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a. Program Name – Master of Science in Accounting
b. Report prepared by – P.N. Saksena
c. Who is the current assessment contact for your program? Associate Dean Asghar Sabbaghi
d. Should assessment information be sent to anyone else in your department? Dean Rob Ducoffe, Reza Espahbodi, Chair, SBE Planning and Assessment Committee
1. What are the program’s educational goals? (Please take goals directly from your program’s assessment plan, and highlight any changes made this year.)
Students who complete the MSA program at IUSB will demonstrate knowledge and skills in accounting and in:
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Learning Goals: [Approved by the accounting faculty on 3/30/07] |
Curricular Assessment |
Exit Interviews |
Alumni Survey |
Employer Survey |
1. |
Using information technologies and understanding their impacts on organization and its management |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
2. |
Identifying the accounting information needs of management for decision making |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
3. |
Applying financial and managerial accounting theories, and tax strategies, to analyze domestic and global economic environments of the organizations |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
4. |
Using reflective thinking, analytical reasoning, and statistical analysis to support decision making |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
5. |
Understanding one’s ethical responsibilities to society, and recognizing, analyzing, and resolving ethical problems that occur in accounting and auditing |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
6. |
Identifying, interpreting, and evaluating the impacts that legal, social, global, and diversity matters, have on accounting and business decisions |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
7. |
Engaging in teamwork and leadership as reflected by the ability to work with, influence, inspire, and motivate individuals of diverse backgrounds to achieve team and organizational goals |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
8. |
Adapting and creating knowledge to solve accounting and managerial problems in new and unfamiliar circumstances, to cope with unforeseen events, and to manage in unpredictable environments |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
9. |
Identifying and researching problems and opportunities in accounting, recognizing and applying proper tools to generate alternative solutions, and comparing and contrasting alternatives to reach a final solution |
DM |
IM |
IM |
IM |
DM: Direct assessment of learning goals
IM: Indirect assessment of learning goals
2. What assessment techniques did the program use? (Please take assessment techniques directly from your program’s assessment plan and highlight any changes made this year.)
1. Exit interview as an indirect measure:
At the present time we are using the exit interview as an indirect measure of assessment of our MSA program. Every graduating student comes in for an exit interview where they are asked a series of questions. The accounting faculty has developed these questions and they help us assess our program and make changes.
2. Alumni survey as an indirect measure:
SBE conducted an alumni survey in spring 2006. Graduates responded to a series of structured questions and were provided a chance to include written comments too. Participants broke down as follows: over 66% undergraduate alumni, over 25% Master of Business Administration alumni, over 4% MSA alumni, and about 4% were Master of Science in Management of Information Technologies alumni. Overall, MSA students were satisfied with the education they received (results qualified given the small number of MSA students).
3. Curricular assessment as a direct measure:
The accounting faculty are in the process of developing learning outcomes for each learning goal. These will be measured directly in the different courses that MSA students will take over the course of their program of study. Results from these assessments will be used to make changes and improve our program.
4. Employer survey as an indirect measure:
SBE conducts an employer focus group/survey every three to five years.
3. What has your program done with assessment information this year? (i.e. communicated results to faculty, staff, alumni and students, made changes in the curriculum, made changes in the budget, added new courses. . .)
- The accounting faculty plan to discuss MSA exit interviews during fall semester 2008. A few changes have been made as a result of these interviews: We offer students two tax courses as well as a course in forensic accounting.
- The accounting faculty has worked on a revised schedule for our MSA classes. The goal is to provide enough lead-time to help students plan their course of study.
- The accounting faculty has gathered data from 18 MSA programs, from peer and aspirant institutions, with a goal to engage in a discussion of possibly revising our MSA curriculum.
- The SBE Planning and Assessment Committee developed an employer survey instrument in 2007. The survey will be completed over summer 2008.
4. After reflecting on assessment activities in your unit, as a result of assessment what are two issues you would like to address?
1. Work on identifying and including direct measure(s) of assessment of our MSA program.
2. Discuss exit interview assessment results and make appropriate changes to the program.
3. Work on revising/updating our MSA program based on the data gathered from 18 peer and aspirant institutions.
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