BBA Taskforce Report

1. BBA Taskforce Report KersiAntia Mark Browne (deputy chair) Jeff Gehrke Jon Eckhardt (chair) Alex Kalashian Cole Pospesel Larry Rittenberg Steve Schroeder David Ward

2. Background • The Associate Dean of Masters and Undergraduate Programs requested a review of the MBA and BBA programs during 2010-11 academic year • Address areas of weakness • Build on areas of strength • The last review of the BBA program occurred 2005-06 • Sophomore admissions, with up to 10% of class directly admitted as Freshman • Required all students to have an international experience • Communication and quantitative requirements should be strengthened • Sequencing of courses

3. Work of the committee • Fall • Work initiated October 18, 2010 • Researched the BBA program • Spring • Taskforce divided into workgroups to examine specific issues

4. Work of the committee • Research included • Individual ad hoc meetings with faculty and staff • Recommendations from the staff of the Undergraduate Programs Office • Review of the BBI Survey of the WI BBA and selected peer schools • Review of the WI BBA Student survey • Input from student focus groups including the student faculty board • BCC focus group of employers • Presentation on international programs by SachinTuli • Presentation on diversity and climate by Binnu Hill • Study of undergraduate business degree programs at selected schools.

5. Schools closely studied • Sixty-seven schools that achieved a top fifty ranking in the Business Week rankings during the five years spanning 2006 through 2010. • Narrowed list to those schools that were either consistently ranked highly over the period, (Virginia, Penn, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas), or displayed the greatest improvement in the ranking (Boston College, and Richmond). • Added Minnesota and Indiana as direct competitors from the Big 10.

8. Recommendations • Revision to the mission statement • Increase coordination of the curriculum across selected courses • Changes to the degree requirements • Other

9. Mission statement The mission of the Undergraduate Program in Business is to educate and prepare students for business careers, so they can contribute to the economic development and human welfare of Wisconsin, the United States, and the world. Through innovative curriculum and co-curriculum, we prepare students who are leaders, creative and critical thinkers, and life-long learners. We are committed to providing a learning environment that responds to the needs of a diverse multicultural society, prepares students for citizenship in a global economy, and promotes socially responsible and ethical behavior. We foster and maintain relationships with faculty, staff, recruiters, alumni, and other key stakeholders by providing services that exemplify excellence, integrity, and mutual respect.

10. Common course committee • Propose that WSoB create a common course committee • to coordinate the curriculum across the common courses • to systematically integrate emerging topics into the common courses • Common courses are • Business Core • IB200 • GENBUS 300 (Procom), GENBUS 301 (Business Law), & GENBUS303 (Statistics), • Business Technology Course • Highlights • Many schools are taking steps to coordinate aspects of the undergraduate curriculum • Fosters coordination while enabling flexibility in scheduling

11. Changes to the degree requirements • Require that all students take a 3 credit business technology course • Use of business tools such as excel, access, in making business decisions • We recommended that students take the business technology course within first year of admittance to business school • Highlights • Reoccurring issue • Requested by employers, students • Prepare students for upper level classes

13. Internationalize the BBA • The 2006 WSoB committee that reviewed the BBA curriculum recommended the following: “All students should be required to complete one of the following: a short international study trip; a semester length international exchange program; or an international internship” • Passed conditional on funding

14. Internationalize the BBA • All students should be required to complete one of the following: • (1) International Business 200 • (2) complete a three credit Wisconsin School of Business international business course with an embedded international trip • (3) complete a three credit University of Wisconsin international course with an embedded international trip that has been approved by the School of Business International Program • (4) participate in a Wisconsin School of Business International Programs-affiliated semester or summer abroad program • (5) complete an international internship approved by the WSoB International Business Program • Builds on a strength of the University and School • 303 students

15. Adjustment to the core course requirements • Add RMI300 to the core as a required course • Highlights • Risk management is a cross cutting topic of emerging importance with application across areas of business including • Governance • Strategy • Entrepreneurship • Human Resource Management • Builds on a unique strength of the business school • Syllabus updated by Professors Browne & Rittenberg to place a great emphasis on corporate risk management and less on insurance

16. Summary of changes to the degree requirements • Require a 3 credit business technology course as a preparatory course • Institute an International Business Requirement • Require RMI300 as a core course • Reduce business breadth credits from 6 to 3 if these changes are adopted

19. Recommendations • Revision to the mission statement • Increase coordination of the education experience in the common courses • Changes to the degree requirements • Other Thank you for your time and attention