Does Business Curriculum Meet Industry Standards?

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Does Business Curriculum Meet Industry Standards?
2012 Joint WBEA/CBEA Conference Newport Beach,
CA February 18, 2012

• Presenter
• Irina Weisblat, Ed.D.
• Business Professor
• Southwestern College

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Statement of the Problem

• A problem of educating knowledge workers for
  the global economy
• Are we teaching what we need to teach?
• Is our Program Review process relevant to student
  learning and success?
• Who are our partners in the process?
• Do we include our business leaders in
  decision-making?

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Statement of the Problem, cont.

• The projected shortage of skilled workers for
  the global economy elevates concerns about
  Californias economic growth and competitiveness
  in the world.
• The SCANS (1991) Report
• creates world class standards of student
  performance
• identifies the skills required in the 21st
  century
• Basic Skills Initiative, or AB 194 (2007) focuses
  on developing of fundamental 3R-skills in
  reading, writing and arithmetic.
• Literature identifies global competencies that
  students must have in order to be ready for the
  jobs in the global economy.

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2010 Study on Skills for Business Major Grads

• The purpose of this study was to compare the
  perspectives of community college educators and
  employers in California on skills and
  competencies required of business major graduates
  in the global economy.
• To find out whether there was a match between the
  skills that CCC teach and the skills that
  employers actually expect business major
  graduates to have.
• To examine how well CCC have adjusted their
  business curriculum to meet the needs of
  employers.
• To find out what kind of implications the
  identified differences may have for practice.

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Literature

• Considers globalization, defines it and shows its
  influences on a changing mission of institutions
  of higher education, and on their curriculum
  (Hill, 2006 Levin, 2001 Tagg, 2003).
• The skills gap threatens our competitiveness in
  the globalized market place (Moore Shulock,
  2007).
• We are not fully committed to preparing a new
  generation of knowledge workers (Drucker,
  1973).
• Extended discussions about new set of skills and
  competencies needed, but
• Little research that clearly identifies these
  skills and competencies.

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15-Item List of Skills

• Basic Skills
• 1 Spoken English language
• 2 Writing in English
• 3 Reading comprehension in English
• 4 Basic math
• Global Skills and Competencies
• 5 Foreign language(s) proficiency
• 6 Working with diverse cultures people
• 7 Social responsibility
• 8 Ability to adjust to change
• 9 Ability to build partnerships
• 10 Listening
• 11 Teamwork ability
• 12 Leadership ability
• 13 Productive use of resources (time, money,
  materials, space, and staff)
• 14 Computer proficiency
• 15 Information Technology (IT) literacy

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Key Findings

• Findings point to differences in views of skills
  expected from graduates with a business major
  between 2 populations CC educators and
  employers.
• Key findings relate to the following 7 areas
• business curriculum
• relative importance of basic skills and global
  competencies
• collaboration of CC educators and business
  leaders
• quality of teaching of the job-related skills in
  CC
• employers expectations toward necessary
  knowledge
• inventory of skills for successful performance at
  work
• importance of various skills for competitiveness
  in the global economy.

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Conclusions

• The study affirms the relevance the SCANS (1991)
  skills.
• Basic skills surpass global competencies in
  importance.
• A gap between the skills and competencies that
  community colleges teach and the job-related
  skills that employers need.
• Difference in the interpretation of epistemology,
  the theory of knowledge
• educators focus on content areas
• business leaders look for practical application
  of knowledge (i.e., project-based learning)
• A greater level of cooperation between community
  college educators and business leaders in
  California is needed.

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Collaboration of CC educators and business leaders

• Data about collaboration of CC educators and
  business leaders is inconsistent
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ___________________________
• Form of collaboration BUS responses CC responses
• __________________________________________________
  _______________________________
• Designing new curriculum 6 72
• Participation in program review 5 61
• Offering scholarships for business
  students 8 52
• Developing student learning outcomes
• on the program and course-level 2 51
• My college (company) does not collaborate
• with the business leaders (colleges) 36 3
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________
• Note N284 each BUS business leaders CC
  community college educators.
• (Weisblat, 2010)

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Quality of Teaching

• Teaching of the job-related skills was not
  perceived as successful by employers.
• 80 of CC educators considered teaching of all
  job-related skills to be successful
• 52 of employers were uncertain about the quality
  of teaching
• All in all, the two populations strongly
  disagreed about successful teaching of 13 out of
  15 job-related skills within the business
  curriculum, as the t-Test results show.
• (Weisblat, 2010)

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Implications for Practice and Continuous
Improvement

• The findings of the study may help community
  colleges to
• make informed decisions
• improve their business curriculum
• improve the program review process
• develop the skills and competencies that business
  graduates need in order to compete for the jobs
  in the global economy
• develop business programs that are meaningful and
  relevant to the needs of all stakeholders, and
  beneficial to the society in general
• motivate stronger collaboration of business
  faculty and business leaders for the benefit of
  students success

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What does it mean for educators?

• To ensure a high quality of certificate and
  degree programs, we should be looking at recently
  completed program reviews and discussing the
  following questions
• What has program review achieved?
• Why does it matter?
• What are the implication to the degree?

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Why are we concerned with the Program Review?

• Colleges are mandated to report on student
  assessment results.
• Who mandates it?
• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior
  Colleges (ACCJC) of WASC (Western Association of
  Schools and Colleges)
• WASC Accreditation Standard II
• Instructional programs are systematically
  assessed in order to assure currency, improve
  teaching and learning strategies, and achieve
  stated student learning outcomes
• (www.accjc.org)

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What is a Program Review?

• A process that can be used to inform decisions
  and improve student learning and development
  (Bresciani, 2006 Maki, 2004 Suskie, 2004)
• It Consists of
• Required elements of Self Study
• Internal and External reviews
• Integration of findings of program review into
  planning and budgeting
• Students - partners in the program review
  process
• Surveys (at program entrance/exit)
• Tracking of Alumni success
• Alumni participation in program review

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Program Review and Assessment
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The purpose of assessment

• Assessment is an important tool
• to measure how we use resources
• in a cost-effective and responsible manner.
• (Linda Suskie)

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WASC Data about Colleges on SanctionJanuary,
2010 (19 CCC)
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Recommendations for Program Improvement

• In accordance with the WASC Resource Guide for
  Good Practices in Academic Program Review,
  Colleges should generate an initial set of
  guiding questions upon which to base its
  self-study inquiry
• Are we teaching what we need to teach?
• Are our students learning what we are teaching
  them?

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Process

• A. Are we teaching what we need to teach?
• Does our curriculum provide students what they
  need to be competitive in the job market?
• Are our program, course, and learning objectives
  appropriate?
• Are we teaching in accordance with our program,
  course, and learning objectives?
• Do our library resources adequately support our
  Cert. Degree ?
• Is diversity reflected in our curriculum?
• Who are the students enrolled in the programs,
  and how does their profile relate to our program
  objectives?
• How does our curriculum compare to that of other
  institutions with similar degree
  programs/concentrations?
• Is our curriculum aligned with disciplinary/
  professional standards?
• What resources do our students in the program
  need to be successful upon graduation?
  Professional associations? Internships? Career
  counseling?
• Are the most appropriate faculty
  developing/teaching courses in this program?

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Process

• B. Are our students learning what we are teaching
  them?
• Are the learning objectives of the degree program
  being achieved?
• Are the learning objectives of courses within the
  program being achieved?
• Do our students recognize the contribution of
  diversity to learning?
• Are students in this major/degree program taking
  full advantage of the college Library, other
  support services?
• Is course sequencing (or lack thereof) an
  impediment to student learning? If so, what are
  the recommended course sequences?
• How well do our graduates perform on professional
  certification exams?
• How much do our students perceive themselves to
  have learned upon completing courses within the
  degree program?
• How prepared do our students feel upon graduation
  to enter the job market, etc., with the CCC
  degree in Business?

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Global Risk SummitNew York City June, 2011

• Purpose
• Establish the framework for the first Global Risk
  Network
• Actively address the shared risks that threaten
  to disrupt business operations
• Promote collaboration in the increasingly
  interdependent world and a globalized economy
  public and private sectors

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Examples of shared risks

• Natural disasters
• Changes in global climate
• Bioterrorism
• Terrorism
• Cyber-theft , hacktivism, and other
  technology-related risks
• Geographic crises and regional turmoil (Middle
  East, North Africa)
• Financial crisis and its effect on the global
  supply chain and business continuity

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Global Risk SummitNew York City June, 2011
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The Network ParticipantsMulti-national corp.
and Government

• IBM
• Kraft
• Philip Morris
• Iron Mountain
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• U.S. Dept of Homeland Security)
• FBI
• Central Intelligence Agency
• 9-11 Commission
• INTERPOL
• United Nations

• BP
• Microsoft
• Cisco Systems
• Raytheon
• Expedia
• Target Corp.
• Marriott
• Starbucks
• Ernst Young
• Bank of England
• Royal Canadian Bank

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What does it mean for higher education?

• How do institutions of higher education respond
  to these pertinent issues related to security and
  risk management?

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How does Business Curriculum meet industry needs?

• International Business Basic Certificate
• (13-16 units)
• BUS 122 Principles of Exporting and Importing
  (3)
• BUS 177 Intro to International Business (3)
• BUS 140 Business Law/The Legal Environment of
  Business (3)
• BUS 126 Business Logistics Management (3)
• CL 120 Computer Literacy (1), or CIS 101 Intro
  to Computers and Info Processing (4)

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How does Business Curriculum meet industry needs?

• Logistics and Transportation Basic Certificate
• (19 units)
• BUS 122 Principles of Exporting and Importing
  (3)
• BUS 140 Business Law/The Legal Environment of
  Business (3)
• BUS 126 Business Logistics Management (3)
• BUS 173 Transportation Management (3)
• BUS 183 Business Mathematics (3)
• CIS 101 Introduction to Computers and
  Information Processing(4)

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Topics of Security Risk Management covered in

• BUS 177 International Business
• Political, economic, and legal risks

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Topics of Security Risk Management covered in

• BUS 122 Principles of Exporting and Importing
• Managing foreign exchange risks
• Risks associated with entering foreign markets
• C-TPAT-Security (Customs-Trade Partnership
  Against Terrorism) and Five-Step Risk assessment
  process
• Risk Awareness and Validation in Global Trade
• Nationalization, expropriation, and other
  political and legal risks
• Trade barriers, and risk associated with price
  fixing, antidumping, intellectual property rights

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Opportunities

• Logistics and Transportation Basic Certificate
• (19 units)
• BUS 122 Principles of Exporting and Importing
  (3)
• BUS 140 Business Law/The Legal Environment of
  Business (3)
• BUS 126 Business Logistics Management (3)
• BUS 173 Transportation Management (3)
• BUS 183 Business Mathematics (3)
• CIS 101 Introduction to Computers and
  Information Processing(4)

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Suggested Topics in Security Risk Management
for

• BUS 126 Business Logistics Management
• Changes in economic controls due to government
  deregulation in
• Transportation
• Financial institutions
• Communications
• Energy (utility) industry

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Suggested Topics in Security Risk Management,
cont

• BUS 126 Business Logistics Management
• Supply Chain Security Solutions
• Every four days there is a terrorist attack on
  the global supply chain.
• Governments world-wide ask businesses to apply
  higher levels of diligence to suppliers' security
  practices and compliance.
• Crisis Management
• Emergency Management

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Suggested Topics in Security Risk Management
for

• CL 120 Computer Literacy, or
• CIS 101 Intro to Computers and Info Processing
• Cyber Threat
• Cyber-theft
• Hacktivism, and other technology-related risks

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Recommendations for Curriculum Development

• Security and risk management are relevant to our
  region affected heavily by cross-border trade
• Logistics and Transportation program should
  include a coursework that covers security and
  risk management.
• An interdisciplinary approach to curriculum
  development.

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Recommendations for Curriculum Development, cont.

• Educators should constantly incorporate business
  leaders input into curriculum in order to
• help develop skills that students need to enter
  the job market
• improve business curriculum that is meaningful
  and relevant
• help students to prepare for high-demand and
  well-paid careers

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Contact Information

• Irina Weisblat, Ed.D.
• Business Professor, Southwestern College
• Mobile [phone]
• iweisblat_at_swccd.edu

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Time for Questions and Discussion