Commission for Academic Accreditation Ministry of Higher ... · PDF fileCommission for...

Commission for Academic Accreditation Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

New York Institute of Technology

Renewal of Accreditation

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA)

Visit Dates: 21 - 24 September 2014

External Review Team:

Professor Michael Boorom (Emeritus)

Eastern Illinois University, USA

Dr. Inger Boyett, Manchester Business School UK

Professor Rhys Rowland-Jones

Commissioner, CAA, UAE

Notice This is a confidential statement from an External Review Team of the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the United Arab Emirates. The findings of the External Review Team reflect its observations at the time of the visit and relate to the Standards for Licensure and Accreditation, 2011 hereinafter referred to as the Standards. This report is for internal use only and is not for release except as allowed by policies of the Commission for Academic Accreditation.

NYIT BSBA & MBA

Commission for Academic Accreditation 1

Introduction An External Review Team (ERT) visited New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) from 21 - 24 September 2014 to evaluate the Application for Renewal of Accreditation of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, and the Application for Renewal of Accreditation of the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA). The MBA received Initial Accreditation from the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) on Oct 1, 2011, while the BSBA received Initial Accreditation on Aug 1, 2009. The exit interview was held on 24 September 2014. This report presents the observations and requirements of the ERT. New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) was established in the State of New York (USA) in 1955. NYIT is a private, non-profit independent institution of higher education with its main US campuses in the New York City area. The NYIT Abu Dhabi facilities are located on the Technology Park operated by the Center of Excellence in Applied Research and Training (CERT), an affiliate of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), which also contain Rabdan Academy. NYIT’s Abu Dhabi branch campus, received its initial licensure from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) in October 2007. The ERT is grateful for the hospitality and cooperation extended to it during the visit by Dr. Rahmat Shoureshi, Provost of NYIT; Dr Jess Boronico Dean of NYIT School of Management; Dr Patricia Burlaud, Dean of Operations, Assessments and Accreditation, NYIT; Raed Elzenaty Director of Institutional Research and Assessment, and all other members of the faculty, staff, students, and administration of NYIT-UAE with whom the ERT held discussions. This report contains the observations of the ERT based on the information submitted to it in the Self-Study for Renewal of Accreditation (hereafter the Self-Study), other documentation conveyed to the ERT during the visit, oral presentations, and information from in-depth discussions. The report includes Requirements, which are actions NYIT must take in order for both programs to receive Renewal of Accreditation, as well as Suggestions which, although not binding, must be considered by NYIT.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


Program Report

Section 1: Mission, Organization and Governance 1.1 Vision and Mission The NYIT institutional mission is: • To provide career-oriented professional education; • To offer access to opportunity to all qualified students; • To support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. During the 2005-2006 academic year, the NYIT community engaged in a strategic planning process that looked forward toward the year 2030. That process included reconsidering the college’s mission. In the strategic planning report NYIT 2030: Setting Directions, Meeting Challenges, the planning task force reaffirmed the mission and added its commitments: • To integrate technology into all teaching and learning, and • To develop and disseminate information about technology-based education. The strategic plan, including the restated mission, was presented to the NYIT Board of Trustees and adopted in May 2006. The report of the 2011 ERT for the MBA states that “NYIT-UAE has a Mission Statement derived from the institutional Mission Statement of NYIT in New York” however, the Self-Study is silent on this.

1.2 Organization On arrival at the NYIT Campus, the ERT was supplied with the latest organisational chart. The chart was revised following submission of the Self-Study, and takes into account the structural revisions made to NYIT. The ABU Dhabi Campus has an Executive Director and Campus Dean, supported by an Associate Campus Dean and administrative framework. The current lines of authority and institutional relationships are shown. The revised organizational chart does not appear on the institution’s website, and NYIT is required to ensure that it is published in appropriate documents. The role of faculty in program management, curriculum design and teaching is clear and in line with good practice. Requirement 1: NYIT is required to publish the Organisational Chart on its website and in appropriate documents. 1.5 Policies, Procedures and Documentation The Self-Study contained the NYIT Policies and Procedures Manual. The Manual was reviewed in February 2014 by the ERT which reported on the initial accreditation of the MSc Instructional Technology, this ERT defers to that report. With the emphasis on what NYIT terms a ‘Global Campus’ the policies and procedures are applicable across all NYIT locations. The Self-Study included Volume 8 – 2012-2014 Policies & Procedures Manual (Global Campuses), and Volume 9 – NYIT Bylaws & Fiscal Policies. The ERT notes that there is no version control, or applicability related to the policy documents, and that there are no operationalizing procedures.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


Requirement 1: NYIT is required to demonstrate that its policies are supported by procedures, and that NYIT implements these policies and procedures Requirement 2: NYIT is required to demonstrate that it has an approved process for policy development, document control, version control, review and dissemination for its policies and procedures documents. 1.8 Branch Campuses of Foreign Institutions Although a branch campus, NYIT-UAE continues to work with the Commission for continuation of its Licensure and Accreditation at the Abu Dhabi campus. A local advisory board which has within its membership, representatives of the UAE community, has met, and provides a key input to the supplying NYIT with the ability to contextualize programs. The advisory board members are requested to look at selections of student work to assess whether they are meeting the program goals, and the needs of the UAE society. As the constitution of the board is relatively new, and the board has only met approximately three times, the impact of any feedback is yet to be assessed. As shown by previous ERT reports, this ERT also noted that the Programs had been developed initially for delivery in USA. However, NYIT has noted the feedback and requirements of previous ERT to ensure that study is contextualized for students in Abu Dhabi; this has resulted in the introduction of what NYIT termed as an ‘invariant’ section of syllabi, and an area which is able to be modified for local context. This is further discussed in Section 3.2 and 3.3 of this report.

Section 2: Quality Assurance

2.1 Institutional Research (IR) The ERT noted that NYIT has a well-developed institutional assessment process that addresses IR across the ‘Global Campuses”, serving all its programs through a consistent and well managed framework. The ERT was concerned that in the new organizational chart the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) at the Abu Dhabi Campus does not have a clear direct reporting line to the Campus Executive Dean. The ERT noted that OIRA plays a major role in collecting, analyzing and disseminating information on the performance of the various units of the UAE campus, which in the main is fed directly back to NYIT USA, without adequate reflection in the UAE. The ERT was provided with examples of many well developed practices within the IR area, but these examples in many cases highlighted work in the USA. Requirement 3: NYIT is required to:

(i) provide evidence that the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment has a direct reporting line to the Campus Executive Dean

(ii) ensure that information collected on the performance of the various units of the UAE campus also has adequate reflection through the IR process in the UAE.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


2.2 Institutional Planning The Self-Study includes the long-term and short-term planning processes of NYIT and how the NYIT-UAE campus is involved in those processes. The ‘Global campus’ philosophy of NYIT has a significant impact on the strategic planning process. The ERT was advised of the inclusive nature of the planning process, with a series of retreats which support the inclusion of faculty and staff in program improvement efforts. 2.3 Risk Management The ERT was shown a risk register which identifies and codifies a variety of risk factors for risk minimization and mitigation. This is a live document and is updated on a regular basis. Within the risk register, the ERT noted cessation of programs for a variety of reasons as a potential risk, and was directed through the documentation to the NYIT teach out policy. This complies with the Standards 2.4 Continuous Quality Enhancement NYIT demonstrated an evolved and well administered process for continuous quality enhancement. Not least in this is the policy by NYIT to seek a variety of educational accreditations with authorizing bodies in countries where it operates the Global Campus. This includes USA, Canada, China, and the UAE. The ERT was not provided with any detail of benchmarking either program against best local or international practice to support the continuous quality enhancement process. Requirement 4: NYIT is required to provide evidence that it benchmarks the BSBA and the MBA against best local or international practice to support the continuous quality enhancement process. 2.5 Quality Assurance/Institutional Effectiveness Manual The NYIT Quality Assurance Manual was recently reviewed by another ERT. This ERT defers to that report, and concludes that NYIT-UAE’s Institutional Effectiveness Manual includes the elements specified in Stipulation 1B of the Standards.

Section 3: The Academic Program

MBA

3.1 Credit Bearing Programs NYIT has updated its needs assessment to include 2014 UAE economic data, employment status and job opportunities, and desired job qualifications for potential new hires. The data continues to support the need for MBA graduates. Twenty four students began the program in 2011 with six graduating and 18 remain actively enrolled. Though Fall 2014 Cycle A, enrollment numbers are in flux during drop / add period, but NYIT anticipates total headcount of about 58 students or a FTE of 42. NYIT predict that FTE will grow to a maximum of 59 in AY 15-16 which has the potential to make the program economically viable.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


NYIT has developed a statement of goals and intended outcomes for the program that focuses on educating students on how to harness information and knowledge on relevant trends that affect business sustainability and growth in the 21st century. The program learning goals are: General Learning Goals: Upon completion of the MBA program, the successful student will be able to: (1G) Work collaboratively in groups; (2G) Recognize socio-economic issues, and establish and defend a position supported by ethical reasoning; and (3G) Lead effectively, particularly in an uncertain global environment. Management Specific Learning Goals: Upon the completion of the MBA program, the successful student will be able to: (1M) Utilize technology support systems to strengthen organizational decision processes; (2M) Conduct industry, company specific, or environmental business analysis using appropriate data and informational resources to bridge the gap between abstract theory and practice; and (3M) Identify and analyze country/region-specific contemporary business. These goals are consistent with the mission of the institution (see Section 1.1) and are stated in measurable terms. NYIT supports these goals through assignments in courses designed to require use of technology, statistical analyses, group work and access to public and private data bases. Also, each course challenges students to consider ethical issues when making decisions. UAE business and cultural content are incorporated into the learning activities as well. Additionally, NYIT strongly implies that students will have the ability to successfully integrate selected functional content within each course. The ERT encourages NYIT to make this implicit goal an explicit learning goal for the program. Suggestion 1: The ERT suggests that NYIT add the integration of business functional content and practices as a management specific learning goal. However, the ERT was not presented with any evidence that these have been reviewed and modified as would be expected in a Self-Study as the result of a continuous assessment and evaluation of the programs. Requirement 4: NYIT is required to provide evidence to demonstrate that both the MBA academic program and courses are reviewed and continuously improved. While NYIT’s goals and respective learning outcomes appear to meet Level 9 of QFEmirates, the ERT has concerns about knowledge development, and assessment instruments and procedures used. The curriculum offers extensive breadth of content and learning activities, but scant evidence of specialization or depth of content is demonstrated. Assessment instruments are poorly constructed and do not support students to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes. Courses with the most depth of learning are the three credit hour elective courses, but these are not taken by all students and do not build to the level of a concentration. QFEmirates, especially at Level 9, expects graduates to possess

NYIT BSBA & MBA


comprehensive, highly specialized knowledge. The current curriculum and assessment regime does not lend itself to developing comprehensive knowledge. The NYIT curriculum of 1.5 credit hour core courses delivers a robust breadth of content and tool knowledge and skills. However, faculty and students feel they are burdened by constant weekly assignments that occur in the seven week course schedule. The ERT was unable to see any examples of constructive formative feedback to support student achievement. In order to accomplish these assessment activities, little reflective time can be utilised in a class, and a considerable amount of instructional time is used to schedule, administer and discuss the assessments (which can be up to 7 assessment points in a course delivered over a 7 week period). Students (apart from the 3 elective courses) can attend 3 courses per cycle, which can amount to 21 assessment points within that 7 week cycle. The ERT was informed that most students are working full time, and is concerned that students are not able to meet the additional study hours required to demonstrate achievement of the course learning objectives aligned to Level 9 of QFEmirates. NYIT is reminded that for every 3 credit hours over a 15 week semester, students are expected to undertake a further 90 hours additional study (or pro rata). The course files did not show that students have acquired a comprehensive understanding of the application of highly specialized and original knowledge, and that they are able to understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research. Requirement 4: NYIT is required to revise its assessment strategies to demonstrate:

(i) a clear pedagogical rationale for the seven week delivery (ii) how students achieve adequate reflection time to fully demonstrate achievement

of the learning objectives at Level 9 given the number of assessment points utilized

(iii) how students achieve a comprehensive understanding of the application of highly specialized and original knowledge, and are able to understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research.

Another expectation of QFEmirates is that students develop skill in advanced problem-solving skills to analyse highly complex issues with incomplete data and develop innovative solutions. Most course assignments are fully prepared and designed for quick programmed responses. Since little ambiguity exists, students do not develop extensive problem-solving skills. They calculate statistical answers to a given data set and provide brief interpretation of results. The next step would be application of this problem-solving skill to an ambiguous scenario; however, due to lack of time, the final step in problem-solving skill development is omitted. The NYIT administrators recognize this problem, and some New York based faculty have reduced the number of brief assignments by incorporating them into fewer more comprehensive cycle assignments. In Section 3.3, several assessment issues are discussed concerning individual courses. Some assessment occurs at a lower level than expected in a graduate course with overly simple testing or assignments. Written assignments are described as “research” but require little cognitive reflection on content presented. Grades on group assignments generously increase individual course averages to satisfactory levels when individual performance is substandard. An integrative learning activity that incorporates functional business practices into cohesive strategy is lacking. Therefore, actual measurement of the outcomes needs to be reviewed and strengthened. At this time, the MBA does not meet the guidelines of QFEmirates Level 9.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


However, with substantiate change to the assessment and teaching and learning strategy, the MBA program has the potential to satisfy the guidelines. The administration of pre-test and post-test of the Major Field Test (MFT) should provide external validation of student learning and achievement, but discussion of tests results is omitted from the Self-Study. Discussion of MFT scores needs to be included in assessment of learning outcomes. Requirement 5: NYIT is required to:

i. Revise the assessment and teaching and learning strategies used to ensure adequate depth of specialized knowledge and problem-solving skill is generated;

ii. Revise course measurement instruments and procedures to produce graduate level assessment of program learning outcomes;

iii. Report MFT scores along with explanatory commentary. 3.2 The Curricula The MBA Program and its required courses are described in standard academic terms as required by the Standards. The Program includes up to18 credit hours of foundation courses (referred to in the Application as “waiveable” core courses) that depend on students’ prior business education; 21 credit hours of “non-waiveable” core courses consisting of 12 courses (each 1.5 credit hours) and one capstone course (3 credit hours); and nine credit hours of elective courses (each 3 credit hours). Thus, the program has 30 credits for completion. The structure of the program and the number of credit hours required to complete it are appropriate and consistent with the Standards. A problem arises with electives offered at the Abu Dhabi campus with low enrollment. For efficient use of resources, the number of electives is limited to the point that “elective” might not be a proper describer. For convenience, students enroll in whatever elective is available. In this situation, NYIT needs to provide students with as much advance notice of elective offerings as possible. Also, NYIT may want to survey students as to their preference for elective courses and attempt to schedule the most desired course(s). Requirement 6: NYIT is required to:

i. Provide advance information to Abu Dhabi students about the scheduling of electives;

ii. Survey Abu Dhabi students to assess their preference for electives. As discussed in Section 3.1, in international practice, MBA graduates are expected to be able to integrate business functional tactics into a comprehensive strategy. Usually students accomplish this through a comprehensive case study, a computer simulation / competition, or developing a new business / product. NYIT emphasizes integrating technology, research and global business analysis but has only one course, MGMT 630, where students specifically integrate functional content (i.e., accounting, finance, information systems, marketing, management and operations management) into a skeletal business plan. Further, MGMT 630 is only 1.5 credit hour course with limited time to concentrate on business content integration. NYIT should amend the curriculum to increase learning activities designed to integrate business content into decision making. This requirement could be addressed by increasing the

NYIT BSBA & MBA


credit hours for MGMT 630 and treating it as a capstone course, revising the current capstone MGMT 650 to include more content integration in the development of a more comprehensive strategic plan. Requirement 7: NYIT is required to:

(i) amend the curriculum to increase learning activities designed to integrate business content into decision making.

(ii) assess the development and implementation of a more comprehensive business plan that integrates multiple functional business content to fully achieve Level 9 of QFEmirates

Since teamwork and group assignments are used extensively in multiple courses, the ERT expected to find some formal training on the development and operation of teams. Supposedly, the BUSI 610 course contains discussions of team building. Faculty and students report that faculty spend extra time outside of class to explain proper team functioning. NYIT needs to formally establish a module, training session or other development activity to address team building that occurs early in the program. Requirement 8: NYIT is required to establish and implement formal teamwork training in the early stage of the course sequence. 3.3 Academic Courses NYIT amended Master Syllabi to conform to recommendations and suggestions offered by the ERT during initial accreditation. Further, the ERT found most Master Syllabi to comply with Stipulation 5 of the Standards in regards to the identification and inclusion of prerequisites, textbooks, course learning outcomes, grading scales, weekly assignment schedules, and general instructional information. The actual faculty syllabi conform to NYIT’s Master Syllabi and meet the “contextualization” outcome by including UAE business examples and assignments. In some cases (MRKT 610, Qant 620, ECON 610, ECON 620), the Master Syllabus indicates an older edition of a textbook than the faculty syllabi with a more recent edition. NYIT needs to update those Master Syllabi to accurately reflect current textbooks and other materials used by faculty. Requirement 9: NYIT is required to review and update the above noted Master syllabi to conform to current faculty instructional usage. From reviewing weekly course outlines and course schedules contained in the course files, the ERT notes that NYIT uses a 50 minute classroom unit each week to equate to a credit hour. The Standards (p. 62) require a true 60 minute time period for a credit hour of classroom instruction. Requirement 10: NYIT is required to conform to the Standards on classroom instructional time. The NYIT MBA has two courses which contain elements of ‘people’ management: Strategic Leadership Capstone (MGT 650) and International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior (MGT 620) within the non-waivable core. For those students accepted to the program without a business first degree an additional people management course is required, Principles of Management (MGT 501). There is no unique HRM course, which whilst acceptable on a

NYIT BSBA & MBA


general MBA programme would normally suggest that somewhere within the program the basic theories and concepts of organizational behavior and people management would be covered. However, the NYIT MBA appears heavily influenced toward leadership and international culture, and lacking in expected people management areas:

• Principles of Management (MGT 501): The course content does not cover many of the basic areas Organisational Behavior one would expect, for example individual differences; teams and groups; organizational structures, organizational learning. It does cover leadership. • International Dimensions of Organisational Behavior (MGT 620): This course content primarily relates to issues arising from international culture, global leadership and implementing international strategy. • Strategic Leadership Capstone (MGT 650): both the set texts and content of this course is focused around the area of leadership.

Requirement 11: NYIT is required to review the people management content of the MBA program to ensure the expected elements of people management are included and that leadership in particular is not over covered to the detriment of other subject areas. BUSI 610 Professional Development Seminar (0 credit) To demonstrate value added, all MBA students are required to complete the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Major Field Test (MFT) once admitted to the program. To implement this requirement, students must register in BUSI600 ETS Major-Field Examination during the first semester of study. No credit hours are earned for the course. Students who complete the test receive a “Pass” grade. Test scores provide an indication of students’ level of knowledge in the functional business areas at the time they begin the program. NYIT administers the test upon completion of the MBA core as part of the capstone course. Comparing the pre and post test scores provides a measure of the value added through the MBA core. This is an excellent approach for assessing students’ learning using direct measures and for comparing NYIT’s students’ performance to that of all students in the test database. See Requirement 5 in Section 3.1 about discussion of MFT scores. BUSI 600 syllabus purports to orient students about research requirements and teamwork/ group work in MBA courses. However, the ERT discovered from reviewing the course files that many “research” reports in MBA courses were merely “cut and paste” examples that really cannot be characterized as research. Further, though Turnitin scores were (in some cases) evident, many reports appeared to contain long splices of referenced content, but with little reflective thought. The ERT expected to find instructional materials and activities about effective teamwork since many courses require group assignments, but no examples were produced. Forming teams and assigning group projects without adequate instruction on team dynamics is not productive. The course files did not contain information on research or team work learning outcomes. This course is designed to activate student professional enrichment and development; yet, no illustrative development plans were evident. Requirement 12: NYIT is required to:

NYIT BSBA & MBA


i. provide details on how students will produce an appropriate research report to satisfy Level 9 of QFEmirates;

ii. provide evidence of professional development and enrichment plans. ACCT 610 Accounting Analysis Assignments required students to use the Bloomberg data base to acquire corporate data, compare and contrast reporting procedures, to apply different tax codes, analyze a capital lease and discuss possible fraud. The fraud analysis required is straight forward statistical application of software. Ethics issues were covered and the UAE environment was included in cases. Unfortunately, content on the final exam was below MBA instructional level requiring simple calculations more suited to third year undergraduate instruction and that did not require much thought or analysis. Also, term definitions were answered in short sentences. ECON 610 Macro Environment of Business Students demonstrate knowledge by applying macroeconomics concepts to country and regional planning. UAE examples are provided.

ECON 620 Microeconomic Industry Analyses Students perform graduate level calculations and interpret results demonstrating critical thinking. FINC 610 Financial Policy and Value Creation Students are required to calculate the standard financial ratios usually taught at the third and fourth years of undergraduate study. Using the ratios, a corporation’s financial strengths and weaknesses are discussed. Assignments that require graduate level learning should be added to this course with more emphasis on in-depth discussion of financial planning to improve corporate balance sheet and p& l statements. FINC 620 Executing and Reporting Financial Market Transactions While exercises and assignments are appropriate, the issue of grading weights for individual work versus quizzes and group assignments should be discussed. Substandard performance on exams appear to be offset in overall evaluation weighting of student course performance by less academically rigorous quizzes and group assignments. QANT 610 Operations Management This course provides an introduction to operations management. The learning outcomes for the course are clearly stated. QANT 620 Multi-Criteria Decision Models Statistical calculations identify that graduate level learning occurs. However, the ERT is concerned with grade distribution, especially regarding individual versus group assignments. Three students failed the final exam by a substantial amount (below 50%); yet, they were assigned passing grades (C+) because easier group grades increased their total grade average for the course. If an individual’s comprehension of course content is lacking, students should not receive credit for the course. Employers desire to hire competent individual graduates who can succeed without substantial group support. Failure of the final examination may

NYIT BSBA & MBA


enable students to pass the course without having demonstrated achievement of each of the course learning outcomes. Requirement 13: NYIT is required to review its grading policies concerning individual and team assessment to insure sufficient individual performance is measured and accounted for in grade determination. Requirement 14: NYIT is required to provide evidence that students are able to demonstrate achievement of each of the course learning outcomes in order to pass the course. MGMT 650 Strategic Leadership Capstone (3 credits) As configured this course is more suited as a stand-alone leadership course rather than as an integrative capstone instrument used to weave business functional knowledge into a cohesive strategic plan. As considered earlier in this report, examples viewed by the ERT of the “research” assignments identified that they are “cut and paste” with simple reporting of basic data without much evidence of critical thinking being demonstrated. An example of student performance on an assessment case study reviewed by the ERT contained poor logic and an unacceptable answer. The marks assigned for the case study were not evident. In other examples, group assignments were quite short and did not reflect much effort or academic rigor given that multiple students were involved in completing the assignment. The strategic plan assignment is a “how to plan strategy” and “the elements of a plan,” but students do not actually develop and implement a strategic business plan. Using the post-test ETS MFT is an excellent assessment exercise to measure student achievement, and including the test in the grading schema provides students with an incentive to take the test seriously. However, the comparative results of the pre-test and post-test were not presented; so, the ERT could not discern the level of value added learning. See Requirement 5 in Section 3.1 about discussion of MFT scores. MRKT 610 Branding Students demonstrate acceptable knowledge of branding, consumer behavior, segmentation, and product development concepts. The final exam requires critical thinking by answering a mini case scenario and open end questions. Market research basics concerning reliability and validity of data has been added to the course as suggested by the previous ERT. ACCT 721 Advanced Financial Accounting (course file not presented) Requirement 15: NYIT is required to identify if ACCT 721 is being delivered in the Abu Dhabi campus, and to provide an appropriate Course File FINC 760 Corporate Financial Decision Making This is an advanced elective course in corporate financial decision-making. The course focuses on real world applications through case analyses wherein students calculate financial performance, perform a SWOT analysis, compare and contrast client performance versus competitors’ results. The course is well designed.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


MRKT 745 Internet Marketing Graduate level mid-term and final exams are administered. UAE consumers are surveyed to determine their perceptions of digital media and advertising and how a client could utilize appropriate media and messages. Students commented they liked this course because of its experiential learning approach and assignments. The ERT notes the low student numbers for this course. 3.6 Preparatory or Remedial Courses and Programs Students admitted to the MBA program without appropriate business preparation are required to complete a variable amount of zero credit rated course work covering the foundation business courses and some business tools (the “waiveable core”). These courses are delivered over 7 weeks. A student who is required to complete all foundation courses would need a full academic year before beginning the MBA core. 3.9 Class Size MBA class sizes have ranged from 2 to 25 students which are manageable sizes (however at the lower end the ERT question whether the level of discourse and debate normally found within a graduate program is achieved). With so many group assignments embedded in courses, small class sizes can impede learning because assignments may be designed for larger groups and more groups. As most MBA courses have writing requirements, class size policy is a maximum of 26. 3.10 Program Effectiveness NYIT has a well-organized and continuously used system of reviewing coverage and achievement of program learning outcomes. Each course has outcomes linked to program goals. A highly detailed process was described that evaluates these linkages by using a scoring system where faculty rate, on a 1-5 scale, students’ performance on each assessment item included in the Master Syllabus. Department / Discipline Assessment Directors (DADs) compile course assessment data and results are shared with discipline faculty and responsible administrators. The DADs produce overall reports on the achievement of course and program learning outcomes, which are reviewed by the Associate Dean at NYIT-UAE and subsequently forwarded to the Associate Dean for Assurance of Learning based in New York. The ERT note that no reflection of the reports was seen to occur with NYIT – UAE faculty. The DAD reports indicate that assessment data is used to revise course content and delivery methodology. Curricular changes, including any proposed by Abu Dhabi faculty, ultimately must be endorsed by the SoM-wide Curriculum Committee.

Section 3: BSBA

3.1 Credit Bearing Programs The Self-Study provides comprehensive and up to date data regarding the economic and employment situation in the UAE pertaining to the demand for the BSc in Business Administration (BSBA). The Self-Study provides a detailed analysis of the 2009 cohort's progression through the programme which suggests improvement in both individual GPAs and cumulative GPA’s. As the programme has evolved and matured the need for placing students on probation has reduced.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


The NYIT BSBA offers an American degree which it believes differs considerably in structure from its main competitors in Abu Dhabi, the European International College and the Paris Sorbonne University (as the Paris Sorbonne UAE does not offer a BSBA, the ERT questions the validity of this statement). The key difference between the NYIT BSBA and other programmes in the region is identified in the Self-Study as being that its students "should be predisposed to contribute towards the advancement of the BSBA program mission" and will attain the BSBA program goals. 3.2 The Curricula NYIT delivers the BSBA as a three tier curriculum - general education, business core and management option - across all of its campuses based on a series of learning goals grouped into Invariant (common), Contextual (globalised) and Instructor-specific (niche-specific). BSBA's learning goals are broken down into sets of general learning goals, business core goals and management-specific goals, all of which are then translated into learning objectives. The learning outcomes align with Level 7 of QFEmirates. Students of the BSBA are not only graded for their assessed work but outside of the requirements of their degree study, also receiving scores against learning goal achievement recorded on through a Goal Validation System (GVS). The scores are seen as formative assessment. The BSBA has three recruitment entry points per year with the total number of first year students enrolled for the year 2013/14 being 24. However, the ERT was somewhat concerned at the difficulty NYIT had in providing accurate figures for the BSBA intake enrolments annually, the data presented being more concerned with cumulative numbers of students within the total program. The ERT was not provided with any projections for future enrolment, merely the suggestion from the marketing team that they are expecting an increase of 50% in acceptances for 2014/15. Requirement 16: NYIT is required to provide accurate annual enrolment figures for the BSBA since initial accreditation, and forward projections upon which to base future planning. Changes to the curriculum since the last review include the new Discovery core curriculum introduced in 2010. An Annual Assurance of Learning Report every year covers curriculum modifications. 3.3 Academic Courses NYIT have a comprehensive system of processes for institutionally assessing and evaluating its BSBA program through the Course Leaders, who assess achievement of the course learning outcomes relating to their individual courses; the Assistant Dean, who concentrates on the Major Specific learning goals; the SOM Assessment Team whose remit covers the Programmatic learning goals and integrative areas. In addition there are regular NYIT cross-campus Assessment Days and Retreats for academic management. A number of changes have been recorded in the NYIT Self-Study. Curriculum Planning Groups designated by the Dean oversee all changes, which must then be reviewed by both the SOM Curriculum Team and full faculty. Final decisions are made by the Academic Dean and

NYIT BSBA & MBA


forwarded to the Office of Academic Affairs, who submit them to the Academic Senate for institutional approval. The ERT was provided with a matrix relating the learning objectives to QFEmirates Level 7. Whilst in general the BSBA curriculum and course contents are commensurate with that expected, the ERT were concerned about a number of elements common to many of the BSBA courses.

1. Course Content • Course content is in most cases very closely tied to a specific text book or in a few cases two text books. But many of the required text books for the courses are out of date, despite newer editions being available, and/or are very US centric even where regionalised versions of the same or similar US text books are available. Whilst the ERT were told that the Abu Dhabi faculty were allowed to localize, and hence make more relevant, the contents of the courses through selecting a different required text to use in their classes, the ERT was not provided with examples of where this has ever occurred. The fact that course contents and delivery are so tightly tied to the stipulated text books does make substitution difficult for Abu Dhabi faculty. In addition it is unclear how, for the same reason, local employer stakeholders for example are able to have any impact on content.

Requirement 17: NYIT is required to review all course required text books to ensure they are up to date and provide sufficient local contextualisation for UAE students. Suggestion 5: The ERT suggest that NYIT explore the 'customised' text books service now provided by many of the larger publishers that allows institutions to choose chapters from a number of text books to be consolidated into one text for their students. So for example one course on all campuses could stipulate a text book containing 75% of chapters in common and 25% relevant to the individual campus locations. Course contents could then be centrally modified Requirement 18: NYIT are required to illustrate how employer stakeholders and other consulted groups are able to have an impact on course contents. 2. Assessment The ERT was concerned that the number of individual assessment elements detracts from the depth of assessment that might more normally be expected on a BSBA program. The course BUS1435 Business Policy and Strategy is a particular example of this concern, where the outline would suggest this could indeed be described as the capstone course. However, the student assessed output only illustrates their ability to collect data, but not to analyse that data or discern the impact of their activities portrayed by the collected data.

Requirement 19: NYIT is required to review the number of assessments within each course to demonstrate that the assessments are sufficiently rigorous to achieve the learning outcome at Level 7 of QFEmirates.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


The ERT noted from the course files that few courses provided marking rubrics which contained the mark allocation for each of the different elements of the assessment vehicles. Requirement 20: NYIT is required to ensure that all assessments on each course publish clear marking rubrics identifying how marks will be allocated. With most of the courses having a greater weighting for the non-examination elements of the course assessment and much of this assessment being group/team based, the ERT was concerned at the relative balance between group and individual assessment on the program. Requirement 21: NYIT are required to review the balance between individual and group assessment both within individual courses and across the program as a whole to ensure individual achievement of the final award. The ERT expressed concern with the assertion that summative course assignments are pre-graded by Course Leaders, i.e handed-in, marked and returned to students for correction before a final hand-in and final marking. Requirement 22: NYIT is required to provide a written narrative regarding Course Leader input to assignment preparation and pre-grading. The mid-term and final examination cover sheets rarely provide a breakdown of marks allocated within the test format, and grading criteria for each individual question, thus making examination technique difficult for students. Post examination, the marks actually achieved by students are not clearly annotated. The ERT notes that spaces are allocated on the exam script front-covers, but do not appear to be used. This makes it difficult to check the entry by the marker within the scripts - often very unclear within themselves - to the final marks awarded to the students. Requirement 23: NYIT is required to ensure that Students are made aware before sitting an examination of the allocation of marks to each question/set of questions on examination papers. The presentational standard of the mid-term, final exam scripts and some classroom tests is very poor. The ERT viewed examples of examination scripts where students are required to provide a short essay response, student answers were constrained by finite space on the exam script in which to respond. Examples were viewed by the ERT of students writing sideways in the margin or cramming their responses to the extent that they become illegible. Suggestion 6: The ERT suggest that NYIT review the format of its examination booklets to enable students to provide fuller responses. The BSBA curriculum contains an Induction Course, which whilst non-credit bearing, is a requirement for all students. Any induction course would be expected to be delivered within the first enrolment period. However, the ERT was surprised to learn that the requirement is only that the Induction Course is undertaken by students before completing 24 credit hours, not before starting the program. This appears to negate the impact and use of the Induction Course.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


Requirement 24: NYIT is required to ensure that the Induction Course is delivered to all students within their first enrolment period, preferably before the commencement of any courses. 3.4 General Education All BSBA students are required to undertake the 'Discovery Core' element of the program which provides sufficiently broad intellectual experience to comply with QFEmirates requirements. Additionally, all students have to successfully complete courses HIST310 History of Islamic Civilisation and ICSS 310 the Modern Middle East: A Global Perspective. This meets the Standards requirement for Islamic study. NYIT began value added assessments of all its BSBA students in Fall 2012 through Collegiate Learning Assessment testing. NYIT has introduced a number of parallel initiatives to the BSBA degree requirements. These include a system of individual students scoring their learning objective achievements as an informal part of the BSBA's formative assessment, seminar courses, visiting speakers, visits, business and research projects and business games. NYIT is also investigating introducing Individual Student Portfolios which will identify and highlight general education attainment and other transferable knowledge and skills acquired by the BSBA students. 3.5 Internship Students of the NYIT BSBA are required to complete an internship under the School Of Management's Platform of Excellence. Each student must have completed 90 credits (75 with Chair's special approval) before they are allowed to undertake the internship. Each student has an Internship Supervisor appointed and a clear syllabus detailing the learning objectives and assessment requirements is included in the program curriculum. However, whilst this course meets the Standards for internships the ERT was surprised that there was no course file or examples of student work available for the ERT to review. Requirement 25: NYIT is required to provide a course file for MGMTE390 Internship in Management. 3.6 Preparatory or Remedial Courses and Programs NYIT itself does not offer any preparatory or remedial courses for BSBA students. For those students conditionally accepted on to the program without having attained the required English language level, NYIT has an MOU with the British Council to assist in bringing the students up to the required level of language proficiency. 3.8 Course Delivery Each course outline provides a clear and prescriptive delivery model common across all NYIT campuses. Each outline is adhered to by the Abu Dhabi faculty. The ERT was concerned that the assessment processes on the BSBA in Abu Dhabi were not leading to sufficiently fair, accurate and appropriate level assessment. It was reported that all examination papers are written by individual course tutors and not subject to scutiny by any

NYIT BSBA & MBA


other similar subject specialist. All assessment is graded by the course tutor, again with no input from other faculty. No assessment is ever scrutinised by another member of faculty of the same subject specialism, except in the rare cases where a student appeals their grade and does not accept the re-grading of their work by the original class tutor. It was perhaps not surprising that within the student work reviewed by the ERT there were a significant examples of unjustified grade inflation, with students receiving very high marks for very average and even sometimes poor submissions. Requirement 26: NYIT is required to develop a process that ensures that the academic assessment is not only aligned with achievement of the learning outcomes, but is also equitable, accurate and undertaken at an appropriate level. The BSBA course files varied in completeness, several did not contain the documentation required by Stipulation 7 the Standards. In particular marking schemes and teaching materials were absent, although some examples of marking schemes were later provided on the request of the ERT. Faculty advised that a considerable amount of additional teaching materials were supplied by tutors to their classes. However there were few examples of these in the course files. The instructor reviews were in the main cursory, and NYIT are required to ensure that in order to comply with the requirements of the Standards a comprehensive instructor review is undertaken for each course. Requirement 27: NYIT are required to ensure that all BSBA course files contain the elements detailed in Stipulation 7 of the Standards. All faculty on the Abu Dhabi campus have office hours showing when they are available to assist students. Each student is also allocated a faculty mentor. The extra-curricular platforms also provide students with commendable additional interaction with both faculty and industry experts. There is in place Student Advisory Board although the ERT was provided with no evidence of it having any impact on the BSBA program. 3.9 Class Size NYIT has a cross-campus policy regarding maximum class size with "professor intensive courses" restricted to 17 and "writing courses" to a maximum of 26. The term “professor intensive” and “writing courses” were not clearly articulated by NYIT. NYIT Abu Dhabi's class size issues relate to minimum acceptable, as opposed to maximum acceptable, class sizes. In the academic year 2013/14 forty courses had 9 (>50%) or less students. Twenty courses had 5 or less students. Requirement 28: NYIT is required to clearly define what is meant by “Professor Intensive” and “Writing” Courses. Whilst for some programmes small class sizes might provide a commendably rich learning experience for students, in the case of NYIT's BSBA the small size of class and bachelor syllabus is heavily reliant on group/team activity, giving the ERT serious concerns about the actual student learning experience, and the suitability of the majority of the assessment vehicles being used on the courses which are shown as group work. While a strength of NYIT is the commonality of programmes across all its campuses, insufficient consideration has been given to the delivery and assessment of BSBA courses to such very small groups of

NYIT BSBA & MBA


students. Class sizes of five and below are particularly concerning when so much of the BSBA course assessment is based around group activity. Within the BSBA, at instructor level, additional learning objectives can be locally added for individual courses (although no faculty in Abu Dhabi had taken advantage of this), however no level of local flexibility in relation to the assessment structure is available, providing a potential mismatch in demonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes. An instructor with a class of one still requires the student to submit a response to an assessment designed for groups. Requirement 29: NYIT is required to review each of their BSBA courses to:

(i) determine the minimum viable class size required to meet the students' pedagogical needs;

(ii) determine the appropriateness of the assessment instruments used in relation to the class size.

3.10 Program Effectiveness The submission included a detailed summary and analysis of BSBA program effectiveness, including detail of the assessment instruments used. In addition to the global analysis undertaken, the Director of Assessment for the Abu Dhabi campus provides an annual assessment report of the program and faculty to central senior management in New York. It is unclear if the Abu Dhabi faculty have any opportunity to discuss BSBA program effectiveness or ideas for continual improvement. Requirement 30: NYIT is required to demonstrate how Abu Dhabi faculty have an opportunity to discuss BSBA program effectiveness or ideas for continual improvement.

Section 4: Faculty and Professional Staff After inspecting documents provided in the Application, the ERT is satisfied that NYIT-UAE has in place appropriate policies and procedures concerning faculty and staff. The policies and procedures are published and distributed in both the Faculty Handbook and Staff Handbook. Conversations with faculty and staff indicate they are aware and knowledgeable of the policies. 4.4 Faculty Preparation The ERT was advised of a comprehensive process for staff and faculty induction exists. However, no documentation was available to support the proposition. Faculty confirmed they were satisfied with the induction process. 4.6 Staff Qualifications After a review of the credentials of the current faculty members teaching in the BSBA and MBA programs, the ERT is satisfied that these faculty members possess the appropriate qualifications to meet the Standards for faculty. With only seven full time faculty members, NYIT employs at least one specialty qualified adjunct faculty member in accounting, finance, quantitative analysis, economics and marketing. Management, which has more core and concentration courses, has two specialty faculty members. Course coverage is supplemented by three qualified part-time faculty. The ERT reminds NYIT on the limitation on part time faculty teaching in any program to a maximum of 25% unless prior approval is received from the Commission

NYIT BSBA & MBA


Library and information technology are outsourced through agreements with CERT and HCT. Conversations with the professionals supervising these functions indicate they are appropriately qualified. 4.10 Professional Development Conversation with faculty revealed their satisfaction with professional development support. Faculty reported receiving funds to support research, and conference attendance and travel. In addition to the current CAA Application, NYIT is seeking AACSB accreditation, each process has substantial expectations for intellectual contributions, and an assurance that faculty are provided release time for research activity. 4.9 Faculty Workload Using data from the previous two academic years and the current proposed schedule, faculty workloads were viewed as complying with the Standards. None of the seven fulltime and three part-time faculty have any overloads. In some cases, faculty have multiple course preparations in a semester but do not exceed credit hour limitations, and, generally receive fewer preparations in other semesters. 4.10 Part-Time Faculty The three part-time faculty members are qualified to teach at the master’s level and teach within their field of specialization.

Section 5: Students 5.1 Student Handbook A comprehensive Student Handbook covering both bachelor and MBA students is available to students on-line. 5.2 Undergraduate Admission For admission to the BSBA applicants are required to provide official transcripts from grade 9 to 12 and a High School Diploma. In addition a certificate of English language proficiency with TOEFL scores of at least 550 (213CPT or 79IBT) OR an IELTS score of 6. The ERT met with undergraduate students who expressed satisfaction at the level of engagement of the academic team. The ERT were concerned when they were told that students can be admitted to the program and undertake up to 24 credits of courses before having met the admissions requirements relating to the provision of documents. Requirement 31: NYIT are required to ensure that student admission policies comply with the requirements of the Standards. 5.3 Graduate Admissions To be admitted to the MBA Program, a student must possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale or equivalent. Additionally, minimum English proficiency scores should be 213 computer-based TOEFL, 79-80 Internet-based TOEFL, 550 paper-based TOEFL or 6.0 in IELTS. Language in the

NYIT BSBA & MBA


Application contradicts its own admission practices in the UAE. The Application (Vol 1, p. 87) states: • All applicants will either be fully admitted or not admitted into the M.B.A. program; • Students may neither be conditionally admitted into the M.B.A. program nor granted provisional status. Yet, NYIT-UAE allows for conditional admission for those students with a baccalaureate degree who have a GPA between a 2.5 and 2.99 on a 4.0 scale. The ERT assumes that NYIT intends to follow its current practice and not dismiss conditional admits. Conditional admits are limited to 9 credit hours maintaining a 3.00 GPA to acquire status as a regular student. The ERT noted a case wherein a student did not achieve the 3.00 over the first 9 credits hours and was allowed to retake courses to increase the GPA. The retaking of courses is not allowed by the Standards (see Stipulation 10. II. 2.) and the student should have been dismissed. In reviewing student records, the ERT notes some areas of concerns. Many pending actions for an individual student were ‘Post’em’ noted to files rather than recorded in a more permanent manner. Post’em notes can become unattached from files and pending actions not processed, e.g., students may be admitted and register without completing all requirements. Requirement 32: NYIT is required to:

i. Demonstrate how it will comply with its admission requirements; ii. Improve the physical record keeping of students files;

iii. Dismiss conditional admit students who do not maintain a 3.00 GPA within the first nine credit hours.

5.4 Transfer Admission Transfer applicants must provide the same documentation as freshman students plus official transcripts from each institution where they have studied specifying courses for which they are claiming credit. These transcripts are then evaluated by the NYIT-UAE Admissions Office staff for acceptability for credits towards the BSBA. NYIT has no formal transfer arrangements with any other institutions. However, transfer between NYIT campuses by students is allowable at all times. 5.6 Recognition of Prior Learning NYIT has a system of recognition of prior learning and allows credit to be determined for skills and knowledge obtained outside the traditional college setting. However, there have been no examples of RPL at the Abu Dhabi campus. 5.7 Student Records Whilst NYIT has in place all the expected systems and processes for student records, the ERT was concerned that they are not being fully implemented. For example, in relation to recording and monitoring the status of students on probation; verification of students meeting the admissions requirements through document production and the ERT perceived a dangerous habit of noting student record issues on ‘PostIt` notes on the front of folders rather than inside the folder itself.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


Requirement 33: NYIT is required to ensure that policies and procedures relating to student records are fully implemented. 5.8 Student Services The small size of the NYIT BSBA and MBA operations allows a commendable level of informal support for individual students both in general and for those with particular needs. Some scholarships are available to BSBA students ranging from 500$ to 1,500$ based upon their levels of attainment. 5.9 Advising Services NYIT administers a Student Services and Student Life Survey annually to the BSBA and MBA students. No evidence of this producing change to student services within the campus was given to the ERT. However, again because of the small size of the operation, it as very clear that both BSBA and MBA students receive a high level of advising services through informal faculty/student interaction. The NYIT has a Careers Office whose staff, through close interaction with employers, are able to provide advice and assistance to both BSBA and MBA students when requested. 5.10 Student Activities and Publications The parallel experiential "Triple Platforms of Excellence" which although not a requirement of the BSBA degree study, provide students with excellent opportunities for significant learning and experience of research projects/publishing. An example of this was the student research paper developed, written and then presented by two Abu Dhabi students at Harvard University recently. In addition BSBA students produce their own newsletter and are involved in social media groups linked to the program. 5.11 Student Behavior and Academic Integrity Student Behaviour is the remit of the NYIT Director of Student Affairs who not only ensures faculty are aware of the systems of discipline, and how they should be implemented, but also maintain records of all student disciplinary proceedings. The students themselves have clear guidance within the Student Handbook relating to both disciplinary and grievance procedures. The ERT was told that all assignments should be assessed for similarity by using Turnitin available through the campus Blackboard system. However, anecdotally the ERT was informed some members of faculty are using other systems for detection of plagiarism purposes. The submission documentation only suggests that "faculty are encouraged to use Turnitin." Requirement 34: NYIT is required to document how their policy on the academic misconduct ensures that similarity detection software such as Turnitin is consistently applied.

Section 6: Learning Resources

6.1 Learning Resources: Library

NYIT BSBA & MBA


NYIT has two physical libraries: a small NYIT library that contains access to proprietary data bases such as Bloomberg; and a contractual relationship with the HCT library. The HCT library has extensive access hours of operation, spacious meeting rooms, and several computer work stations. HCT maintains 24/7 on-line access to electronic resources (104 data bases; 23 are business specific) and extensive resource collections and inter-library loan sources. Students and faculty also may access E-NYIT for electronic resources from the home campus. Routine student surveys indicate satisfaction with library resources. 6.2 Learning Resources: Technology NYIT contracts with CERT for use of up-to-date classrooms that contain adequate space and seating for various size classes, computer hardware and software, and media projectors. Software available is fairly extensive including MS Office, SPSS, Compustat and other specialty software for design and drawing. One room contains a securities trading terminal and LED board tied to Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange trading and general information, and is used in the MBA.

Section 7: Physical and Technical Resources

7.1 Physical Environment: Development NYIT-UAE leases facilities from CERT-HCT which is a significant advantage in that the facilities are of a high standard and fit for purpose. The ERT received a campus tour of classrooms, labs, faculty offices and administrative and support areas. All facilities were modern, well equipped and had adequate space to accommodate NYIT operations. The Provost mentioned that the CERT lease continues for about another 18 months and can be renewed or NYIT has the opportunity to seek housing in other facilities or initiate new construction. 7.2 Physical Environment: Safety The NYIT (CERT / HCT) campus is very clean and well maintained. Safety signs and measures such as fire management equipment are accessible and visible. 7.3 Physical Environment: Technology CERT maintains electronic connectivity and services hardware and software needs. NYIT does employ an IT specialist to help students, staff and faculty with various IT operations.

Section 8: Fiscal Resources

8.1 Fiscal Resources NYIT-UAE is in its infancy and much of its support is provided by financial infusion from the home campus. Obviously, NYIT-UAE hopes to grow enrollment in the BSBA and MBA programs to make them profit (surplus) generators rather than deficit (loss) burdens. 8.4 Budgeting The budgets provided for the BSBA and MBA cover two years of actual and three years of projected revenues and expenses. Each program incurred losses in its first year of the budget (AY 11-12). The BSBA generated a small surplus in year 2, but the MBA incurred increased

NYIT BSBA & MBA


losses. These results occurred because fulltime faculty costs of about $320,000 were transferred from the BSBA to the MBA (more faculty are teaching more courses in the MBA), and MBA tuition revenue only increased by $ 145,000. These results are not unusual given the newness of the program and the need to gain brand awareness by potential students in the UAE. The financial success of each program depends on effective enrollment management that recruits more qualified applicants and yields more registered students. Increased enrollment that can be absorbed into existing classes and not increase the need for faculty staffing is the key to breakeven or surplus generation. If enrollments cannot generate enough tuition revenue, NYIT will have to consider discontinuance of one or both of the programs. Rather than use a rigid, one level budget, the ERT encourages NYIT to refine its budgeting process by estimating revenues and expenses at flexible levels, for example, three different enrollment levels: lower than expected (e.g., economic downturn in UAE), current level with small growth, and higher than expected. Such enrollment and budget planning may allow better planning for revenues and expenses. Suggestion 7: NYIT is encouraged to develop and use flexible budgets levels to estimate revenues and expenses.

Section 9: Public Disclosure and Integrity

9.2 Publications All proposals for new documentation and documentation changes are reviewed for content and pertinence in Abu Dhabi, and then submitted for approval to the Dean of the School of Management in New York. Any change to program curriculum, course detail or program details as shown in the Catalog or in other publications has to be approved by the Provost and Vice-president for Academic Affairs. The current publications relating to the BSBA and MBA programs are appropriate and accurate. 9.3 Program Name The program names for both the MBA and BSBA have been provided in the submission documents in both English and Arabic. Both titles are appropriate. The MBA has only the general concentration, whilst the BSBA is only offered with one major concentration. 9.5 Contractual Relationships The NYIT has a number of contractual agreements relating to premises, infrastructure and library services with CERT. During the ERT visit it became apparent that there are some MOUs or agreements of which the Commission has not been previously made aware nor given approval for. This is a breach of the Standards which require that NYIY submits any prospective agreement that impacts its academic programs in any way to the Commission for review and approval before signing it.

NYIT BSBA & MBA


Requirement 35: NYIT is required to: (i) provide the Commission with details of all MOUs or agreements that have been

entered into for the Abu Dhabi Campus, (i) Provide evidence of how it will seek the Commission's approval before entering into

any further agreements. 9.6 Associations with Corporate Entities NYIT has a commendable number of informal links with both business and public services organisations in the region.

Section 10: Research and Scholarly Activities 10.1 Research Strategy There are numerous indications of a research culture within the Self-Study. However, the ERT was not provided with a cohesive approved research strategy. Requirement 36: NYIT is required to provide an approved research strategy. 10.2 Research Support At NYIT, research support is facilitated through the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research (OSPAR). The mission of OSPAR is to assist faculty and administration in obtaining external funding for the advancement of scholarship and research, institutional development, and student services. Through the OSPAR web site, faculty can register to receive targeted funding information via email from the Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN), National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, GrantsNet, the Foundation Center, and others (although the ERT is unclear on circumstanced that would lead any business faculty to seek a health grant or a science grant?). In addition, the SPIN database can be accessed on campus at any time to perform proactive searches, and can be customized to perform weekly searches based keywords and other criteria. NYIT faculty are also able to apply for the NYIT Global Academic Programs Office Travel Grant to present a paper at a local, regional or international conference, and also may apply for the Global Faculty Summer Research and Creativity (GFSRC) Grants, which are valued between $1,000-$3,000 for the support of faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity, or for specific innovative use of technology to improve teaching and learning, during the summer term. 10.3 Research Policy Administrative Policy A-9 supplied in the Self-Study lacks specificity and does not direct faculty to achieve rational outcomes relating to research and scholarly activity. There is no operationalizing procedure and the ERT is unable to establish how this policy can be objectively tested. There is no inclusion of ethical consideration in conducting research mentioned. Requirement 37: NYIT is required to develop and approve a Research Policy which complies with section 10.3 of the Standards The Self-Study states that “it is the responsibility of each of NYIT’s five academic schools and two colleges to publish their specific expectations for scholarly activity relative and pertinent

NYIT BSBA & MBA


to their own fields of study and criteria for judging the quality and importance of such activities”. The ERT was not presented with any evidence to support this activity. Requirement 37: NYIT is required to provide evidence that Business Faculty are aware of their specific expectations for scholarly activity relative and pertinent to their own fields of study and criteria for judging the quality and importance of such activities 10.4 Research Expectations The Policies and Procedures Manual states in Section A-9 that “all faculty are expected to keep current with developments in their disciplines. Faculty should also be actively engaged in scholarly and/or applied research and in seeking support and funding for their research activities in government agencies, corporations, or foundations”. However, no indication of expected outputs is given, and there is no identification of the impact of / or contribution made by research activity to the staff appraisal system for promotion or tenure. Limited information on the requirements for promotion to Professor is included in Section 10.4 of the Self-Study, however no further academic ranks are included. Requirement 38: NYIT is required to identify and publish in appropriate media:

(i) the expected scholarly / research output of faculty (ii) the contribution made by faculty research activity to the staff appraisal system for

promotion or tenure. 10.5 Cooperative Arrangements The Self-Study states that NYIT-UAE does not currently have any cooperative arrangement for research that has an impact on either program.

Section 11: Community Engagement

11.2 Employer Engagement The ERT met with members of the recently formed MBA advisory board for Abu Dhabi. The NYIT has an NY based Advisory Board composed of seven members drawn from external stakeholders, augmented by Business Advisory Boards including professionals and employers at each campus. The Abu Dhabi Business Advisory Board is consulted by NYIT and in addition an annual Stakeholders Conference is held where a number of topics are considered. Members of the MBA Program Advisory Board who spoke to the ERT were very positive about their involvement with NYIT. The ERT was not made aware of any UAE advisory board for the BSBA. Requirement 39: NYIT is required to demonstrate how the BSBA benefits from the input of a UAE based advisory board. 11.3 Community Relations Considering the size of the faculty and student populations, NYIT has a good involvement with its community. This is very much driven by the internship activity of the BSBA students. It is expected that following the recent appointment of a Director of External Affairs, Student & Faculty International Affairs and Community Engagement community

NYIT BSBA & MBA


relations will be even further enhanced.

Conclusions NYIT has desirable physical facilities through its relationships with CERT and HCT. The Abu Dhabi campus delivers business programs developed in New York and extended to the UAE. This connection provides significant financial support and academic program planning and continuous improvement. Abu Dhabi faculty are qualified in their area of specialty and appear to ably deliver instructional services and collaborate with students, although it was noted by the ERT that course files did not always support this. At this time, sufficient faculty resources are employed to staff the BSBA and MBA programs. NYIT has an active Business Advisory Council that offers curriculum advice and feedback to insure instruction meets industry expectations. Current enrollments in the BSBA and MBA program will not sustain their viability. To gain financial stability, more qualified applicants must decide to actually enroll in NYIT classes to produce tuition revenue. Successfully executing recruitment and retention activities is a must. The MBA curriculum must be revised in areas to meet QFEmirates guidelines. After conversations with NYIT team, the ERT feels they recognize and understand curriculum issues and already have had some discussion on possible resolutions. However, any changes still must be implemented. The ERT makes its recommendations in a spirit of constructive engagement, with the aim of ensuring that the Standards for Licensure and Accreditation, 2011 are met, and to aid NYIT to establish programs that will achieve its stated objectives.

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