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ROBINSON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
COORDINATION OF CORE COURSES IN UNDERGRADUATE AND
MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAMS AND ADMINISTRATION OF MBA PROGRAM:
REVISED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES


The Graduate and Undergraduate Program Councils developed, and the RCB faculty approved, two documents on core course coordination. The first, titled "Coordination of Core Courses in Undergraduate and Master's Degree Programs: Policy and Procedures," was approved May 23, 1984, and the second, titled "Core Course Coordination Policies and Procedures," was approved May 25, 1988. While significant improvements have been made in coordination of core courses, further improvement in the MBA program requires a change in its administration.

The purpose of this document is to change the administration of the MBA program and to modify the previous core course coordination documents accordingly. In particular, this document establishes a new faculty group, to be known as the MBA Faculty Group, and sets the duties and responsibilities of the MBA Faculty Group and the faculty member to be appointed as head of the MBA program. The core course coordination policy and the procedures pertaining to undergraduate and non-MBA master's core courses remain the same.

Section I, which is taken from the May 23, 1984 document, provides the rationale for the general policy on core course coordination and for the policy on consistency of sections of a core course. Section II provides the rationale for establishing a new administrative structure for the MBA program. Section III presents the policy and procedures for the new administrative structure for the MBA program. Sections IV-VII contain the revision of the two original core course coordination policies and procedures.

I. Reasons for General Policy

Specifications of core course objectives. The primary objective of the core curriculum in undergraduate and master's degree programs is to provide students with a common body of knowledge in business administration. For accreditation of the business degree programs, AACSB requires that programs include in their course of instruction certain topics (see Section IV, "Curriculum," of the current edition of the Standards and Guidelines published annually by AACSB). Thus, for purposes of meeting AACSB accreditation standards, it is essential that the Undergraduate and Graduate Program Councils have the primary responsibility with respect to specification of course objectives in the College's core curriculum.

Consistency among sections of a core course. Consistency among sections of a course is implicitly assumed in the AACSB accreditation standards. If significant variance between sections of a course which is indicated as meeting a Common Body of Knowledge requirement exists, there would be no assurance that the Common Body of Knowledge, in fact, has been met for all students.

Consistent with the accreditation philosophy of AACSB, an undergraduate or master's degree in business represents a program of study comprised of a set of topics. That nearly all such programs of study, including those of the Robinson College of Business at GSU, have a specific list of core courses which are to be taken suggests that the program is not a set of miscellaneous marginally-related courses. In order to assure that the topics comprised in the program of study are covered, course objectives must be determined for the program and consistency among sections of a core course must occur.

A lack of consistency among sections of a given core course implies that topics may be covered in one section but not in one or more of the other sections. If topics are necessary for understanding the material in subsequent courses, but the instructor of a subsequent course is unable to assume proper preparation, that instructor is forced into covering the topic as well.


II. Rationale for Changing the Administration of the MBA Program

There are several interrelated factors that need to be addressed if the College is to improve the quality of the MBA Program in the future. To address these issues and to facilitate strengthening of the MBA program, substantive changes in the administration of the MBA program are needed.


Inadequate Integration. The MBA program is currently a set of 11 courses that, with the exception of limited oversight by the GPC, are largely managed by individual departments. The amount of integration among courses needs to be increased so that the program will be less a set of independent courses and more of an integrated program.

Overemphasis on Functional Topics. The MBA program is oriented towards functions and disciplines that define academic departments. The program needs to move beyond the functional orientation and develop themes that cross functional areas. Students need, for example, to develop an understanding of the global economy, of organizations, of technological creativity and innovation, of corporate responsibility, and of ethics.

Too Slow to Change. Relative to many schools, the RCB has been very slow to change in
response to new needs and demands. There are several topics, e.g., communication skills, that should have been incorporated into the curriculum that we are either still working on or have yet to begin. Thus, we need to be able to react faster.

Unable to Offer Unique Courses. Because teaching assignments are spread over a large number of faculty, and are frequently made with short lead time, it is difficult to offer courses that do not utilize standard textbooks, i.e., courses have to be "off the shelf." Courses that might require the blending of two disciplines, or that are not standard, normally cannot be in the program since they would require too much preparation on the part of the faculty. The College needs to be able to be more inventive in how courses are offered.

Lack of Constituency. Academic units are natural constituents for the specialized master's programs and majors within the Ph.D. programs. The MBA program, however, has no organized or natural constituency. Each course in the MBA program has a constituency, but there is no group that is a proponent for the program or that exerts pressure to alter how existing courses are taught. In order to develop, champion, and monitor the MBA program, the College needs an organized constituent group.


III. Administration of the MBA Program

Overview

To administer the MBA program the Dean will appoint a faculty member who will have overall responsibility for the MBA program. The Dean will also appoint faculty members to a body to be known as the MBA Faculty Group (see below), which will be responsible for coordinating, evaluating, and proposing changes in the MBA curriculum. In particular, the MBA Faculty Group rather than individual departments will have responsibility for maintaining and proposing changes to MBA core courses. Proposed changes could include the nature of a core course, the number of electives, and the structure of the program; thus the MBA Faculty Group essentially serves as a curriculum committee for the MBA program. The curricular authority of the Graduate Program Council and the College faculty is not altered by the establishment of the MBA Faculty Group. While members of the MBA Faculty Group will teach MBA core courses, they do not constitute the entire teaching faculty for the MBA core courses. The specific authority and responsibilities of the faculty member appointed to head the MBA program and the MBA Faculty Group are outlined below.

Appointment of a Faculty Member to Head the MBA Program

The Dean shall appoint a faculty member to head the MBA Program. The faculty member appointed to this position shall be approved by the Executive Committee and the Faculty Affairs Committee. The terms of appointment (e.g., FY contract, teaching load) should be commensurate with the responsibilities and duties. The faculty member appointed to this position will perform the duties specified by the Dean and will report directly to the Dean or the Dean's designee. In particular, the duties include:

  1. maintain overall responsibility for program quality;

  2. coordinate the MBA Faculty Group;

  3. take measures to monitor classroom activities and teaching techniques used in MBA courses to be able to identify problems and changes that may be needed;

  4. oversee periodic internal and external reviews of the program in order to determine changes that may be needed in the curriculum and the MBA program;

  5. conduct exit interviews of students;

  6. promote the program externally;

  7. oversee MBA-related activities of the Master's Program Office, when established;

  8. provide an annual report to the RCB faculty members in which the status of the MBA program, its curriculum, problems with courses and class activities, and other aspects of program operation and administration are discussed;

  9. make recommendations regarding electives, including trans-disciplinary professional courses.


All information on MBA core course effectiveness should be made available routinely to the person appointed to head the MBA program. Student Evaluation of Instructor Profiles (SEIPs) for both MBA and non-MBA courses will be made available to assist in the selection of instructors for MBA core courses.

The person appointed to head the MBA program will work with departmental chairmen in making staffing decisions for core courses. This will include selecting core course instructors in addition to those who are part of the MBA Faculty Group.

Because the MBA core is an integrated program dealing with general management, it is important that faculty teaching in the MBA program have a broad understanding of business education and the general operation of business. In addition, MBA students in general are more mature and experienced than students in other programs, and therefore faculty teaching MBA core courses must be able to teach non-traditional students. Because of the special talents required of those teaching in the MBA program, staffing decisions are very important to the success of the MBA program. While it is hoped and expected that staffing of MBA core courses will be made in the spirit of cooperation, if conflicts arise between the person appointed to head the MBA program and a departmental chairman, they will be resolved by the Dean.

In developing criteria for evaluating qualifications of MBA instructors, the following characteristics will be considered:

  1. classroom performance that meets minimum teaching standard for the MBA program;

  2. willingness to invest time and effort in the MBA program;

  3. a broad understanding of the business environment;

  4. expertise in the subject matter being taught.


The person appointed to head the MBA will prepare an annual written report regarding each MBA Faculty Group member's contribution to the MBA program. These reports will be sent to the respective faculty member and his/her chairman to ensure that the service activity on behalf of the MBA program is adequately considered. These reports may be made part of the faculty member's activity report and may be used in determining annual raises and for promotion and tenure decisions.

The person appointed to head the MBA program will have adequate resources, including a budget (for staff and faculty support, program development, travel, speakers, etc.) and space. In order to satisfy needs of the MBA program this person may make recommendations regarding the hiring of new faculty members.

Appointment of the MBA Faculty Group

A faculty group, to be known as the MBA Faculty Group, shall be appointed by the Dean, for staggered three-year renewable terms. In selecting members of the MBA Faculty Group, the Dean will consult with the person appointed to head the MBA program and with the appropriate departmental chairpersons. About half of the teaching load for each member of the MBA Faculty Group will be MBA core courses. This feature will allow more time for course improvement, development and integration. The members of the MBA Faculty Group do not constitute the entire instructor corp for MBA core courses.

The normal size of the MBA Faculty Group will be 25-30. The composition of the MBA Faculty Group will be such as to assure that the appropriate expertise is available for overseeing and evaluating the MBA program. The size and composition of the MBA Faculty Group can and should vary over time as the level and nature of the activity of the MBA Faculty Group varies. The MBA Faculty Group will:

  1. have primary responsibility for MBA core course development and non-staffing aspects of delivery;

  2. assume the powers and responsibilities of MBA core course coordinators, as assigned by the person appointed to head the MBA program;

  3. serve to evaluate MBA program needs and provide leadership for the MBA program;

  4. work with the GPC to initiate changes in the structure of the MBA program and in course content of MBA core courses;

  5. work with the head of the MBA program in carrying out his or her duties.


Individuals appointed to the MBA Faculty Group will retain their positions within their academic units. The role of the head of the academic unit with regard to promotion, tenure, and salary decisions will not be changed by this document.

The establishment of the MBA Faculty Group does not constitute any change in the authority of the Graduate Program Council or the college faculty regarding any academic issue, including program structure, curriculum, admissions policy, etc.


IV. Interpretation of Policy on Consistency among Sections of a Core Course

The policy statement in Section I implies that among all sections of a core course:

Course syllabi should be substantially the same with respect to topics taught and the extent of coverage. In addition, academic units are encouraged to utilize similar cases, homework assignments and supplementary readings. Furthermore, with respect to examinations, each academic unit is encouraged to adopt examinations with common comprehensive components.

The statement of policy should not be interpreted as implying that courses cannot change. New materials and ideas on topics should be incorporated into the courses as they become available. To the extent possible, these additions should be introduced into all of the sections simultaneously upon agreement of the teaching faculty. Substantive changes, such as changes in topics, must be reviewed by the appropriate Curricular Program Councils and subsequently approved by the faculty of the College.

A structured, highly uniform core curriculum does not imply that it must be regimented and non-dynamic. Constant review of the core courses must occur to assure that the core curriculum is the most appropriate one and that it meets the Common Body of Knowledge requirements of AACSB, which are also dynamic. However, a decision to replace one topic with another cannot be made by individual faculty members since that decision will affect the entire core curriculum.


V. Procedures for Implementing Policy on Core Course Coordination

At the beginning of Fall Quarter each year, the academic units and members of the MBA Faculty Group will be requested to provide the Curricular Program Councils with actual syllabi, other course information materials that are handed out to students (e.g., a list of assignments, grading policies, course procedures), and information on textbooks and faculty core course coordinators. In addition, the curricular program councils occasionally may request additional information on core courses from the academic units and the MBA Faculty Group (e.g., a detailed written statement of course objectives).

In cases where a curricular program council has substantive questions with respect to either (a) consistency among sections of a core course or (b) course objectives, these questions will be transmitted in writing to the academic unit responsible for the staffing of the core course or, as appropriate, the MBA Faculty Group. In some cases a formal meeting of the Council with the head of the academic unit, or with the person appointed to head the MBA program, and/or any faculty member(s) to whom authority for coordination of the core course has been delegated by the head may be requested for purposes of discussing and resolving the issues addressed in the written response. Questions of lesser significance will be discussed and resolved by less formal procedures, as appropriate.


VI. Responsibility for Core Course Coordination

The core course coordination responsibilities rest with the head of the academic unit or, in the case of MBA core courses, with the faculty member appointed to head the MBA program. While the head of an academic unit or the person appointed to head the MBA program is responsible for core course coordination, these functions may be delegated. In the case of non-MBA core courses the head of the academic unit may assign the responsibility to one or more faculty members in the academic unit. In the case of MBA core courses the faculty member appointed to head the MBA program may assign the responsibility to one or more members of the MBA Faculty Group. The scope and magnitude of the functions of core course coordination as specified in the next section of this document are substantive; accordingly, any delegation of these functions to faculty needs to be explicitly taken into consideration by the faculty member and head in establishing the faculty member's total teaching, research and service activities for the period of assignment.


VII. Functions of Core Course Coordination

Consistent with the coordination and integration objectives for the core curriculum, core course coordination within the academic unit and MBA Faculty Group is expected to include the following functions:


Preparing and updating the common syllabus used in the core courses.

Coordinating the preparation of common classroom teaching materials, common computing assignments, and all common tests--including the final examination.

Serving as liaison between the instructors of core course sections and the Graduate or Undergraduate Program Councils.

Coordinating the selection of text materials for the course in accordance with policies and procedures for selection of text materials for core courses as developed by the Graduate and Undergraduate Program Councils and reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee and the Faculty Affairs Committee.

Providing orientation for all core course instructors (including all regular faculty, GTAs and PTIs) assigned to teach the core course for the first time, or for the first time in a year or more.

Serving as a source of information to external parties concerning the core course, including
the Curricular Program Councils, the RCB's Office of Academic Assistance, and microcomputer laboratories.

Coordinating the appropriate integration of new topics into the core course when approved by the RCB faculty and/or the Curricular Program Councils as appropriate. Such topics might include generic topics (e.g., communications, international, and micro-computing) or course-specific topics.

Meeting with other core course leaders on a regular basis to achieve a higher level of integration of the core curriculum.

Coordinating the use of microcomputers in the core course and assuring that the use of computers is consistent with available resources (hardware and software) and with the student's background.


The above listing of functions is the minimum expectation for core course coordination. These functions may change over time, in which case changes will be initiated by the Graduate and Undergraduate Program Councils subject to review and approval by the Executive Committee and the Faculty Affairs Committee. Other functions may be added to this document at any time by a similar process.

(Approved by RCB Faculty 6/3/92)

 


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