College of Business Administration Strategic Plan

Reflecting Central Michigan University’s Strategic Plan: Advancing Excellence (2017-2022)

CMU IMPERATIVE I: Nurturing Student Success

“CMU provides a transformative education to prepare students for successful careers and fulfilling lives. Successful students complete their programs of study in a reasonable amount of time and are well prepared for careers and/or postgraduate study. Alumni perceive their CMU education as a sound investment.” (from Advancing Excellence: CMU’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2022)

As a college, we value active, rigorous, student-centered learning, which offers a broad educational experience that integrates the functional areas of business. We promote business-connected engagement with the business community and seek for all students to have transformative experiences during their time at CMU while helping students to graduate in a timely manner. We nurture student success and prepare students to be job-ready in careers related to their area of study. We seek to meet the changing educational needs of students with a leading-edge curriculum in various modalities, supporting the need for lifelong learning.

 

We engage employers and partners in college events.

Target/Outcome

Identify and record corporate interactions and projects (for example, Dialogue Days, Corporate Spotlights, ERPsim, NVC, Data Analytics conference, client projects, corporate speakers, and field trips)

Actions

  • Amend OFIS to better reflect corporate interactions (2020)
  • Review OFIS and designate Community Engagement activities (2020)

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • OFIS
  • CBA Annual Report
  • AACSB Short Vita
  • Social media and other references to CBA-related activities

 

We engage potential CMU students in events and activities that connect them with CMU.


Target/Outcome

Create events to engage non-CMU students and create a database and baseline to track numbers

Actions

  • Extend High School ERPsim to additional tech centers, targeting urban schools (2020)
  • Involve non-CMU students (including high school) in Make-a-Pitch events (2022)
  • Continue to host events, such as CBA Day, Fire-up Fridays, CMU and You Day (2022)
  • Develop a GEAR UP program with a CBA focus (2020)
  • Support high school Moot Court participants (2019)

Metrics/Measurements (Data Sources)

  • OFIS
  • CBA Faculty and Staff
  • CBA Annual Report
  • SAP University Alliance
  • Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship (IBIE)
  • Business Student Services
  • Social media and other references to CBA-related activities

 

The CBA continues to meet AACSB standards for faculty qualifications and scholarly activity.

Target/Outcome

Maintain AACSB requirements for accreditation in the four qualification areas: SA ≥ 40%, SA + PA + SP ≥ 60%, and SA + PA + SP + IP ≥ 90%

Actions

Review faculty status in all Article 6 and all reappointment, promotion, and tenure (RPT) decisions as well as UTF Evaluation Forms (annually)

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • OFIS AACSB short vita
  • AACSB tables
  • Article 6 and RPT documentation
  • UTF Evaluation Forms

 

 

CMU IMPERATIVE II: Fostering Scholarly Activity

“CMU encourages a scholarly environment that attracts and fosters talented and diverse students, faculty and staff. Scholarship is essential to the intellectual life of a university and its accreditation. We embrace a broad view of scholarship, recognizing the value of theoretical and applied research, field-specific and interdisciplinary research, creative efforts, artistic performances, and pedagogical inquiry.” (from Advancing Excellence: CMU’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2022)

The CBA’s goal is to advance our scholarship consistent with the direction of the university and the dictates of our accrediting body. The university encourages faculty to present and publish in quality outlets. The CBA supports this effort. Quality scholarship is measured in a number of ways, including but not limited to the following: AJG scores from the Academic Journal Guide of the Association of Business Schools; impact factors from Journal Citation Reports, Scimago Journal & Country Rank, and the Washington & Lee University law journal; quartile rankings from Scimago; Google Scholar citations; SSRN and ResearchGate downloads; the Google h5-index; and journal library subscriptions at WorldCat.

Most research quality metrics involve citations. Less tangible and harder to measure is the very important impact of quality research on policy and practice. Measures of practice or policy could include such things as publications or presentations for practitioner communities; external funding from well-known entities; requests for time, consulting, or expert witness for government or other agencies; and so forth. CBA Department Bylaws address research quality, and faculty must demonstrate the quality of their research when applying for reappointment, promotion and tenure. The importance of these research metrics varies by discipline, and one measure does not work adequately for all disciplines.

The CBA research credit guidelines (revised in March 2019) outline how faculty receive professional development funds for publications. Faculty must now have a Google Scholar account, and they must also upload their scholarly work into the SSRN. The four categories for research credit —Outstanding, Premiere, Enhanced and Regular — are based on varying levels of several of these metrics. For example, a journal rated AJG 4 is considered Outstanding, AJG 3 is Premiere, and AJG 1-2 is Enhanced.

In addition to these measures, our AACSB accreditation requires that faculty qualifications meet specified ranges based on education, scholarly research, and professional activities. For Scholarly Academic (SA), Practicing Academic (PA), Scholarly Practitioner (SP), and Instructional Practitioner (IP), the following percentages are required for accreditation: SA ≥ 40%, SA + PA + SP ≥ 60%, and SA + PA + SP + IP ≥ 90%.


We offer rigorous, active, student-centered learning in courses.

Target/Outcomes

CBA courses are learning-centered and rigorous, utilizing active learning strategies

Actions

  • Hold annual CBA Teaching Symposium focused on learning (2020)
  • Participate in teaching-oriented workshops and/or conferences (including CETL workshops) (2022)
  • Monitor SOS scores, DEW rates, overall GPAs, currency of curriculum, teaching strategies used (ongoing)

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • OFIS 
  • CETL resources (workshops, faculty reviews, course development assistance)
  • Academic Planning & Analysis (APA) for SOS, GPA, DEW, etc.
  • Assurance of Learning data (aggregated data)
  • RPT reviews and Article 6 conferences, UTF Evaluation Forms, and teaching awards


We engage students in transformational experiences:

  1. Use client projects and experiential learning with real-world applications.
  2. Provide internship opportunities to students in their degree programs.
  3. Engage students in study-abroad and study-away experiences to broaden perspective (including discovery and humanitarian).
  4. Support students competing in national, international and other significant competitions.

Help students obtain professional certifications in their degree programs to ensure their competitive edge in securing jobs (CPA, CHP, TS410, SHRM, CFP, CFA, Six Sigma Greenbelt and others).

Target/Outcome

Every CBA student engages in at least one transformational experience

Actions

  • Foster corporate relationships to create more client projects, internships, and full-time employment (2022)
  • Increase student funding for study abroad/study away experiences (2022)
  • Support faculty in creating more study abroad/study away opportunities (2022)
  • Work with RSOs to provide student funding for competitions (2022)
  • Strategically select additional certification opportunities while maintaining current certifications (2022)

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • Surveys in program capstone courses (such as MGT 499 or ENT 495)
  • CBA Annual Report
  • OFIS
  • Business Student Services
  • Office of Global Engagement
  • Academic Planning & Analysis (APA)
  • RSO leaders and advisors

 

Our students obtain career-related jobs at graduation (including admission to graduate school) and maintain communication as alumni and lifelong learners.

Target/Outcomes

At least 90% of CBA graduates will have meaningful employment in their chosen field six months after graduation (including graduate school) and remain connected to CMU CBA

Actions

  • Increase the number of students getting internships and participating in competitions and conferences (often leads to offers of full-time employment) (2022)
  • Require students to use college and Career Development services (LinkedIn accounts, mock interviews, etiquette training, employment communication, job search strategies) (2022)
  • Administer senior survey to every MGT 499/ENT 495 class every semester (2022)
  • Work with Career Development Center to increase response rate of post-graduation survey (2022)
  • Survey alumni through LinkedIn one and five years after graduation (2022)
  • Work with Development Office to increase the percentage of alumni who contribute to CBA (2022)


Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • Survey data from Career Development Center
  • Surveys in program capstone courses (such as MGT 499 or ENT 495)
  • CBA LinkedIn page (70% graduates connected to CBA LinkedIn group)
  • Development Office/Alumni House

 

 

CMU IMPERATIVE III: Strengthening Partnerships in Michigan and Beyond

 

“CMU values community partnerships. We will emphasize partnerships with alumni, communities, corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations that lead to mutual growth and enhancement, starting with those in Michigan and going beyond to our country and the world.” (from Advancing Excellence: CMU’s Strategic Plan, 2017-2022)

We seek to increase relationships and partnerships with alumni, local communities, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to form strong stakeholder commitments with the CBA. We will strengthen relationships through quality, high impact events: CBA Day, Career Fairs, New Venture Competition, ERPsim, targeted high school events, and so forth. The CBA will support CMU’s goal of meeting the Carnegie Foundation’s criteria for obtaining Community Engagement Classification. These efforts will help the CBA and its partners enrich scholarship, research and scholarly creative activity.

 

Our faculty are engaged in quality research that is visible to the public.

Target/Outcome

Get 90% of research active faculty to have a Google Scholar profile, with 90% of faculty uploading scholarly work into SSRN

Actions

  • Provide training and support on creating Google Scholar and SSRN accounts (2020)
  • Require a Google Scholar profile and an SSRN manuscript upload of research for professional development funds (ongoing)

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • Google Scholar (track percentage of faculty with profiles and total CBA citations)
  • SSRN (track percentage of faculty with profiles, total CBA downloads, and CBA ranking among U.S. business schools)

 

Our faculty present and publish research that has impact.

Target/Outcome

Increase the percentage of faculty who publish in Enhanced, Premiere, and Outstanding journals as defined in the research credit guidelines and formalize measures of impact on practice and policy

Actions

  • Increase incentive for publishing in higher-quality journals. Provide:
    • $1,000 for Regular
    • $1,500 for Enhanced
    • $3,000 for Premiere
    • $5,000 for Outstanding (2019)
  • Continue to support faculty to present at premiere conferences (ongoing)
  • Support research that impacts policy and practice (2019)

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • OFIS
  • CBA Annual Report
  • Department Bylaws
  • Research credit database

 

We partner with colleges across CMU and with other universities, nonprofits and corporations to create mutually beneficial opportunities.

Target/Outcome

Develop partnerships with relevant entities

Actions

  • Seek MOU with Medical School for MD/MBA and business certificate (2019)
  • Partner with Automation Alley on Manufacturing 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT) (2020)
  • MOU with the CBA, Blue Water Angels, and Medical School (2019)
  • Create MOUs with community colleges in demand areas such as cybersecurity (2022)
  • Seek Academic Center of Excellence accreditation with NSA and Homeland Security for cybersecurity certificate
    Create an interdisciplinary cybersecurity degree (2022)
  • Explore opportunities for MOUs with international schools

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • MOUs and partnership agreements
  • CMU Admissions Office
    White papers and articles
  • Co-sponsored events with partners
  • Community service and partnerships
  • OFIS (faculty involvement in organizations and volunteerism)
  • SL designated courses

 

We are invested in retaining our students and graduating them in a timely manner.

Target/Outcome

Assist students to complete courses efficiently to minimize time to graduation

Actions

  • Work through the curricular process to reduce all CBA undergraduate degrees to 120 hours (2019)
  • Provide student advising to maximize “double counting” (2022)
  • Increase the number of advisors and/or success coaches (2022)
  • Develop and promote accelerated programs, where appropriate

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • Academic Planning & Analysis (APA)
  • Business Student Services
  • CMU Bulletin
  • Faculty advisors

 

In recognition of an increasingly dynamic and changing environment in higher education, we provide a competitive advantage by strategically delivering quality programs, certificates and badges.

Target/Outcome

Strategically develop quality courses, certificates, and programs in appropriate delivery modalities, and explore the implementation of badges

Actions

  • Work with CETL and Instructional Development to create approved online programs (2022)
  • Support faculty with professional development in hybrid and online teaching (2022)
  • Initiate Market Demand Analysis for additional programs or certificates (2022)
  • Roll out online BSBA (Fall 2019)
  • Develop prototype for badges and micro-credentialing (2022)
  • Develop and promote accelerated programs where appropriate

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • Course Search and Registration
  • Curricular process
  • CETL/Instructional Development
  • CBA Department Chairs and Program Directors

 

We will increase diversity in the CBA by actively recruiting and supporting students and faculty from underrepresented groups.

Target/Outcome

Recruit students and faculty from underrepresented groups

Actions

  • Target recruitment material and social media to underrepresented groups (ongoing)
  • Hold outreach activities (ERPsim, pitch competitions, etc.) in urban locations
  • Develop a GEAR UP program with a CBA focus (2020)
  • Provide FPS recruitment training for hiring departments (as needed)
  • Advertise positions in diverse outlets

Metrics/Measures (Data Sources)

  • Academic Planning & Analysis (APA)
  • Business Student Services
  • Faculty Personnel Services (FPS)
  • Membership in organizations representing underrepresented groups (such as the PhD project)

 

 

Strategic Plan portion approved by CBA DAC May 29, 2019