syllabi for all courses in the core, option, and concentration (accounting, finance, management, and marketing) courses. (See example of learning objectives for the capstone strategy course.)

A matrix ( see example) linked each of the 11 required business core courses to skill-related (written communication, oral communication, quantitative analysis, computer usage, critical thinking) and qualitative (creative thinking, international business, multicultural diversity, ethics, leadership) learning objectives. These competencies were developed by breaking down the mission into a set of comprehensive learning outcomes. All courses were expected to make a significant contribution to some, but not necessarily all, skill-related and qualitative learning objectives.

To complete the initial process, business core courses were reviewed by the core curriculum committee of the College to ensure that every business student, regardless of chosen option, was participating in the mission-driven curriculum.

Lessons Learned. This process of aligning the curriculum of the college with the college mission produced several positive results. First, faculty members gained a deeper appreciation for their contribution to achieving overall educational outcomes. By linking course objectives to the overall learning objectives as specified in the mission, it became clear that overall success depended on every instructor. Second, the process highlighted the importance of prerequisite relationships in the curriculum. Success in senior-level courses required students to master critical knowledge and skills in earlier coursework. Third, this strategic alignment process forced each instructor to define clear objectives for each course and include these objectives in course syllabi. Finally, the process revealed weaknesses and gaps as faculty viewed the curriculum from a broad vantage point.

The COB continues to apply this process to review and update the mission and curriculum. Several additional changes in the mission and the curriculum have been made in recent years.  For example, the process assisted faculty to respond appropriate to questions resulting from the emergence of the Internet in business and recent debates on the importance of ethical standards in light of national business scandals. In both cases the faculty decided to incorporate content into selected core and optional courses so that every student received the necessary instruction. The mission-driven curriculum planning approach has helped to keep the college curriculum relevant and effective.

Contact

Dr. Bruce C. Raymond
Associate Dean for Administration and Finance
College of Business
Montana State University-Bozeman
Tel: 406-994-4333
Fax: 406-994-6206
Email: braymond@montana.edu

College of Business Web site http://www.montana.edu/cob/

Montana State University assessment Web site http://www.montana.edu/aircj/assess