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Western New England College School of Business

Strategic Plan Initiatives 2007-2010

The following initiatives reflect the mission and goals of the School of Business. These are divided into two categories: a) quality assurance initiatives to achieve goals that relate to AACSB standards, and b) image and program advancement initiatives developed as a result of an internal and external environmental analysis.

Quality Assurance Initiatives

The quality assurance initiatives are designed to achieve the School’s goals of continuous improvement and resource development. These initiatives relate to AACSB standards involving assurance of learning, faculty management and support, and resource development.

1. Assurance of Learning – The School’s Assessment Plan states the School’s learning goals, the implementation of assessment processes, a mapping of courses that support the learning goals, and improvements to the curricula as a result of assessment feedback.
2. Faculty Management and Support – The Faculty Management and Support Initiative includes an audit of faculty mission activities, specifically those relating to collaboration, integration, and innovation. The audit is part of the faculty annual review process. The second portion of the initiative consists of a faculty staffing and resource plan that projects resource requirements and actions to meet requirements.
3. Resource Development – To develop relevant learning experiences for students, both non-financial and financial activities will be pursued. Collaboration of faculty with the business community, alumni, and the other Schools of the College to create courses, establish internships and other activities are examples of non-financial activities. To increase resources available to the School, financial initiatives such as sponsorships and grants will be pursued by the Dean along with the faculty and the Associate Dean.

Image and Program Advancement Initiatives

Five image and program advancement initiatives are the result of internal and external environmental analysis. The proposals either capitalize on favorable environmental trends (opportunities) and positive internal factors (strengths), or they are developed to offset areas of concern (threats and organizational weaknesses):

1. Develop cross-disciplinary concentrations in MBA and MSA programs

   Special attention will be given to program possibilities that reflect the mission emphasis on collaboration, particularly among the Schools of the College. This collaboration opportunity provides a distinctive competitive advantage, particularly given the university structure at Western New England College, the close working relationships among faculty and administrators of the schools, and the level of professional accreditations achieved by the Law and Engineering Schools.

2. Increase opportunities for interdisciplinary integration for undergraduate students

   The mission of the School of Business recognizes the value of integrative learning experiences. Reflecting this value, changes will be considered in two areas:
   
   • Enhancing curricular flexibility to allow students greater opportunities to pursue minors and outside-of-major courses.
   • Utilizing SAP enterprise resource planning software to give students a greater understanding of cross-disciplinary interactions within business organizations.

3. Enhance student career readiness and access to employment opportunities in the global workplace

   A key component of the School of Business vision is to prepare students to achieve successful business careers in a global workplace. In collaboration with the CareerCenter, departments prepare plans to develop their students’ readiness to pursue their first jobs. These plans involve opportunities for students to interact with business professionals and alumni, to attend off-site professional events, and to gain an awareness of the challenges of the global workforce. Also, department plans address job-seeking skills and strategies.

4. Reinforce ethics and social responsibility in the curriculum

   The School’s revised Mission/Vision Statement includes reinforcing ethical decision making. This component will be reinforced both through the curriculum and in events that result from collaboration among the Schools and with industry participants. Two of the specific action items for the current cycle are:
   
   • To develop, endorse, and disseminate a Business Students’ Ethics Code of Conduct.
   • To establish outside-of-the-classroom programs focusing on ethics and social responsibility.

5. Integrate international education into the curriculum

   The Vision of the School of Business includes preparing students for careers in a global economy. Recommendations will be developed for changing the business curriculum to reflect this commitment and the College’s strategic plan.

Approved September 2007