Connecting Learning, Life and Aloha
‘O ka ‘imi na‘auao, ke ola a me ke aloha kā kākou e huliāmahi ai

College of Business and Economics, Koleke Pāʻoihana a Kālaihoʻokele Waiwai

Faculty Senate Meeting May 7, 2021

Attendance: Sijie Sun (Chair), Sukhwa Hong (Vice Chair), Andrey Simonov, Terrance Jalbert, Keisuke Nakao, Todd Inouye, Amirhossein Mohammadian, Kimberly Furumo, Benjamin Zenk, and Emmeline de Pillis (ex officio)

Topics:

  1. Assessment committee updates on curriculum map, AoL responsibilities for faculty teaching core courses, potential schedule, and feedbacks from rubrics.

REPORT: Proposals are attached in Appendix A

ACTION:

• Todd Inouye moved to motion, and the motion was seconded by Benjamin Zenk.
• Votes are recorded on each proposal.

  1. Add BUS 290 Critical Thinking (3) as prereq for MGT 300 Mgt, Orgs & Human Behavior (3)

REPORT: N/A
ACTION: Left for further discussion

  1. Senate membership and student representation. We no longer have ECON majors. Should we have one GBUS and one ACC student to reflect our two majors? Just one student representative? No student representatives?

Our current CoBE senate charter states,

Article II. Membership

The membership of the Senate shall consist of all full-time faculty members of the College in grades 1-2 through 1-5 with the exception of faculty members with visiting, acting, temporary, or otherwise non-continuing appointments. The Dean of the College of Business and Economics shall be a nonvoting, ex-officio member of the Senate. Two students, one Business Administration Major and one Economics major will be selected jointly by the Dean and the Chair of the Senate to serve as non-voting representatives of the student body. "Excluded" faculty as defined under Hawaiʻi's collective bargaining law (HRS89) are ineligible for membership in the Senate.

REPORT: The bolded text will be removed from the statement.

ACTION:

• Todd Inouye moved to motion, and the motion was seconded by Kimberly Furumo.
• The motion was approved with 8 votes in favor, 0 against, and 1 abstained.

Appendix A
Assessment of Learning Proposals

CoBE Curriculum Map (as of 5-7-21)

cobe curriculum map

Current CoBE Mission (no proposed changes):

Our mission is to offer business education rooted in the liberal arts tradition. We provide a foundation for students to become confident, competent and ethical business leaders. We achieve this goal through active pedagogy, internships, community outreach and scholarship.

Proposal 1 - To update the CoBE vision to the following statement. (Passed on 4/30/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Current CoBE Vision:

The CoBE will continue to be an important source of management expertise for the local and global community. The CoBE will strengthen our position as a destination of choice for students seeking a lifelong personal and professional network. Our graduates will be valued as competent, confident and ethical business leaders.

Proposed CoBE Vision:

The CoBE will be a destination of choice for students and community stakeholders seeking a lifelong personal and professional network, exemplary instruction, and a one-of-a-kind, well-rounded business education. Our graduates will be valued as bold, capable, and grounded 21st century leaders.

Proposal 2 - To reorder the current set of values for CoBE and to add a sixth value (in italics). (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Current CoBE Values:

  1. We believe that the personal and educational development of our students is the highest priority.
  2. We value inspiration, discovery and creativity inside and outside the classroom.
  3. We share the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s commitment to “learning with the spirit of aloha and ohana.”
  4. We believe that personal and institutional integrity are essential.
  5. We believe in diversity among our student body, faculty and staff.

Proposed CoBE Values:

  1. We believe that the personal and educational development of our students is the highest priority.
  2. We believe that personal and institutional integrity are essential.
  3. We believe in diversity among our student body, faculty and staff.
  4. We share the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s commitment to “learning with the spirit of aloha and ohana.”
  5. We value inspiration, discovery and creativity inside and outside the classroom.
  6. We value the past, present, and future of our communities.

Proposal 3 - To replace the current learning goals for CoBE with the following statement. (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Current CoBE Learning Goals:

Upon graduation CoBE students should have the following knowledge:

  • A common core of knowledge that enables them to understand and apply: Basic concepts and principles of business operations and leadership, particularly a sense of how to prioritize, delegate and coordinate organizational tasks to fit the organizational mission, business environment, and community context.
  • Individual and group decision-making processes for assuring efficient, effective, and ethical outcomes.
  • Integrative knowledge of how the decision process relates to the various contexts within which business operates (technological, economic, social, cultural, legal, ethical, and international).
  • Specialized business knowledge that they can apply in their subsequent careers.
  • An understanding of the entrepreneurial process.
  • An understanding of the critical role of sound, ethical business and personal judgment in creating and maintaining successful business relationships.

Upon graduating CoBE students should have the following attitudes:

  • Conviction that they have received a quality education, appropriate to their personal and career goals.
  • Appreciation of the goal-orientation and self-motivation needed to be a successful business leader.
  • Confidence that they are prepared to take on the challenges of the global marketplace.
  • Recognition that an on-going commitment to learning is critical to continued success and satisfaction in their career.
  • Confidence that they can respond to the diverse values and needs of their co-workers, clients, and other stakeholders, while working with those of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
  • Recognition that community service will be an important component of their future professional responsibilities.
  • Confidence that they can make effective and ethical decisions, even under conditions of uncertainty, ambiguity, value conflict, and incomplete information.

Upon graduating, our students should have the following skills:

  • Individual and team-based analytical/critical thinking and integrative problem-solving skills.
  • Effective, confident written and oral communication skills in one-on-one and group settings, demonstrating professional demeanor.
  • Facility in computer-related applications and current methods of business analysis and presentation.
  • Job search and interview skills.

Proposed CoBE Learning Goals:

To fulfill its mission and promote successful outcomes for all its graduates, the CoBE establishes learning goals to ensure that upon graduation, students will be:

  1. knowledgeable in business (both in general business concepts and in specific disciplines),
  2. effective communicators (both oral and written),
  3. competent in quantitative analysis, and
  4. capable critical thinkers.

Next Gen Parking Lot - consider student satisfaction survey in MFT or elsewhere

Proposal 4 - Modify the language of objective 4 to the following (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Current:

Objective 4: Demonstrate critical thinking skills in identifying, analyzing, and deciding on course of action in problem solving using appropriate tools and technology.

Proposed:

Objective 4: Demonstrate critical thinking skills in appraising evidence, issues, and arguments, as well as in developing proposals and positions regarding pertinent issues and problems.

Proposal 5 - To adopt the Assessment of Learning Process Map as detailed in the image below. (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Assessment of Learning Process Map: UH Hilo College of Business and Economics

Assessment of Learning Process Map

Proposal 6 - To adopt the Assessment of Learning Responsibilities as specified in the table below. (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Assessment of Learning Responsibilities: UH Hilo College of Business and Economics

Assessment of Learning Responsibilities

Proposal 7 - Adopt internal assessment measure for functional knowledge objective. (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Objective 1: Demonstrate knowledge and ability to apply basic functional business applications

Current Rubric/Assessment:

CURRENTLY ASSESSED VIA MFT

MFT is multiple-choice, so the rubric is simple: “correct” vs. “incorrect.” Areas covered are listed below (p.2).(Em)

MFT Content Validity

MFT Content Validity

Proposed Direct Assessment (starting in FA21):

Students take one of two functional knowledge assessments in MGT 490 Strategic Mgt (3) . One section of MGT 490 Strategic Mgt (3) will take the MFT, and the other section will take an online assessment consisting of five questions from each core class developed by disciplinary faculty (as identified in the curriculum map). All questions will be in online multiple-choice format. The core faculty will embed all discipline-specific questions within assessments for their respective courses. The results of the MFT and the faculty-driven functional knowledge assessments will be compared for future changes to the curriculum and the assessment of learning process during the fall faculty retreat.

Plans for Assurance of Learning Cameron School of Business

Proposal 8 - New rubric for written communication. (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Objective 2b: Express ideas clearly, logically, and persuasively in written communication

Current Rubric:

CURRENTLY ASSESSED VIA CLA+ or the rubric below.

CLA+ Scoring Rubric

Proposed Rubric AAC&U Written Communication Value Rubric:

Communication Rubric

Proposal 9 - New rubric for quantitative reasoning (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0 with AAC&U rubrics with labels updated)

Objective 3: Demonstrate the ability to solve complex and unstructured quantitative problems using appropriate tools and technology

Current Rubric:

Appendix E4: Rubric for Quantitative Problem-Solving

Proposed Rubric AAC&U Quantitative Literacy Value Rubric:

Proposed Rubric AAC&U Quantitative Literacy Value Rubric

Proposal 10 - New rubric for critical thinking. (Passed on 5/7/21 votes: 9-0-0)

Objective 4: Demonstrate critical thinking skills in identifying, analyzing, and deciding on course of action in problem solving using appropriate tools and technology.

Current Rubric:

CURRENTLY ASSESSED VIA CLA+.

Proposed Rubric AAC&U Critical Thinking Value Rubric:

Critical Thinking Value Rubric

Appendix B

College of Business and Economics

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

Date: 4-9-2021
Subject: Faculty Senate Electronic Meeting
Attendance: Sijie Sun (Chair), Sukhwa Hong (Vice Chair), Andrey Simonov, Angela Faanunu, Terrance Jalbert, Keisuke Nakao, Todd Inouye, Amirhossein Mohammadian, Kimberly Furumo, Benjamin Zenk, Helen Tien, Kelly Moran, Deborah Hughes, Marcia Sakai, Emmeline de Pillis (ex officio), and Loye Sekihate Ashton (external)

Topics:

  1. Accept the minutes from prior electronic meetings

REPORT: COBE Senate Minutes 20210129

ACTION:

• Todd Inouye moved to motion, and the motion was seconded by Amirhossein Mohammadian.
• The motion was approved with 12 votes in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstained.

  1. Request removal of major restriction from Ben Zenk's summer 494

REPORT: Should Special Topics courses automatically have a CoBE majors-only restriction on them?

ACTION: The motion is to remove the CoBE majors only restriction from Special Topic courses.

• Todd Inouye moved to motion, and the motion was seconded by Amirhossein Mohammadian.
• The motion was approved with 12 votes in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstained.

  1. Chancellor's feedback on Hawaii Innovation Center Proposal from Kelly Moran

REPORT: Informational (Loye Sekihata Ashton)

ACTION: N/A

  1. Vote on formally inviting Dr. Alscher to be a visiting affiliate faculty member for the next academic year

REPORT: Specialty on healthcare management

ACTION:

• Andrey Simonov moved to motion, and the motion was seconded by Terrance Jalbert.
• The motion was approved with 12 votes in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstained.

  1. Pre-Requisite Registration Issue for Business minor

REPORT: We eliminated 290 as a prereq but we still have Math 125 or above.

ACTION: The motion is to add Math 125 or above to the requirements for BBA minors. Remove “No course or prerequisites for BBA minor”

• Terrance Jalbert moved to motion, and the motion was seconded by Sukhwa Hong.
• The motion was approved with 12 votes in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstained.

  1. Follow-up on the memo of current Interim Dean’s title to “Dean” of CoBE

REPORT: Discuss wording for the letter. It passed. Senate chair will send the memo to the VCAA and Chancellor of UH Hilo.

“I am writing as chair of the CoBE Faculty Senate to let you know that the CoBE faculty unanimously passed (11 votes in favor, 0 against, 0 abstained) the following statement of support on January 29, 2021 and April 9, 2021. CoBE faculty supports changing the current Interim Dean’s title to “Dean” of CoBE. It will provide a permanent dean, administrative stability for CoBE and help to address the Peer Review Teams’ recommendations for AACSB accreditation.”

ACTION: The memo is stated above.

• Todd Inouye moved to motion, and the motion was seconded by Terrance Jalbert.
• The motion was approved with 12 votes in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstained.

  1. Updates from Assessment Committee

REPORT: Informational

ACTION: N/A

  1. 18-credit certificate in biz-com.

REPORT:

  • We have had a decline in subject learning outcomes, paired with grade inflation. From 2015 to 2020, the percentage of CoBE seniors who are "below basic" in critical thinking increased from around 5% to around 30%. This is of great concern and needs to be addressed for CIR2.
  • Actions such as raising expectations in the classroom and steering students to paths where they are likely to be more successful will improve learning outcomes, but in the short term are likely to reduce our enrollment. In fact the data show that we could solve the learning-outcomes problem right now if we required B+ or better in lower-division prereqs. We would then score above the national mean in learning outcomes--but we would lose a third of our "degree production." The VCAA understands these tradeoffs, and wants to give "credit" to academic units who steer students to succeed even if it means changing majors.
  • Right now our biggest outflow is to the COM major. Business and COM have a lot of overlap, and COM is a good fit for students who don't have an affinity for quantitative subjects. Although STAR what-if doesn't show this, the COM major requirements can be completed in two semesters. This makes it a great alternative for students who are facing a multi-semester chain of BBA prerequisites. The only problem is that students who change from the BBA to COM leave "empty-handed." Their business classes don't count for anything and changing majors feels like a loss. Students are incentivized to hang on in the BBA, often burning up their financial aid, becoming frustrated and disruptive in and out of class, and ending up with nothing to show for it. That doesn't help anyone.
  • One small step that would ameliorate this would be a "business communication" certificate--say, three business classes, and three COM classes. The prospect of a biz-com certificate would open business electives to non-majors and in this way could be a source of increased enrollment. It would also mean major-changers wouldn't walk away empty-handed. They would have the certificate to acknowledge their efforts (and perhaps to appease their parents).

ACTION: The action is to approve a certificate in business/communication that requires 9 credit BUS or ACC courses and 9 credit COM courses.

• Terrance Jalbert moved to motion, and the motion was seconded by Todd Inouye.
• The motion was approved with 9 votes in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstained.

Minutes 5/7/21 PDF