Proposal for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree Program

EXPEDITED PROGRAM APPROVAL

SUBMITTED TO THE

MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Submission Date: August 17, 2006

FRAMINGHAM STATE COLLEGE

100 STATE STREET

FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS

The DGCE units of Massachusetts State Colleges are self-supporting and receive no State funding  Revenues to cover all DGCE salaries, stipends and operating expenses are primarily raised through tuition and fees  The Division operates from a Continuing Education Trust Fund. The Dean and AVPAA develop and recommend the budget and tuition-related charges to the VPAA and to the Vice President for Administration and Finance. This budget is then submitted to the President and the Board of Trustees for approval on an annual basis.

A four year enrollment projection is given in Exhibit 33 and a budget for the program is given in Exhibit 34, presented below. The projections are based on the following assumptions:

• Continuation figures assume:
• 15% year-one attrition and
• 10% year-two attrition
• (Average program completion in three years – four courses per year)
• Four courses per year for both MBA and MA students
• 3.0% tuition increases per year
• 2.5% faculty salary increases per year
• Net revenue accounting for $240 per course fee to College Operations and $75.50 various fees for Registration, College Center, Arts & Humanities, Campus Police, Library
• Number of sections based on assumed average of 18 students per class
• Program support expenses fully implemented as of Year 1 (versus phase in).

Exhibit 33 - MBA Proposal: Four-Year Enrollment Projection.

Exhibit 34 - MBA Proposal: Four-Year Budget.

As enrollment in the program grows, additional course sections will be added, and additional faculty will be hired. New faculty hires will possess appropriate academic and professional qualifications to teach undergraduate and graduate programs in business. While all faculty who teach in DGCE currently hold adjunct status, in order to support the program, the College is prepared to explore alternative models of staffing to maintain and enhance the contributions of full-time faculty to the program:

1. Beginning Fall 2007, the VPAA has agreed to allow a limited number of full-time faculty tin the Economics and Business Department to teach in the program as part of their day load, subject to overall department needs and review by the Chair and VPAA.
2. During years 3 and 4, consideration will be given to hiring a full-time Coordinator for the program who would also teach, part-time, in the program as part of his/her responsibilities.
3. As enrollments and revenues grow in future years, DGCE is prepared to work with the Economics and Business Department to fund full-time faculty who would teach both in the program and in the Day Division (undergraduate classes).

An updated faculty manual is being prepared for distribution to DGCE faculty, in order to further communicate College expectations for syllabus development, grading criteria and the like. A program of professional development for DGCE faculty is underway, with a kick-off DGCE faculty meeting planned for the beginning of the Fall semester. Smaller departmental meetings are also planned for MBA faculty.

The College currently provides appropriate resources to support both undergraduate programs and graduate programs in business administration. The College is committed to providing future resources which are deemed necessary to support the MBA program. The budget accounts for such additional; instructional costs and will be re-evaluated in upcoming years, following program implementation.

The Henry Whittemore Library currently serves students in undergraduate and graduate business programs, and will continue to support MBA program resource requirements in terms of institutional materials, electronic databases, and interdisciplinary data bases for business administration and economics.The library is well equipped and already has a solid collection of print materials and online resources to support the MBA. The Library also has an agreement with regional colleges for access to their materials and catalogs, including electronic resources. The library leadership has been proactive in working with faculty to identify appropriate resources and in assisting students to use those resources.

Appendix Z gives a list of the resources currently available from the Framingham State College Library.

Existing equipment and facilities are considered adequate for program implementation.

Framingham State College has been a state-wide leader in the integration of technology into teaching, learning and the overall community. This is an important part of the College’s mission. Students have access to a variety of technology resources, including a campus-wide wireless network, computer labs, “smart” classrooms, and access to electronic catalogs, journals and databases through the Henry Whittemore library. The technology infrastructure also includes a web-based learning management platform, Blackboard. Since 2000, faculty members have been using Blackboard to incorporate technology into their teaching. Blackboard allows online collaboration between faculty and students, including communication, sharing files, and synchronous as well as asynchronous interaction. Blackboard is used to augment on-campus classes as well as to deliver both hybrid and completely online classes. In Fall 2005, the platform was upgraded to include the e-portfolio and content management software. All courses also have a Blackboard “shell” allowing further integration of technology. Several workshops are available to faculty and students in using technology and Blackboard.

There are several “smart” classrooms with Internet-ready presentation technology and multimedia tools. Students also have access to several computer labs, including a large lab that is open 24 hours a day. The MBA Steering Committee will periodically assess the resources, equipment and facilities required to support the program.

Report of the external evaluation of the design and substance of the proposed program and the capability of the institution to effectively initiate and sustain the program at an acceptable standard of quality.

The two external reviewers are Dr. Richard G. Brandenburg, former Dean of the School of Business Administration and of the Division of Engineering, Mathematics and Business Administration, University of Vermont; and Dr. Frederick J. Kelly, Dean, School of Business Administration, Monmouth University.

The report will form Part V of the proposal submitted to the Board of Higher Education.

The institution’s response to the report

The institution's response to the report will form Part VI of the proposal submitted to the Board of Higher Education.