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Improving student satisfaction and departmental effectiveness: the creation of an innovative first-year business experie

Improving student satisfaction and departmental effectiveness: the creation of an innovative first-year business experience. Introduction. First-Year Experiences (FYEs) First-Year Seminars (FYS)

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Improving student satisfaction and departmental effectiveness: the creation of an innovative first-year business experie

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  1. Improving student satisfaction and departmental effectiveness: the creation of an innovative first-year business experience

  2. Introduction

  3. First-Year Experiences (FYEs) First-Year Seminars (FYS) (Barefoot et al., 2005; Upcraft, Gardner & Associates, 1989; National Resource Center for the First Year Experience, 2009; Sidle & McReynolds, 1999) First-Year Business Experiences (FYBEs) (Fawcett & Hazen, 2000) LITERATURE REVIEW

  4. Common Goals & Objectives of FYBE courses: Academic transition & developing students’ skills for academic success Introduction to and information about the business programs & curriculum, and business as a career choice Relationship building with students & faculty (Belcher, 2010; Cox, Schmitt, Bobrowski & Graham, 2005, Crutchfield & Eveland, 2008, Erickson, Stone & Weber, 2000; Gillispie, Reinke, Roach & Muller, 2008; Lifton, Cohen & Schlesinger, 2000, Smith, 1999) LITERATURE REVIEW

  5. Outcomes & Results Measuring against course objectives Impact on retention (Crutchfield & Eveland, 2008; Erickson et al, 2010; Gillispie, 2008, Cox et al, 2005) LITERATURE REVIEW

  6. Problem Statement

  7. Problems identified circa 2004 • Should be more interactive and hands-on • Should have a greater focus on career opportunities • Should show how areas in business are interrelated • Should have continuity from week to week • Should build camaraderie • Should provide exposure to professors

  8. Problems identified circa 2009 • Little connection with incoming students • Difficult to build a sense of community • Absence of exploratory course • Little guidance in career planning • No place to discuss a biblical foundation for business as a career

  9. Solution: The Business Profession

  10. The Business profession: Characteristics • Course Characteristics • Two semester credit hours • One hour of lecture; two hours of lab per week • Labs contain no more than 30 students • Required for all business majors

  11. The business profession: Course objectives • Write and defend a business plan • Become more aware of God-given talents and abilities and how that fits with business • Develop and communicate a biblically based position on capitalism • Intentionally network with classmates, faculty, and other business professionals.

  12. Study: Methodology and results

  13. Study: Methodology • Static Group Design Study: • Experimental Group: X O1(62 Students in course) • Control Group: O2(61 Students did not take the course) • Instrument: • 10 point Likert Scale (1 being low and 10 being high score) • 9 questions covering: • Relationship with faculty and other business students • Understanding personal skills, passions, interests • Business plan comprehension and creation • 4 questions covering demographics

  14. Study: Hypotheses Objective 1Students will be able to write and defend a simple business plan. H1a: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control group and the test group in their perceived level of knowledge concerning business plans. H1b: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control and the test group in their perceived ability to construct a business plan. H1c: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control group and the test group in students feeling that faculty are easy to approach. H1d: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control group and the test group in feeling connected to the business faculty.

  15. Study: Hypotheses Objective 2 Students will become more aware of their own God-given talents and abilities. H2a: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control group and the test group in students’ understanding personal strengths, desires, interests and passions. H2b: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference in students having a clear sense of how strengths, interests and passions fit into a chosen major between the control and the test group. H2c: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control and the test group in the feeling that Career Direct was helpful.

  16. Study: Hypotheses Objective 3 Students will be able to develop and communicate a biblically based position on capitalism. H3: Students will be able to formulate a biblically based position on capitalism.

  17. Study: Hypotheses Objective 4 Students will engage in the process of intentional networking with classmates, faculty, and other business professionals. H4a: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control and the test group in feeling like part of the business program. H4b: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control and the test group in how connected students felt to other business majors. H4c: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control group and the test group in being identified as a business major. H4d: There would be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control and test group in identifying one’s friends as business majors.

  18. Study: Hypotheses Overall Satisfaction H5: There will be a statistically significant and positive difference between the control group and the test group in the level of overall satisfaction with the business program.

  19. Study: Results

  20. Study: Results

  21. Conclusions & Future Directions

  22. Conclusions The survey results show that most of the primary objectives were accomplished • Students learned to write and defend a business plan. • Students developed a biblical view of business and capitalism. • Students engaged in networking with classmates and faculty. • Overall, students were more satisfied with their experience in the business program.

  23. Future directions While the primary objectives were accomplished, some aspects of the program should be expanded • Students evaluated their personal strengths as related to business, but did not clearly make the connection with business career opportunities. • More emphasis can be placed on increasing student understanding of each business major and its related occupations. • New networking opportunities might be developed with involvement of upper-level business students as advisors for business plan competition.

  24. Questions?

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