Together with the Dean and Associate Dean of the College, existing assessment methods were compiled and desired additional measurement techniques were discussed and documented. Counsel was sought and received from Mindy Miron Basi and Cheryl Bullock of the Center for Teaching Excellence.

The Executive MBA Program curriculum emphasizes practicality and relevance by pursuing the following objectives:

• To develop full-spectrum managers knowledgeable in accountancy, finance, marketing, operations, industrial relations, and legal and economic environments;
• To understand the use of information systems and technology, quantitative methods, and human behavior in decision making;
• To identify and solve business problems through analytical techniques and model building;
• To ensure an appreciation of the global economic environment and the demands of international cooperation and competition.

Section 3 – Measurement Instruments and Techniques

1. Personal Admissions Interview – demographic and experiential data is collected at the time of application; expectations are discussed with the Director in a personal interview of 60 – 90 minutes.
2. Entering Student Survey – an entering student survey was implemented in Fall 1998 that is consistent with the national norms formed by the Executive MBA Council. Detail data not requested on the application is gathered at this time from students who choose to accept the invitation for admittance. This survey will be expanded in Fall 1999 to include curricular expectations.
3. Initial Class Focus Groups – launched in Fall 1998, the first-semester faculty participate with students in an off-campus focus group session. Initial impressions pertaining curriculum, technology and service delivery are gathered in the form of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis.
4. Study Group Surveys – regular and occasional study group performance surveys are distributed in the first semester as a tool to manage individual performance expectations.
5. Instructor CEQs – ICES forms are utilized at the completion of each course for evaluation of faculty performance.
6. Management 2000 Client Survey – Various consulting projects with not-for-profit agencies are threaded throughout two semesters and the intervening summer, after which the client agency is surveyed regarding the students’ consulting performance and the value-added benefit of the project for the agency.
7. Management 2000 Student Survey – Students are required to provide a personal value-added analysis for the entire Management 2000 consulting project.
8. Foreign Study Tour Survey – Upon returning from the final semester’s foreign study tour, a comprehensive written survey is completed by the participants (students and faculty) evaluating the preparation, academic content, logistics and program service levels. Suggestions for improvement and improved preparation for future classes are requested . Class time is utilized immediately following the tour by the international business faculty to debrief and gather more subtle suggestions for improvement.
9. Study Tour Journal – The lead professor for the study tour requires the students to prepare a daily journal of personal observations while overseas. The result is often a broad-based reflection of the value of the entire EMBA experience.
10. Exit Survey – Academic value and curricular emphasis are among the issues included in an exit survey.
11. Alumni Survey – Recent graduates have been asked for input regarding academic value and curricular emphasis, in a form similar to the Exit Survey to current graduates, in an attempt to gather a more mature perspective of the Program’s benefits and opportunities. This survey will be expanded in 1999 to include all EMBA alumni.
12. Alumni Relations – In the Fall of 1998, all EMBA alumni with email addresses were established in a single Microsoft Outlook database. Regular feedback is solicited from this group with astounding success, measured by the fact that more than one-half of all alumni are participating in this electronic forum. Occasional faculty essays are distributed, in addition to invitations to campus events, academic updates and continuing education opportunities.
13. EMBA Alumni Board – An alumni board was established some years ago for the purposes of continuing education advisement, alumni networking, management of alumni events and fundraising. The Board typically meets 3 times annually, two of which occur on campus on days when current students are in attendance.
14. Alumni Receptions – Receptions and lunches are held throughout Illinois and Indiana in the Fall and Spring, to which alumni, current and prospective students are invited. Informal feedback is solicited regarding general program satisfaction, competitive comparisons and significant "takeaways" from the degree.
15. Sponsor Survey – In conjunction with student exit surveys in 1999, sponsor surveys will be instituted that request feedback from a student’s sponsoring supervisor regarding general academic performance and specific suggestions for curricular enhancement. Sponsoring organizations are the EMBA Program’s primary paying constituency and fairly represent the marketplace for graduates; we must therefore attempt to be responsive to their demands.

The Outcomes Assessment Process is managed by the Director of the Program, in cooperation with its Faculty Advising Committee and the Dean of the College.

Most of the measurement instruments and techniques listed in this report are already in place. They have been implemented for the express purpose of serving the various constituencies of the Executive MBA, including students, sponsors and faculty. Enhancements and improvements to today’s repertCTEe will be instituted in Summer 1999.

The addition of an Assistant Director in Fall 1998 was a major step in creating the ability to routinize the assessment process and maintain a satisfactory response time for compilation and distribution of the results. Assessment planning and review will be accomplished on an ongoing basis through regular meetings with the CCBA Associate Dean of Planning.