Achieving AACSB International’s Initial Accreditation: The Montana State University Billings Assessment Experience

1. Achieving AACSB International’s Initial Accreditation: The Montana State University Billings Assessment Experience Dr. Barbara M. Wheeling Associate Professor College of Business Director of Accreditation and Assessment MSUB Coordinator of Institutional Assessment

2. The Structure • The first rule of assessment • Learning goals driven by the mission • Results for each program • By location • By delivery system • Data storage • Reporting process

3. The Process • Development • Implementation

4. Development • The Assessment Cycle • Learning Goals and Learning Objectives • Alignment Matrix • Assessment Plan • Data storage • Reporting system

5. Implementation • Assessment teams • Train to use rubrics • Centralize and simplify assessment procedures • Instructors • Work with them to gather course-embedded tasks • Standardized tests • Plan ahead and budget early

6. Communication on a continual basis • Dean and faculty need to be able to discuss assessment as well as the coordinator • Everyone is responsible for making changes to improve student learning • Documentation • Outline of the process • Results – especially closing the loop • Start writing early

7. The People • Centralize and Simplify • Clear instructions • Forms and templates • Processes • Conducting assessments • Submitting results • Polite Persistence • “Friendly reminders” • But– be sparing on emails

8. Tips for Getting Started • Define roles and assign people • Coordinator(s) • Coordinate with author of Self-Evaluation Report • Teams or persons responsible for conducting assessments • Attend assessment seminars • Apply what you have learned • Teach what you have learned • Read the AACSB Standards, again and again • Also read SER Guidelines, White Papers and Standards updates

9. Design formats for alignment matrix, assessment plan and reports • Develop learning goals and learning objectives with faculty input • Complete the alignment matrix • Develop assessment plan • Scheduling and assigning tasks • May want to use project management software

10. Understand this: • A key to successful achievement of accreditation by AACSB is demonstrating processes that ensure quality per the AACSB standards.

11. Q & A