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This report summarizes themes from the public consultation conducted by UBC s Faculty of Management from February 29 to March 29, 2016 regarding proposed Bachelor of Management program modifications. OVERVIEW The Faculty of Management is proposing to modify the delivery of its Bachelor of Management Degree by spreading its Management course-load evenly over four years rather than concentrating the courses in the last two years. Our intention is to increase students exposure to management courses earlier in their academic careers, providing them greater inclusion in the Faculty and deeper understanding of the subject matter. If approved, the revised delivery of the program would come into effect for incoming first-year students starting in September 2017 and thereafter. As part of our commitment to inclusive decision-making, we launched an Open Doors consultation program at the end of February to create awareness of the proposed program changes and explain how the proposal would improve student learning by distributing courses more evenly over four years. Consultation tactics involved: targeted emails to groups including students, alumni and community members a consultation webpage featuring a Frequently Asked Questions document (Appendix A) Open Doors information sessions on and off campus with consultation displays (Appendix B) a survey with online and in-person completion methods (Appendix C) promotion through on-campus posters (Appendix D), earned media via news release, and business-tobusiness marketing opportunities provided by chambers of commerce and key community partners in the Okanagan Valley. Open Doors consultation sessions were held: March 8 for alumni (at Kelowna Library Innovation Centre) March 9 for current students (EME 2202) March 16 for current students (EME 2202) These sessions offered people opportunities to ask questions and complete the survey, which included multiple-choice and open-ended questions. SURVEY RESPONSES AT A GLANCE Survey completions (134 total) Who responded 2
WHAT WE HEARD THEME SUMMARY The consultation process was welcomed by many participants, and revealed many positive comments about the Faculty of Management s proposed program redesign. More than than 86% of participants agreed that the Faculty of Management should implement the proposal (58.96% strongly agree, 27.61% agree). Respondents echoed this support when asked if they agreed with the statement that they saw value in developing management capabilities early in a student s academic career (67.16% strongly agreed, 26.12% agreed). Of those who did not agree with moving forward with the proposal, 2.99% were neutral, 5.97% disagreed with the statement and 4.48% strongly disagreed. Themes emerged from people s comments provided at the Open Doors sessions and within the online survey, particularly among specific audiences. These are detailed below. Current students Current students expressed broad support for the proposal, with 65% strongly agreeing and 22% agreeing with the statement the Faculty of Management should move forward with the modifications (4% were neutral, while 5% disagreed and 4% strongly disagreed). Spreading management courses over 4 years is a very good idea. The current program gives little exposure to management classes until 3 rd year; as a result, students don t really have an idea of whether the program is right for them until the 3 rd year (Current Year 3 student) The current structure of the program waits too long to establish a strong understanding of management and business education, and many students are overwhelmed when reaching third-year management and having to learn and understand basic concepts along with more complex concepts at the same time (Current Year 2 student). Current students expressed concern that special student situations should be accommodated if the proposal were to be approved. Transfers: Various current students reported the 2+2 structure is attractive to those transferring in from other institutions. I am a transfer student, and chose UBCO because I could transfer into the third year and still receive my Bachelor degree within the standard four years, instead of needing to retake lower level courses. Changing the program would mean losing out on transfer students such as myself, who would remain at their current programs as the benefit of a shorter completion time would not be a factor to consider (Current Year 3 student). 3
Flexibility: Some students noted the value of keeping the first and second years of study open, to permit exploration of diverse interests in a well-rounded academic experience. If you push management on students in year one and two, there is no room to find other subjects we are interested in and study them deeply... (Current Year 1 student). Other students, however, saw new opportunities arising from implementation of the program proposal, including greater flexibility enabling easier access to experiential learning programs including GoGlobal and Co-op: Further development of the Co-op program and LOVE the flexibility of the 3rd and 4th years for GoGlobal! Potentially more integrated than [the] current program is (Current Year 3 student). It's a great idea. Especially as a co-op student I see the value in having more management classes in earlier years, because I feel as though I would be more equipped to excel at co-op jobs due to the increased amount of management classes I would have taken (Alumna/us). Early implementation: Some participants indicated a desire for the Faculty of Management to implement the changes earlier than currently planned, allowing current students to opt-in to the redesigned program. If possible, I believe it would be highly beneficial to attempt to incorporate this restructuring for students currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Management program (Current Year 2 student). Alumni Alumni of the Faculty of Management represented the largest audience group among online respondents at 46.27%. Similar to current students, a significant majority of alumni who responded to the survey indicated they strongly agreed (52%) or agreed (34%) with the statement that the Faculty of Management should implement with the proposal, while 2% were neutral, 6% disagreed and 6% strongly disagreed. Themes from alumni comments included: Combatting isolation: Several alumni supported program changes giving students more opportunities earlier in their studies to engage with Management faculty and students. Although I did see some benefit to have a wellrounded education, I felt very disconnected from the management program until the latter half of my studies. I feel that being exposed to management basics (i.e., accounting, finance, marketing) only in the third year and beyond is limiting to a student wanting to pursue a business career, with only two years of exposure to these topics (Alumna/us). The last two years of my program were amazing, but the first two seemed pointless... I almost switched out of the management program because it wasn't management at all (Alumna/us). Having next to no exposure to management courses in the third and fourth years does not allow you to feel connected with the people and the program until your third year. - Alumna/us 4
Academic rigour: Those alumni who were less enthusiastic about the proposal commented that, in retrospect, they felt the excessive course requirements in the third year were beneficial. The management class load being heavy in the last 2 years prepares students for their work life as it is difficult to manage the course load (as in a career, it is difficult to manage workload) (Alumna/us). In the cohort system of third year we were all heavily exposed to management related courses which created a sense of urgency and work load similar to what it is like in the real world, which I truly believed helped me transition into the working world (Alumna/us). Other alumni, however, saw the end-loading of courses as a limitation: In my experience, having such condensed courses in 3rd/4th year didn't give a lot of time to feel out what you actually want to focus on. I think a lot of students have ended up with very generic business degrees, which don't open a lot of doors any more. Hopefully this approach (and offering more specializations) will direct students in their studies better (Alumna/us). Impact on program quality: Some alumni asked the Faculty of Management to ensure that quality of the student experience is not sacrificed as the program transitions through a bottleneck during implementation. If there is additional pressure put on the professors to teach huge classes, the quality of delivery may be impeded which will negatively affect the students, their futures and the reputation of the program. Constrained resources will affect this but they should not be the deciding factor (Alumna/us). Increased opportunities: Alumni saw value in gaining early experience in Management subject matter, as well as having program flexibility to take part in experiential learning programs. Management students can only do a Go Global program in their 4th year. I missed my graduation because of this. If you spread out the program over the 4 years that should free up room to allow management students to do an exchange in their third year as well at fourth (Alumna/us). This change is long overdue. In my opinion, some of the biggest disadvantages faced by students following graduation stems from the program s structure. The Canadian job market is becoming increasingly competitive across almost all industries. The majority of universities/business schools offer robust, diverse co-op programs for students which, post-graduation, makes those students more competitive in the market. Management students are exposed to topics in which they will likely derive their career aspirations from in their third year of study; at which point students are at a disadvantage while pursuing senior internships where other candidates are generally seasoned veterans (Alumna/us). Community members The Faculty of Management reached out to community members through a number of channels, accessed via the Faculty s contact list and external networks within the Okanagan Valley s local and globally connected businesses and community organizations. Business and community contacts developed through the Co-op and Capstone programs were invited to complete the survey, as well as the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission s advisory board. The Faculty also invited community participation in our 5
consultation via advertisements in e-newsletters sent by chambers of commerce in Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton. Themes from comments provided by community members included: Quality of graduates: Community partners in Capstone and Co-op programs remarked positively on the proposed program s potential effects: This just makes total sense. Should make for stronger students and managers in the long run (Community member). Course load considerations: Overall, community members were very supportive of the proposed program change. Comments revolved around the impacts of course loads on students, and how timing can affect a student s experience and/or employability: I highly recommend the proposal, even to the point of having year 1 slightly weighted heavier than year 4. As students are getting ready for the completion of their degree, we would want to provide as much exposure to interview skill sets as possible (Community member). Learning practical applications to theoretical classroom concepts. Students need immersion in being practical as early as possible (Community member). As a person in a management role, I see the value of introducing students to concepts early in their university experience. However, if this also means students are then required to commit to a management program Major before they have even explored other university programs, then I think this may be limiting to the student s experience. If the student is able to take management focused courses within the broader mix for the first year or two, then you may see less attrition from the program as those selecting a Management focus in year 3 of their studies may be more informed, and thus more committed (Community member). Summary A notable majority of people who took part in the Bachelor of Management consultation process were enthusiastic about the proposed program change. Every participant group endorsed the proposal, with support ranging from 86% (alumni and community members) to 87% (current students). Although many people expressed gratitude for the opportunity to comment on the proposal, ultimately it is the Faculty of Management that benefits from their participation as the insights outlined in this report identify considerations to be addressed prior to any potential implementation for continued success of the program. 6
WHAT WE HEARD - INPUT FROM SURVEY Current student survey responses: student respondents according to year of study Year 4 19% Year 1 20% Year 3 37% Year 2 24% Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? I see value in developing management capabilities early in a student s academic career. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The Faculty of Management should move forward with the proposed modifications to the Bachelor of Management degree for students starting their first year in September 2017. 7
Alumni survey responses: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? I see value in developing management capabilities early in a student s academic career. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The Faculty of Management should move forward with the proposed modifications to the Bachelor of Management degree for students starting their first year in September 2017. Community member survey responses: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? I see value in developing management capabilities early in a student s academic career. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The Faculty of Management should move forward with the proposed modifications to the Bachelor of Management degree for students starting their first year in September 2017. 8
APPENDIX A: Frequently Asked Questions document 9
APPENDIX B: Open Doors consultation displays 10
APPENDIX C: Survey 11
APPENDIX D: Open Doors promotional material Digital screen Poster Website spotlight Social media Chamber promotions 12